I think that when people talk about "the environment" or "hurting the environment" they are talking about the rich, diverse, balanced natural environments that we have known in the past. We are talking about the environments that we value, not some kind of accademic definition of what the word "environment" means.

It's true that any given place in the universe at any givien time represents some kind of "environment," regardless of whether it is conducive to life or not. The surface of the moon, the center of the sun, a meadow, a city, a diverse forest full of life, a productive farmland that was once a diverse forest full of life, a poisoned wasteland that was once a productive farmland --- these are all "environments." But there are some that we human beings value more than others.

So it is true that human beings are part of the environments that humans inhabit. And it is humans, not nature, that place value on one environment over another.

When we talk about hurting an environment, we are talking about degrading an environment that we value into one that we don't value. In the end we are talking about hurting ourselves by losing something we like or need. Most people can easily recognize an enviornment that has been "hurt" and have no need of an academic definition that quibbles over whether or not an environment that we subjectively feel is degraded is still technically an "environment" or not. I mean, come on!

I have no fear that human beings will completely wipe ourselves out --- we are too resourceful for that. But I do fear that we could degrade our environment to the point were a lot of us do die, and the survivors have to live in a world that is a LOT less appealing than the one we live in now.

Even if we do wipe ourselves out, I don't fear that we will wipe out ALL life --- the life phenomenon is too resilient for that. But the rich diversity of life could be lost --- it is already being hugely diminished.

And even if we did manage to wipe out all life on our planet, it is technically true that we would not completely destroy "the environment."

But I think almost anyone can easily see the differences between living in the rich and diverse environment that we live in today, versus a diminished environment in which most of us are dead and the survivors have to struggle, versus an environment in which we are all dead and only bacteria fungus and insects remain, versus a sterile radioactive wasteland environment.
dragonrider Reviewed by dragonrider on . We're bacteria thats what we are is very complex, emotional, thinking, breathing bacteria we continue to reproduce until we cover the entire planet im not saying thats all we are but you can think of that any many different ways it just goes to show how everything in the entire universe is connected and alike Rating: 5