40.
Living In Harmony
With The Web of Life
Human race does not exist in isolation on this planet but it’s a minuscule link in a complex web of life. Human survival depends on the survival of life on this planet. The delicate web of life can not be disturbed without endangering the human survival itself. There are millions of species and trillions and quadrillions of other life forms. Fate of all these creatures is intimately connected with that of humanity. Its arrogance and ignorance to think that we can survive in isolation. We, like all other life forms, are products of our environment. Destroying our environment is like cutting off the branch we sit on.
Our present economics is anti-life. Our direct and indirect destruction of life has reached mammoth proportions. In the name of food, we kill over 60 billion animals and birds every year and in the name of economic development, we destroy forests and other species. In fact, It is estimated that a minimum of 54,000 species are becoming extinct each year, about 6 an hour, thanks to our ‘developmental’ efforts.
Even though the majority of mankind is happily entrenched in the electronic age and mostly prefers to live in a concrete jungle, the mysterious link between humans and other life forms continues to hold true. Most of our contact with other life forms these days is limited to the fleeting glimpse of a bird overhead, the scurry of a squirrel or chipmunk across our paths, or the companionship of a pet. Yet the role of these life forms in history is of such great importance that we would not be where we are today without them.
Every traditional society which flourished in the annals of history had their animals and were identified with them. You can not think of Native Americans without picturizing their buffalo herds. These buffaloes roaming the great plains shaped their lives and values. In the case of Laplanders, it was the reindeer and in the case of New England whaling villagers, it was the giant whale. Life of Tibetans revolved around their yaks and camel has been the mainstay of Middle East Asian life. For the people of India and Africa, their survival lay in the humble cow.
In each case, without a particular animal the culture of the people would be entirely different. Because of relations to that animal, whether by herding, shooting, or sailing after it, the society encourages attributes such as toughness, bravery, gentleness, or respect for nature.
Animals that did coexist with humans bore a hefty portion of the burden of transporting mankind toward civilization. One thing we do know is that the role of animals in history was crucial and their impact on our future is just as important. While we are spending billions to find life on Mars, animals on earth are going extinct right under our noses.
Any one with an intact brain would admit the obvious and commonplace fact that animals play a conspicuous part in the life of man. Animals affect everyone’s life, whether you’re an animal-lover, animal-hater, animal-eater or animal-saver.
Every traditional economy was based on its animals and land. That way, the human civilization survived for thousands of years. But in just last one hundred years, everything has been topsy turvied. Survival of humanity and planet itself has come into question. Some one rightly put it, “In the end, cockroaches would prove to be more intelligent than humans if humans destroy themselves. Intelligence is really a survival skill for the entire species and that which survives proves intelligent on a species level.”
Our present economics is anti-life. Our direct and indirect destruction of life has reached mammoth proportions. In the name of food, we kill over 60 billion animals and birds every year and in the name of economic development, we destroy forests and other species. In fact, It is estimated that a minimum of 54,000 species are becoming extinct each year, about 6 an hour, thanks to our ‘developmental’ efforts.
Even though the majority of mankind is happily entrenched in the electronic age and mostly prefers to live in a concrete jungle, the mysterious link between humans and other life forms continues to hold true. Most of our contact with other life forms these days is limited to the fleeting glimpse of a bird overhead, the scurry of a squirrel or chipmunk across our paths, or the companionship of a pet. Yet the role of these life forms in history is of such great importance that we would not be where we are today without them.
Every traditional society which flourished in the annals of history had their animals and were identified with them. You can not think of Native Americans without picturizing their buffalo herds. These buffaloes roaming the great plains shaped their lives and values. In the case of Laplanders, it was the reindeer and in the case of New England whaling villagers, it was the giant whale. Life of Tibetans revolved around their yaks and camel has been the mainstay of Middle East Asian life. For the people of India and Africa, their survival lay in the humble cow.
In each case, without a particular animal the culture of the people would be entirely different. Because of relations to that animal, whether by herding, shooting, or sailing after it, the society encourages attributes such as toughness, bravery, gentleness, or respect for nature.
Animals that did coexist with humans bore a hefty portion of the burden of transporting mankind toward civilization. One thing we do know is that the role of animals in history was crucial and their impact on our future is just as important. While we are spending billions to find life on Mars, animals on earth are going extinct right under our noses.
Any one with an intact brain would admit the obvious and commonplace fact that animals play a conspicuous part in the life of man. Animals affect everyone’s life, whether you’re an animal-lover, animal-hater, animal-eater or animal-saver.
Every traditional economy was based on its animals and land. That way, the human civilization survived for thousands of years. But in just last one hundred years, everything has been topsy turvied. Survival of humanity and planet itself has come into question. Some one rightly put it, “In the end, cockroaches would prove to be more intelligent than humans if humans destroy themselves. Intelligence is really a survival skill for the entire species and that which survives proves intelligent on a species level.”
