Are Humans Destroying Earth?

[TurkeyOnRye]

To hear what?

Their views on the topic of discussion in relation to climate change, Seyorni.

And who, besides a few right wing Americans, doesn't believe in climate change?

Probably a lot more than just right wing Americans, unless not believing in climate change is a prerequisite to your definition of "right wing".

If we're extracting resources faster than they can be replenished how's the planet going to cope with that?

By utilizing other resources, some of which simply can't or won't be utilized until some are exhausted.

Look around you. Does the planet seem to be coping? Extinctions, species depletion, desertification, climate change, ocean acidification and pollution, &c, &c.
This is coping?

It might seem like there's a need for coping from a superficial perspective, but this is precisely the perspective I was trying to challenge in forming this thread.

 

[Samurai]

i agree with Seyorni.

 

[linwood]

Are humans in the process of destroying Earth, or are we merely altering it? Is this a natural process, or is something wrong? What opportunities are there, and what are the difficulties or problems to overcome? What are its implications to you?

Seems like a natural process to me.

Parasites explode in population when resources are plenty.

When resources are used up parasite populations tend to decrease.

The world will be just fine once the humans are all off of it.
Shouldn`t take long.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

This sums up my view perfectly:

(Warning: Profanity)
Mother Gaia by *humon on deviantART

 

[Koldo]

Are humans in the process of destroying Earth, or are we merely altering it?

Merely altering it.
We are not destroying Earth. It would take a huge explosion to do this, as mentioned in another post.

Is this a natural process, or is something wrong?

Perhaps both?

 

[Sunstone]

The average warm-blooded animal species hangs around for 2,5000,000 years before it goes extinct. Cold-blooded species endure a lot longer, but we're warm blooded -- not cold blooded.

We have been upon this earth as a species for about 260,000 years.

In our tenure here, we have killed off tens of thousands of other species, destroyed whole ecosystems, and we have, in general, devastated the other species on this planet about half as good as a massive comet strike would have left them devastated.

I think the evidence that we ourselves might be headed to extinction mounts each year.

A few million years after we have gone extinct, the ecological niches we have left empty of life will be filled by new species.

For the sake of life itself, it would probably be best if none of them were as smart as us. Cause their ain't much alive that is bigger than a small animal that can handle a super-ape and live through the experience.

 

[Storm]

Gjallahorn's cartoon sums up my views as well, though a nuclear holocaust might wipe out THIS planet.

 

[Noaidi]

This sums up my view perfectly:

(Warning: Profanity)
Mother Gaia by *humon on deviantART

Excellent cartoon. From my own misanthropic perspective, if humans cause their own demise, then so be it. It's the dragging down of other life-forms with us that's wrong.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Are humans in the process of destroying Earth, or are we merely altering it? Is this a natural process, or is something wrong? What opportunities are there, and what are the difficulties or problems to overcome? What are its implications to you?

Yes we are... It is in a way natural, but with technology it has gone beyond limits IMO. I think there is no chance to change the whole human race, though I am trying to write a book about another whole species before us doing the same thing and their technology that is left over from their destruction to the earth is rocks and trees and such...

I think we are ending the world, or at least a lot of species' worlds, including our own.

 

[Koldo]

Yes we are... It is in a way natural, but with technology it has gone beyond limits IMO. I think there is no chance to change the whole human race, though I am trying to write a book about another whole species before us doing the same thing and their technology that is left over from their destruction to the earth is rocks and trees and such...

I think we are ending the world, or at least a lot of species' worlds, including our own.

Rocks? :sarcastic
Do you mean rocks in general or specific ones?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Rocks? :sarcastic
Do you mean rocks in general or specific ones?

Well, not really specific ones. I know you will say that they are not, but it's just a book

 

[*Deleted*]

No animal messes up its home like humans do. That should give us a major heads up.

 

[Vendetta]

We are destroying it. Atmosphere and species wise, we aren't cognizant of the repricussions until massive human populations are dying. Its like a noise that you don't hear after a week has gone by and until the noise gets unbearable, you decide to do something.

 

[Mathematician]

I care about sustainability only insofar as it is paramount to the survival of my species, however. To abstract the issue so far that it's "evil humans killing trees" is just pointless.

By the way, all animals that adapt faster to their environment than competing species cause ruin. We just throw the best parties.

 

[Koldo]

Well, not really specific ones. I know you will say that they are not, but it's just a book

Not really. I was going to say the whole concept was simply crazy.

 

[Penumbra]

We're altering it; not destroying it.

