It’s no secret that humans have significantly affected Earth’s natural environments. Some people say we are even destroying the Earth, which at times can be hard to disagree with. Consequently there is support for the idea of decreasing, eliminating, or even reversing human impact on Earth. What if we achieved zero further impact? What would that look like?
There are many different aspects to humankind’s impact on Earth, like global warming and pollution, just to name a few. To stop adding to such effects, we could stop all human activities that cause them. That includes things like the beef industry, manufacturing, the use of all powered machines, centralized utilities, etc. This reminds me of the theme song for Gilligan’s Island. “No phone, no lights, no motor car, not a single luxury….” Essentially all modern conveniences would be eliminated.
Put another way, to reduce our impact to a natural level, we would need to live like other animals. We ourselves are primates. How do other primates live? What do they eat and how do they get it? Where do they live? How much do they communicate? Do they use tools? Do they learn from each other? These are the kinds of questions we need to answer in order to achieve minimal impact.
To truly live like animals and avoid unnatural impact, we would need to go further than just not manufacturing things or not using vehicles. For example, we would need to reevaluate our use of clothing. After all, do animals wear clothes? The entertainment and sports industries would likely be curtailed. Animals certainly don’t have devices, so say goodbye to the Internet, computers, cell phones, etc. Refrigerators? Gone. Toilets and running water? Gone. Warm showers? Probably gone in most climates.
Why go to such extremes? If and when it becomes accepted as truth that we have been destroying our planet’s various habitats, living like other animals may become a right belonging to each individual. Even the use of language beyond the basics – or at all – may be considered rude, depending on who you are with. There probably would need to be entire communities where such living is practiced.
But do we really want zero impact? I’m not convinced that’s desirable. Zero Impact would be like removing all humans and artifacts. There are large groups of similar organisms that nature depends on. For example, bees do the bulk of pollination, and trees help remove carbon from the atmosphere. The elimination of either group of organisms would have profound negative effects on life on Earth.
What exactly should humans be doing? We currently seem to be changing the Earth too quickly in ways that are detrimental to the environment and life in general. Obviously we should be living more in tune with Earth and nature. We know it’s possible because numerous “primitive” tribes have done it all over the world. Native Americans are one example.
Living as an integral part of life on Earth doesn’t have to mean just blending in. I suspect there are too many of us to ignore anyhow. Bees and trees both play important roles. We humans possess the science and technology to have profound effects on this planet. Instead of pursuing zero impact, we should choose our role(s) and pursue beneficial impact. If we’re going to affect this planet, let’s do it in a way that makes sense for the future – both our future and the future of all life on Earth.
(c) Copyright 2021 by Mike Ferrell
Odd STEM 