A wild theory on this climate change thing.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Nathaniel B.

There is a tendency for people to think of what humans make and do as being somehow "unnatural". This is really quite absurd when you think about it. It implies that we are somehow transcendent.

Fact is: we are a product of our environment - and at the same time, a part of it. We are made of the same elements that comprise the Earth and the stars and everything in between. We evolved naturally on this planet (as far as we can tell). Humans - and everything we do - are a natural result of the evolution of this planet, this solar system and this universe.

Sure, there are things we are capable of which would not be possible without us. But then, without bees there would be no honey. Beavers cut down trees and dam rivers and change their course, sometimes dramatically altering the landscape*. The dinosaurs may have produced enough methane to alter the global climate. But do we consider any of these things "unnatural"?

In other words: there is no "Earth vs. humans". We are just as much a part of this ecosystem as every other plant, animal and mineral. Granted, we are unique in the extent of our abilities to alter our environment and to think and plan far into the future. But that still doesn't completely separate us from everything else. It just puts us at the top of the evolutionary and food chains. (Or so we like to think.)

However, even taking all of that into consideration: we are ultimately still left with the same dilemma. We can view our impact on this ecosystem as the result of a natural progression and believe that "what will be will be", or we can choose to alter our behavior to try and produce a different desired outcome. There is a very fine line between the preceding view and the current debate between whether or not our impact on the Earth is even meaningful in terms of long term climate change. But, perhaps if we view ourselves more as a part of our environment than somehow separate from it, we will feel more obliged to take care of it - and put less of an emphasis on our own selfish desires.

As someone once said: environment protection is people protection.