Full Version: Earth : A project for mankind?
America's Debate > Archive > Assorted Issues Archive > [A] Science and Technology > [A] Environmental Debate
I've been reading with much care and caution most of the recent posts related to Environmental Debate.
On a daily basis, I watch documentaries related to wildlife, science and politics. I watch the news, I read and comment posts on America's Debate too. I believe my knowledge of the world and of its inhabitants expands gradually, as my curiosity is satisfied.
I am the witness of a beautiful world inhabited by people of all kinds. I cherish the discovery of friends and cultures. I contemplate endlessly the natural beauties and wonders of the planet. I remember my traditions and the knowledge that has been passed to us by the fathers of our fathers. I like to think of myself of a simple person with the heritage of many.
Well, in spite of all my permanent amazement, I notice that the world and mankind are not going anywhere together. We use and exhaust the world more than we "live" in it, and we're not even able to make it a happy place for everyone.
We are changing our world. It seems to some that we are causing our own doom, while others say that our actions have little influence on our habitat. Whatever our impact is, our actions look reckless, careless or plainly blind. We take pride in our intelligence and our ability to alter evolution itself, but to what end?
So, here are my questions for debate :
1. What are we changing the world into?
2. Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
3. Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
4. Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
5. Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsability of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
On a daily basis, I watch documentaries related to wildlife, science and politics. I watch the news, I read and comment posts on America's Debate too. I believe my knowledge of the world and of its inhabitants expands gradually, as my curiosity is satisfied.
I am the witness of a beautiful world inhabited by people of all kinds. I cherish the discovery of friends and cultures. I contemplate endlessly the natural beauties and wonders of the planet. I remember my traditions and the knowledge that has been passed to us by the fathers of our fathers. I like to think of myself of a simple person with the heritage of many.
Well, in spite of all my permanent amazement, I notice that the world and mankind are not going anywhere together. We use and exhaust the world more than we "live" in it, and we're not even able to make it a happy place for everyone.
We are changing our world. It seems to some that we are causing our own doom, while others say that our actions have little influence on our habitat. Whatever our impact is, our actions look reckless, careless or plainly blind. We take pride in our intelligence and our ability to alter evolution itself, but to what end?
So, here are my questions for debate :
1. What are we changing the world into?
2. Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
3. Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
4. Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
5. Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsability of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
Well, apparently this topic doesn't interest anyone. It's a shame. I guess I'll take my questions back then and find other people willing to answer them. 
TOPIC CLOSED
TOPIC CLOSED
I do not know what a Commander of the Earth is? I do not know what Guardian of the Earth is? I am not sure sure to whom humans hold a responsibility in your question? What is 'to live good intelligence' ?
What are we changing the world into?
I do know the massive numbers of humans are displacing other species. Is this a good thing? I do not think so as I value diversity. Humanity could cause short term or long term destruction of the ecology. I would prefer we solve the population problem in a thoughtful way but it seems unlikely.
What are we changing the world into?
I do know the massive numbers of humans are displacing other species. Is this a good thing? I do not think so as I value diversity. Humanity could cause short term or long term destruction of the ecology. I would prefer we solve the population problem in a thoughtful way but it seems unlikely.
What are we changing the world into?
We are transforming the world into a people factory to support our unending desires to change nature to suit us.
Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
Actually throughout history of the world mother nature has always won. Nature chooses which species will become extinct. While we as humans have the ability to change nature’s instinct of minor species to suit our needs nature always will prevail to spit out what harms her.
Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
The ebb and flow of population displaces other species yet nature adapts. For the human race to survive we must move to your next question.
Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
People by nature are greedy and take more than they need. However, in the past wars have reduced population allowing space for coexistence of other species. With increased demand for creature comfort our greed will require smaller families and, along with wars possibly we will continue to not go extinct for a while.
Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsibility of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
Because man is temporal he is greedy and will ignore the history and the future as he tries to reach the next rung on the ladder of his postage stamp in time. We hold every responsibility for our existence of our future generations yet we dwell within our postage stamp of time. The question is will our greed allow us to live in harmony with each other and nature for a while longer? We have had the knowledge to repair much of what we do wrong for a long while now and much progress has been made. I love the concept of living with the forces of nature and using natural phenomenon to remove pollution we create. People are a part of natural scheme of things and if we desire to continue to share the planet with nature we must acknowledge its power to remove us as visitors like the dinosaurs. For nature and the survival of the planet the species are managed by Mother Nature like a gardener and with the removal of weeds a few flowers must die. We need to curb our greed for “our postage stamp in time” comforts to allow us as a species to continue to share this wonderful planet.