Humans are taking a lot of finite resources out of the ground, and putting oils, chemicals, gases, plastics, and a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't degrade very well and that causes health or environmental problems in all sorts of places that they don't belong. Old forests are being cut down, oceans are being over-fished, species are going extinct, fresh water is an increasingly valuable commodity, soil is being over-utilized without the proper nutrient balance and in some places is diminishing. Nuclear weapons and reactors have been created and spread around.

We're not going to destroy the planet. Perhaps the worst we could do is have a nuclear war where we kill almost all life, but that's an extreme scenario it would probably eventually recover even from that. More likely, we'll just drastically reduce our ability to thrive on this planet and bring ourselves and other species to endangered levels or extinction.

At the same time we're doing all of these negative things, we're over-specializing ourselves. Our economies would crash without a working electrical grid, stock markets, and the internet. Urbanized living requires huge and effective systems to sustain the people. Most of the best places for trade are on the coast, so that's where we've put our cities and our densest groups of population, and if we melt enough ice and raise the oceans a few dozen feet, those would be the most heavily affected areas.

With polluted ground, water, and air, and over-utilized resources, we're eventually going to have to pay in full.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

We're altering it; not destroying it.
Humans are taking a lot of finite resources out of the ground, and putting oils, chemicals, gases, plastics, and a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't degrade very well and that causes health or environmental problems in all sorts of places that they don't belong. Old forests are being cut down, oceans are being over-fished, species are going extinct, fresh water is an increasingly valuable commodity, soil is being over-utilized without the proper nutrient balance and in some places is diminishing. Nuclear weapons and reactors have been created and spread around.
We're not going to destroy the planet. Perhaps the worst we could do is have a nuclear war where we kill almost all life, but that's an extreme scenario it would probably eventually recover even from that. More likely, we'll just drastically reduce our ability to thrive on this planet and bring ourselves and other species to endangered levels or extinction.
At the same time we're doing all of these negative things, we're over-specializing ourselves. Our economies would crash without a working electrical grid, stock markets, and the internet. Urbanized living requires huge and effective systems to sustain the people. Most of the best places for trade are on the coast, so that's where we've put our cities and our densest groups of population, and if we melt enough ice and raise the oceans a few dozen feet, those would be the most heavily affected areas.
With polluted ground, water, and air, and over-utilized resources, we're eventually going to have to pay in full.

I think because the Bible says the earth abides forever [Ecc.1v4 B] that we can not destroy the planet but yes can alter it.

We would eventually be going to 'pay in full' except for the explanation given at Revelation [11v18 B] that there will be divine involvement in mankind's affairs in that 'God will bring to ruin those ruining the earth' before mankind has to 'pay in full'.

 

[Maureen]

Yes. Humans are destroying this beautiful world, and many thing it is a hoax (global warming). I never ceases to amaze me how anyone could think it's not really happening and chalk it up to events that happened in the past and it's "natural". What they fail to acknowledge is millions of years ago, there were no fossil fuels, no air pollution, no filth strewn everywhere, not billions of people on the planet. No, this is NOT natural. It's murder. Of our own planet. For profit. Or war.

 

[ScottySatan]

I think we're capable of making it uninhabitable for ourselves. I don't think we can wipe out all life.

I think it's contemptible that the scientific accuracy of the existence of global warming depends on what political party you're in.

I think it's stupid to say that you don't think global warming is man made and therefore you're not going to try to do anything about it. Doesn't a person facing certain death struggle anyway?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Yes. Humans are destroying this beautiful world, and many thing it is a hoax (global warming). I never ceases to amaze me how anyone could think it's not really happening and chalk it up to events that happened in the past and it's "natural". What they fail to acknowledge is millions of years ago, there were no fossil fuels, no air pollution, no filth strewn everywhere, not billions of people on the planet. No, this is NOT natural. It's murder. Of our own planet. For profit. Or war.

And doesn't it seem in today's wars there is no confidence in victory?
Even when the old war is gone the new can be worse than before.
The change to the latest and greatest must be changed over and over again.
Mankind offers at best incomplete benefits such as with 4-8 year term limits.

Dark global troubles compare with the words of Matthew [24vs6,7]
Besides humans bringing ruin to this beautiful world,
what will prove Not to be a hoax are the words of 1st Thess [5vs2,3]
The world is also in spiritual darkness, spiritually asleep meaning they can be taken by surprise. When they [powers that be] are saying 'Peace and Safety' or 'Peace and Security' then sudden destruction will come upon them.
So, No one is immune to the world's problems.
People fail to acknowledge that mankind can Not successfully direct his step. [Jer 10v23; 17v9].
We were not created with the ability to do away with Scriptural guidance.
Scriptures assure us that before mankind can bring ruin to earth,
that God will step in [divine involvement] into mankind's affairs, and God according to Revelation [11v18 B] will bring ruin to those ruining the earth.