The Most Destructive Parasite on Earth

As soon as I saw the question, I thought, "HUMANS!" I have long thought that humans are a parasitical infection on the planet. Yes, it's true we create art, music, poetry, we dance and make love, some humans revere Nature and try to live in harmony. Nevertheless, Earth could get along just fine, if not far better, without humans.
To say that other animals do not appreciate natural beauty is ignorant (typical humanist arrogance). Some of my best friends are 4-leggeds, and I observe them admiring the views, listening to the music of a creek or the wind in the trees.
Mother Earth is a living, breathing, feeling entity that tries to nurture us, but too many humans are too damn stupid to realize this and continue to ravage, rape, plunder, exploit and show every conceivable form of disrespect.

Originally posted by username371

The problem isn't people, it's what people are doing.

We don't have to keep doing things this way.

We already have technology to gather up all the garbage in the world and turn it into fuel, energy, and raw materials. It's called plasma gassification.

Link here:

science.howstuffworks.com...

This can clean up the beach and the landfills. It will also have an accessory effect by taking all the poison that comes from waste and garbage and reducing it to harmless elements that can then be reused. This will reduce the need to mine and harvest raw materials.

Essentially, plasma gassification is a way to change the linear process of mining>production>consumption>garbage and tying the ends together into a loop.

So though I understand your emotional sentiment when looking at these pictures, don't forget that we can eventually solve any problem we're facing if we just think a little bit and give a damn.


Malthusian prophecies are always the projection of equations that assume population increases will accelerate forever, while at the same time our technological development, political development, and social understanding and willpower all stay the same. THEY DON'T. We are getting wise to problems we're creating, and learning to fix them.

There's no problem the presence of humans create that humans can't also solve.

Nice post, it's always nice to see new innovations that can help reduce our pollution. Hopefully this product can be developed further and put into use.

Originally posted by pai mei
Money are the problem.
When you invent money people will soon take from the environment more than they need, because now they have "economic needs" not "physical needs".

www.storyofstuff.com...

I think that you are right.

My grandmother’s, who was a native America, number one rule was that you never take more then you need from the earth and that you always put back what you can. She said that it was our duty and responsibility so that there would be enough for those that came after us.

Greed has caused the over fishing of our seas. It has caused the stripping of life giving nutrients from our soil and have driven animals to extinction.

We have failed as stewards and I hope that it is not too late to correct our mistakes.

The arrogance of man and his desire to be God over someone and anything is going to be a huge obstacle.

I don't think that we have the capacity for harmonal living. I think that greed, selfishness and desire for control are inherent in too many of us.

Watch children at play outside of adult interference. You will see these traits displayed even in youth.

I don’t know what the answer is or if there is a answer. Maybe an answer isn’t needed. Maybe we will eventually get it right or there will be nothing left to worry about.

reply to post by TooManyHumans

There's no problem the presence of humans create that humans can't also solve.

As long as someone can make a buck off of it.

We have technology available right now that could go a long way to correcting some of the ills that we have inflicted on this planet. Unfortunately, if TPTB can't make a buck off of it or if it interferes with a product that they have that is already providing them with a steady and reliable return on their dollar they are not going to let that technology see the light of day.

They don't care about tomorrow. They figure they won't be here anyway; so they live for their today. Beast and babe be damned.

If you haven't read this book I highly encourage you to. At least try the first couple of chapters. It's a very easy read. The subject kind of goes along with the "humans as parasites" idea. Before you slam me just stop. The parasite philosophy is not my viewpoint. Not the culling part anyway. However, I do feel we have taken a wrong turn in our development and consequently done more harm to the planet (and our existence) than we were meant to.

Ishmael by Anthony Quinn

If you haven't read this book I highly encourage you to. At least try the first couple of chapters. It's a very easy read. The subject kind of goes along with the "humans as parasites" idea. Before you slam me just stop. The parasite philosophy is not my standpoint. However, I do feel we have taken a wrong turn in our development and consequently done more harm to the planet (and our existence) than we were meant to.

Ishmael by Anthony Quinn

I would not be surprised at the very least that none of you try to "fix" this problem too.

When your ride your bike/hydrogen powered car(even those have batteries to be disposed I thought), do not use ANY oil based products, do not use paper, I will believe you actually care.

This list could go on forever too.

While many measures could be taken to help pollution and deforestation(etc) problems, we are what we are.