We are transforming the world into a people factory to support our unending desires to change nature to suit us.
Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
Actually throughout history of the world mother nature has always won. Nature chooses which species will become extinct. While we as humans have the ability to change nature’s instinct of minor species to suit our needs nature always will prevail to spit out what harms her.
Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
The ebb and flow of population displaces other species yet nature adapts. For the human race to survive we must move to your next question.
Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
People by nature are greedy and take more than they need. However, in the past wars have reduced population allowing space for coexistence of other species. With increased demand for creature comfort our greed will require smaller families and, along with wars possibly we will continue to not go extinct for a while.
Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsibility of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
Because man is temporal he is greedy and will ignore the history and the future as he tries to reach the next rung on the ladder of his postage stamp in time. We hold every responsibility for our existence of our future generations yet we dwell within our postage stamp of time. The question is will our greed allow us to live in harmony with each other and nature for a while longer? We have had the knowledge to repair much of what we do wrong for a long while now and much progress has been made. I love the concept of living with the forces of nature and using natural phenomenon to remove pollution we create. People are a part of natural scheme of things and if we desire to continue to share the planet with nature we must acknowledge its power to remove us as visitors like the dinosaurs. For nature and the survival of the planet the species are managed by Mother Nature like a gardener and with the removal of weeds a few flowers must die. We need to curb our greed for “our postage stamp in time” comforts to allow us as a species to continue to share this wonderful planet.
1. What are we changing the world into?
2. Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
3. Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
4. Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
5. Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsability of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
1. We are changing it as we go into what we want it to be, and in the process making some changes that directly or indirectly cause more problems than they solve, then we work on those problems. It is called progress, and every step brings about new challenges.
2. Yes, as long as the other lifeforms can adapt. If not, they become extinct. Probably 98% of life that existed at one time on our planet is now extinct. And almost none of that was due to man's influence.
3. Who else?
4. We should, because we do have the means to destroy, either knowingly, or otherwise.
5. Eventually we may come to realize that, but for now many of us are more interested in our next meal, and a safe place to live. Those of us who have achieved our basic needs should help the others where possible. Of course, helping the poor in other countries depends on their leaders wanting our help.
2. Is there enough space for mankind and other lifeforms to live in good intelligence?
3. Are we destined to become the Commanders of the Earth?
4. Or, are we to become the Guardians of our planet?
5. Doesn't our power and intelligence suggest that we hold a special responsability of protecting our world - i.e. that Earth is our big project?
1. We are changing it as we go into what we want it to be, and in the process making some changes that directly or indirectly cause more problems than they solve, then we work on those problems. It is called progress, and every step brings about new challenges.
2. Yes, as long as the other lifeforms can adapt. If not, they become extinct. Probably 98% of life that existed at one time on our planet is now extinct. And almost none of that was due to man's influence.
3. Who else?
4. We should, because we do have the means to destroy, either knowingly, or otherwise.
5. Eventually we may come to realize that, but for now many of us are more interested in our next meal, and a safe place to live. Those of us who have achieved our basic needs should help the others where possible. Of course, helping the poor in other countries depends on their leaders wanting our help.
Hello
1. If we are not careful, we will turn our planet into a world that is no longer hospitable and sustainable for our own species (and already proven that with a few other species).
2. There is all the "space" in the solar sytem to expand into, not just on Earth's surface.
3. If I take your meaning correctly - I don't believe that an organism can "command" an entire planet. Control, or command, tends to be an illusion; one subordinates themselves to the other. We can only influence the planet, not control it. If the planet is going to blow up tomorrow (stated only for sake of argument) there isn't anything we could do about it except leave it. In fact, the planet and what ever else has evolved on it has "commanded" us - and will continue to do so until we leave it, and even then it will have a very long reach into our future.
4. "Guardian" also means servant, one who protects. To protect something means that we have to protect it from external threats - the planet is only in danger from the Sun eventually swallowing it.
