The core naivete/arrogance (what a combo!) of this whole line of thought is that it presumes that we, humans, are somehow not a part of nature. Any animal who had dominance over the environment like we do would likely behave the same way right up until that lifestyle became unsustainable. At which point, they either evolve or die. The planet doesn't care either way. It will still be here regardless of what happens to us.
Did you ever read about how humans profoundly changed the ecology of the places they settled, right from the time of the first great migrations across the planet. That sure gave me a sense of perspective about ecology... imagine being nostalgic for a time before humans set foot on Australia!
Good point as well! I think we can get so horrified by post-industrial environmental change that we tend to idealize or romanticize anything that isn't that, and that's not a healthy way to look at the issues.
The core naivete/arrogance (what a combo!) of this whole line of thought is that it presumes that we, humans, are somehow not a part of nature. Any animal who had dominance over the environment like we do would likely behave the same way right up until that lifestyle became unsustainable. At which point, they either evolve or die. The planet doesn't care either way. It will still be here regardless of what happens to us.
Eventually the planet will be gone too, of course, but that's a time scale even larger than the planet's just as the planet's is to us.
Did you ever read about how humans profoundly changed the ecology of the places they settled, right from the time of the first great migrations across the planet. That sure gave me a sense of perspective about ecology... imagine being nostalgic for a time before humans set foot on Australia!
Good point as well! I think we can get so horrified by post-industrial environmental change that we tend to idealize or romanticize anything that isn't that, and that's not a healthy way to look at the issues.