We're as good as it gets: Intelligent life is extremely UNLIKELY

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by FreddieFerric

Why would you think that we have to make a positive contribution to this planet. We use it just like all life on it does. The idea to do a little harm as possible has its merits and I'm all for that.

Of course we do and so do Polar bears as they drive up and down the North Pole in their diesel trucks.

There is not one animal or a plant on this planet that does not serve a useful function. It’s all part of nature’s balance.

We don’t use this planet, we abuse it. Wasn’t always like that and of course there wasn’t 7.8 Billion of us, each wanting an iPhone either. Someday and inevitably, the population will be reduced to where balance will once again prevail. Chances are, it’s been happening over and over.

Reboot, repeat the experiment...

[crwilli]

Originally Posted by PHC1

We don't. Never did. Evolution was a curse. If it wasn't for us, all the other "less intelligent" creatures would go on living in perfect harmony forever. Say it isn't so!

I guess perfect harmony is a matter of perspective. Even without humans, babies of all kinds would be snatched from their nests, from their mothers arms, out of their shells and killed - eaten by another animal.

Chaos is the natural world of kill to survive.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by crwilli

I guess perfect harmony is a matter of perspective. Even without humans, babies of all kinds would be snatched from their nests, from their mothers arms, out of their shells and killed - eaten by another animal.

Chaos is the natural world of kill to survive.

That's nature's balance. Nature always had a way of balancing things out. Predators never bread in large numbers but mice did...

Don't forget we have been here for a few hundred thousand years and Earth was absolutely fine without us. In fact our predecessors, before they were genetically tweaked have been living in harmony for hundreds of millions of years.

This planet is 4 Billion years old... We've managed to do quite a bit of damage to the oceans and forests as well as making many species go extinct by overhunting. That's only a few hundred thousand years... and a few hundred to do the damage. Once we are gone, (if that ever happens) nature will wipe the slate clean of us as if we never existed within a few thousand years. Everything will be dust and return to dust.

[radio times]

We certainly are Earth's disease. Thank you Mr Benz when he made his infernal combustion's. You could lose blighty in Texas and not notice, and in London I've never ever felt the need or wish to drive. Hey guys I'm 1 in a million. Tiny, yet we polluted the World with the Industrial revolution. Nuclear energy, that's a good one, nothing can possibly go wrong with that, wind power currently gives 4/5th's of the power but we won't bother with that, who wan'ts to pilot their ship through that eyesore? And what about the huge land mass of deserts? Thousands of miles of ripe sun energy, but hold up, I might wan't to make an Art film in the desert, and again who wan'ts to see that eyesore flying back from a holiday in Dubai? So were getting slaughtered by simple conversation and passing breath instead, as the dumbest creatures in world history the working classes, refuse to wear masks or get vaccinated.

[crwilli]

So what should mankind do since we are the ‘blight’ and in control?

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by PHC1

... There is not one animal or a plant on this planet that does not serve a useful function. It’s all part of nature’s balance ...

I agree, and would add only that humans are animals, too. It's true that we've not treated our planet well, and sometimes do not treat our fellow humans well.

And yet ... humans engage in glorious acts every day. Our world of art and music is just an example. Consider what healthcare workers are enduring during the pandemic so that they can save the lives of others. Gestures of love and caring are common even if they don't make the news. If you think there's not enough goodness in the human race, it's up to each of us to work to help tip the scales in favor of the good.

It's easy to condemn mankind. But if you do that while overlooking all the good, you cheat yourself and your fellow humans.

[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by crwilli

So what should mankind do since we are the ‘blight’ and in control?

By the end of January the USA should be starting to make some of the "right moves". Rejoining the Paris accords (is that formal and should be capitalized?) is a reasonable step (among many others that will be taken). Ignoring a problem does not make it go away.

[crwilli]

I won’t go any further as my intention was not to make this political. I disagree the Paris Accords are part of the global answer. Without China being held to the same standards, it is a drop in the bucket that weakens the US by raising costs.

Let’s choose to disagree.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by cleeds

I agree, and would add only that humans are animals, too. It's true that we've not treated our planet well, and sometimes do not treat our fellow humans well.

And yet ... humans engage in glorious acts every day. Our world of art and music is just an example. Consider what healthcare workers are enduring during the pandemic so that they can save the lives of others. Gestures of love and caring are common even if they don't make the news. If you think there's not enough goodness in the human race, it's up to each of us to work to help tip the scales in favor of the good.

It's easy to condemn mankind. But if you do that while overlooking all the good, you cheat yourself and your fellow humans.

When you say "our world", think about what that actually implies.

Humanity is awesome. The Frontal Cortex is the EGO Maniac that separates us from the animals. However, no human wants to live in a cave or a hut anymore.

What benefit does art and music serve the rest of the animal kingdom and our planet? By building a museum for ART in a city, you have effectively wiped out the habitat of a countless animals and have covered the effective area of the city with concrete.

We have swaths of plastic the size of Texas floating in the oceans, 80% of the fish and 90% of the large predatory fish are gone. Coral reefs destroyed.

Countless animals have gone extinct due to overhunting or losing their habitat.

But at least we can wait in line for a few hours to go see the Mona Lisa...

Well, not so much this year, nature is sort of fighting back.

We can't even get along among ourselves, we need to deploy nuclear weapons to solve conflicts which are ongoing throughout the history of mankind.

A lot of good our artsy, good deed driven, kind nature does.

Realize that this will never end well. It's not in our cards and that is more clear than ever. Keep looking at those rockets being blasted off into space, that is the "thinking man's" escape. Except the tickets will be for the select few who have taken from this planet the most.

[PHC1]

This short animation drives the point home. https://youtu.be/kbS1VJyonuA