1. What are your thoughts on the article with respect to how human effects the environment?
The article made me think that instead of being caretakers of the world, given that humans are the most intelligent species, it turns out that humans are actually the ones destroying the world. It’s ironic to think that the world, in its seemingly primitive state, will do much better without us and all our advanced knowledge and sophisticated ways of doing things.
We strive to come up with new technologies and new ways of doing things in order to improve our lives, but are we really improving our lives? It seems that industrialization is causing more destruction than improvement.
2. Do you think there is more reason to preserve the natural world, or is there less need to do so? (i.e., things will return to normal when we are gone)
Yes, there is a reason to preserve the natural world because after all, we are also a part of the natural world. Although the world will go back to normal once we are gone, I think that our lives will become better if we can partake of the natural world’s beauty and resources now. All parts of the natural world are designed to coexist and to benefit each other. As such, I think that our lives will be better if we can coexist with nature in the same manner that the natural world will be better if it can coexist with us. As stated in the article, there are still some species that will not exist without humans, so by being the most intelligent creatures, humans should step up and take charge of caring for the natural world.
3. Can you think of any other ways we negatively influence the environment that were not mentioned in the article?
I think the article covered everything that negatively influences the environment. Since the author of the article attributes the natural world’s destruction to industrialization, I think that would include just about everything. After all, everything we do is influenced by industrialization and how we adapt to an industrialized society. For example, the article mentions light and air pollution. However, even the little things that we do, the things that we use, and the foods that we eat are products of industrialization and also contribute to the pollutants that destroy the earth. Even our lifestyles are a result of our effort to adapt to an industrialized world – whether we like to drink, smoke, go clubbing, get pampered in the salon, or surf the Internet for hours. As such, even these contribute to the natural world’s destruction. Basically, almost everything we do has some negative impact on the environment, in one way or another.
References
Holmes, B. (2006, October 12). Imagine earth without people. New Scientist, 2573, 36-41.
Retrieved from http://www.raiazome.com/Bob_Holmes--Imagine_Earth_without_People.
