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Originally Posted by Fish
Really why do we all feel so guilty for what we are doing to the planet? We are enjoying an incredible period of evolutionary good fortune. We are multiplying and taking up space at the same rate that any other species would if it had no natural predators, abundant resourses, and the ability to heal itself. We are doing what natural selection says we should be doing.
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There have always been animals that have been at the top of the evolutionary ladder, but they haven't gotten into the same troubles we have. There have always been natural checks and balances in place to prevent one species from taking over the planet at the expense of all other species.
Take, for instance, the African lion (before humans came along). Lions would eat well and populations thrive if there was abundant food brought about by good grazing and other positive factors for the prey species. However, lions have never eaten all the prey species for some reason, even though they were at the top of the heap in their environment, so there would always be some lions and some prey species.
Here I segue into a discussion about humans..... If humans are so smart, and if we're at the top of the evolutionary ladder, why are we inadvertantly killing so many other species, and damaging our planet by overpopulation and pollution? Is it because we have no natural predators? And why don't the same checks and balances that occur between lions and prey not apply to us? I guess if I think about this long enough, I may find my own answer.....
Okay, I've thought enough
Perhaps we've run rampant over the planet because there are no natural checks and balances for us - yet. Remember, as a species, we've been here a relatively short period of time. Sure, we've suffered the Black Death a few centuries back when a good portion of Europe was killed off. Then at the end of WWI, there was the Spanish Influenza which killed millions. Now there is AIDS, which is still wreaking worldwide havoc despite promising new drugs. And scientists are still concerned that another catastrophic flu, not unlike the Spanish Influenza, is ready to hit hard any year now especially with gobal travel as prevelant as it is today. Maybe disease is going to be our natural check and balance.
However, even with all the pollution, people in the post-industrialized world are living longer than ever before. Geez, I just don't get it. Are we that smart that we hink we can keep going forever and ever and not suffer the consequences of our actions? Are we the new lion, but a lion that will devour all they prey species until there is nothing left? Is Earth going to become another Easter Island? Not that I think you are saying that, Chad.... I'm going off on a tangent here.
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Originally Posted by Fish
So why do we feel guilty? Because we feel responsible for the other creatures on this planet and how our actions are affecting them. All I am saying is that we are the only animal to feel this way. That's all I'm saying.
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Yes, I think we all feel somewhat guilty, though by judging from some of the posts in this thread, some will feel it much more than others. However, I want to say that we do not know if other animals feel guilty for some of their actions. Indeed, perhaps some animals do, and others don't. We do not know for sure what other beings feel because we have no true way of measuring their feelings or lack thereof.
Anyway, interesting thread. Glad it's being allowed to continue. We can be intellectual here for awhile and get to read a broad range of thoughts on a variety of issues.
But, really, I gotta go feed the fish, some of which will be doing loop-de-loops by the time I pass in front of their tank with their food