We are a threat to ourselves as we change the climate with our technology, not to the planet. If we change it to a point where the Earth can no longer sustain us physically, there will still be life of some form to take up the mantle of the "most powerful and intelligent", though it may only be cockroaches and rats, or at the worst bacteria and other microorganisms. Whether or not it can get to a point where it can build artificial technology itself is another question.
Civilization(s) can also "crash" - where we could become isolated nomadic tribes again and the day's of our modern marvels become mythology. My own view - if we are not careful then global civilization will "crash" and depopulate to a point close to, but not necessarily at, species extinction- due to economic, environmental, and sociological pressures - and exist in a basic tribal state. That basic tribal state is what our species has evolved in for the past 5 million years, we have only just started in the past few thousand years to change that recipe.
5. Humans seeing themselves as the most "powerful" intelligence on the planet needs a true humbling experience to find that it is also an illusion - intelligence is not the most powerful thing on the planet. Plants and bacteria have changed Earth's atmosphere much more and for much longer than we as individuals can fathom from experience alone. An earthquake will overpower a primate brain anytime. A volcano could level a city and there would be nothing we could do about it. A genetic mutation of a virus could end the lives of millions, and we could only limit it's potential and not eradicate it.
As far as intelligence goes - How intelligent was Albert Einstein? Did his intelligence allow him to live any longer than anyone else? Did his intelligence enable him to overcome his own bodily functions? His own aging process? A tsunami? As an "intelligent" species I think we do have a chance at separating our fate from that of the Earth's, but unless relativity is proved wrong then we could survive the end of the Earth, but not of the Sun. Our timeline would theoretically max out at ~5-7 billion years from now when the Sun goes supernova. And intelligence probably won't stop that - but perhaps it could find a way to leave it behind...
1. If we are not careful, we will turn our planet into a world that is no longer hospitable and sustainable for our own species (and already proven that with a few other species).
2. There is all the "space" in the solar sytem to expand into, not just on Earth's surface.
3. If I take your meaning correctly - I don't believe that an organism can "command" an entire planet. Control, or command, tends to be an illusion; one subordinates themselves to the other. We can only influence the planet, not control it. If the planet is going to blow up tomorrow (stated only for sake of argument) there isn't anything we could do about it except leave it. In fact, the planet and what ever else has evolved on it has "commanded" us - and will continue to do so until we leave it, and even then it will have a very long reach into our future.
4. "Guardian" also means servant, one who protects. To protect something means that we have to protect it from external threats - the planet is only in danger from the Sun eventually swallowing it.
We are a threat to ourselves as we change the climate with our technology, not to the planet. If we change it to a point where the Earth can no longer sustain us physically, there will still be life of some form to take up the mantle of the "most powerful and intelligent", though it may only be cockroaches and rats, or at the worst bacteria and other microorganisms. Whether or not it can get to a point where it can build artificial technology itself is another question.
Civilization(s) can also "crash" - where we could become isolated nomadic tribes again and the day's of our modern marvels become mythology. My own view - if we are not careful then global civilization will "crash" and depopulate to a point close to, but not necessarily at, species extinction- due to economic, environmental, and sociological pressures - and exist in a basic tribal state. That basic tribal state is what our species has evolved in for the past 5 million years, we have only just started in the past few thousand years to change that recipe.
5. Humans seeing themselves as the most "powerful" intelligence on the planet needs a true humbling experience to find that it is also an illusion - intelligence is not the most powerful thing on the planet. Plants and bacteria have changed Earth's atmosphere much more and for much longer than we as individuals can fathom from experience alone. An earthquake will overpower a primate brain anytime. A volcano could level a city and there would be nothing we could do about it. A genetic mutation of a virus could end the lives of millions, and we could only limit it's potential and not eradicate it.
As far as intelligence goes - How intelligent was Albert Einstein? Did his intelligence allow him to live any longer than anyone else? Did his intelligence enable him to overcome his own bodily functions? His own aging process? A tsunami? As an "intelligent" species I think we do have a chance at separating our fate from that of the Earth's, but unless relativity is proved wrong then we could survive the end of the Earth, but not of the Sun. Our timeline would theoretically max out at ~5-7 billion years from now when the Sun goes supernova. And intelligence probably won't stop that - but perhaps it could find a way to leave it behind...
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