The funny thing is, we could not live without eating some form of life. Are we killers too?

Originally posted by FritosBBQTwist
I would not be surprised at the very least that none of you try to "fix" this problem too.

When your ride your bike/hydrogen powered car(even those have batteries to be disposed I thought), do not use ANY oil based products, do not use paper, I will believe you actually care.

This list could go on forever too.

While many measures could be taken to help pollution and deforestation(etc) problems, we are what we are.

The funny thing is, we could not live without eating some form of life. Are we killers too?

Uh yea we are killers. We kill things so that we can eat them just like many other animals out there? Did you honestly just ask that question?

Originally posted by asmeone2
WE do not have to be parasites. We just choose to be.

Good point
This video is a little melodramatic does a good job of summing up some of the negative attitudes/mindsets we have towards our planet.
The sooner we change them the better.


As for planetary overcrowding , I think its a bit of a myth that has been hyped and embellished by the corporate media down the years.

Its been shown, just by using mathematics, that every single man ,woman and child on the planet could live quite comfortably in a city within the confines of Texas.
www.zuko.com...
When you actualy crunch the numbers it appears the world's population takes up as much space as a mosquito landing on a basketball.
Cheers.


[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

Nah, i gotta disagree with you dun dun. Humans aren't a parasite. We can coexist with nature seemlessly and harmlessly, the real problem is our technology. You have to remember that their are still isolated pockets of homo sapiens in the jungles of brazil and the congo, as well as the african savannas and the plains and deserts of china that haven't even in contact with other humans beings not for decades but centuries.

The technology we use today pollutes our environment because it's cheaper to make something really cheap and dump the waste products rather than totally use it up and or recycle it. But then again, when you recycle anything, you consume as much power as you would if you made it from scratch...

reply to post by TooManyHumans


I see pictures of landfills etc - and that is supposed to mean we are ruining this planet.

Everything can be done in a better way. We are just starting to go on the idea of "clean" energy and all of that. I fail to see how we have ruined this world by furthering our societies living standards.

It does not matter where one is. We all have a sense of happiness. One person could be a millionaire, and other a middle class citizen, yet both are happy.

But, we as humans are curious. Curiosity leads to new technology.
In order to keep up with that same sense of happiness we had before, we continue to evolve our ways of life. Just because the first stages of disposal and transportation means of oil have its faults, does not mean that we will keep those same ways for the rest of eternity.

I read the OP, and the feeling I get is one that is so obvious but not necessarily purposeful.

Hence why I asked - if we eat "life", does it not make us killers?

Nature is beautiful. There are many protections against the disturbance of certain areas too. I just do not feel that we are destroying the world by civilizing areas.

I can not explain myself any better. The way our civilizations evolved has turned the world into what it is now (not in a bad way). Earth is our supplier. We are MEANT to use its supplies, whether it be just to look at (scenery), or build from.

The main problem is over-population. If we over-populate, the earth will run out of resources. That is all there is to it.

Problem: Over-populating.
Solution: Don't over populate.

The feeling I get here is that humans are trying to destroy the earth which is not the problem at all. Then again, I could be getting the wrong message from you all.

reply to post by karl 12


You can not believe that 6 billion people living in 1/8 acre lots in one place would even have a remote chance of survival.

Though I can appreciate what he is saying with the math one only has to take a look at China too know that he could not really be thinking clearly.

How much toxic spill does it take to contaminate a lake? An ocean?

We are seeing mutations in sea life all around the world which indicates that there are problems with our water supply.

There are few living things that can live without water.




[edit on 19-2-2009 by NightSkyeB4Dawn]

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
As soon as I saw the question, I thought, "HUMANS!"

I saw the question then I saw the the post creator....Toomanyhumans...and I said duh!

Thomas Malthus would be so proud to see his myth of 300 years ago still trying to be perpetuated to this very day.

Originally posted by RRconservative

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
As soon as I saw the question, I thought, "HUMANS!"

I saw the question then I saw the the post creator....Toomanyhumans...and I said duh!

Thomas Malthus would be so proud to see his myth of 300 years ago still trying to be perpetuated to this very day.

Don't jump the gun the jury is still out on his "myth".

a front page Wall Street Journal article in March 2008 pointed out various limited resources which may soon limit human population growth because of a widespread belief in the importance of prosperity for every individual and the rising consumption trends of large developing nations such as China and India

en.wikipedia.org...