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Are we psychotic rats helping nature to cull the human "herd?"
The talk by Paul Gilding took me back to a thought I had after listening to another speech on global disasters. Mentioned were volcano eruptions, earthquakes, declining ice packs and fisheries, erosion, air pollution, ground water contamination, increasing rates of life threatening disease, and more. For some reason, I began to think back to a high school science class where natural culling of deer population was described. In short, the deer would reach a high enough population that they ate the available food, so deer would starve, more would get sick and perish to predators. This would reduce the population back to a level which could be sustained by the deer's environment.
It caused me to imagine nature doing the same thing to the human animal; essentially allowing us to pollute and contaminate our environment, adopt non-survival attitudes, and throwing in a few natural disasters to boot. All to drive humans to a pinnacle of collapse that would significantly lower the population and produce a strong nudge back toward stone age technology.
The idea would make for an excellent B grade science fiction story, but I began to wonder if there was a possibility that there might be some small aspect of the idea that might be factual. That natural disasters aside, is there some innate force in humans that causes us to be reckless with our environment and resources?
Psychological studies have demonstrated that rats forced into overcrowding and diminishing resources become psychotic and even more self destructive as those pressures increase.
Are humans possibly affected similarly; Is there an element to us that likens us to those psychotic rats, declining deer populations and natural culling?
Closing Statement from Bob Kirkpatrick
No.
Margaret Schultz
Bob Kirkpatrick
Roy Bourque 20+
The geological record shows that planet earth goes through climate change. Our time here isn't going to make it all go away. We have to adapt to changes, and foreseeing those changes allows us to make intelligent decisions ahead of the game. That is what Eastern philosophy was meant to foster, to put us in sync with the creative forces of nature so that we could draw from its lessons. Science is doing that very thing now in trying to understand how the universe works, but its foresight is a little clouded. No one can agree because it's all about the money and who's agenda is going to get the most attention.
I am amazed at how reckless people can be. They say it gives them an adrenaline rush. But who's resources do they draw from when their reckless activity goes out of control? I am also amazed at how many people like horror. They like to be scared. But what does it teach them?
Militant religious fanatics breed out of control and then resort to genocide to keep competitive groups at bay. They are not learning to coexist, they are learning the law of the jungle. They are becoming social animals rather than enlightened souls.
We have to keep ourselves focused on the big picture. Science is a great tool. But spiritual guidance is necessary to keep it in focus.
Ken brown 30+
I heard yesterday that the C02 content in australia has passed that of oxygen,it's frightening stuff yet the religious in me says this is meant to happen.
Solidus Sharp