Response to Nash Reading

In the reading, Professor Roderick Fraizer Nash is upset with how humans treated their chance on earth.  Because of this, he thinks change is in need.  He composed an essay citing the associated thoughts and common predictions of different philosophers, scientists, and environmental activists.  His aim was to prove humans negatively impacted the earth.  Taking over the earth, trying to expand and industrialize, was the worst decision ever.  To the naked eye it seemed the growth was for the better of mankind.  That it was, but mankind had neighbors who also occupied the earth.  Humans took over the already existing life forms’ habitat leaving them to become extent, scarce, or adapt.  The earth should be looked at as God’s gift to all life forms; therefore equality should have been the main rule of earth or the golden rule.  Not only the inhabitants but the earth itself should’ve been taken care of like the precious gift it is.  Industrialization isn’t the only way humans have devastated the earth.  The overpopulation of the species has added to the spillover onto the land of other natural life forms.  It increases the population density daily at an enormous rate.  So far humans have treated the earth as a possession that they did nothing to acquire and show no gratitude for its existence.  The concept that every life form has the right to function normally in a shared ecosystem was defined as deep ecology.  Professor Nash suggests that since humans couldn’t share, and took more than their share, then they should have a taste of their own medicine.  Not a punishment but an exhibit of their advanced intelligence.  He believes the population should be reduced down to ¼ and contained on islands in various parts of the world.  In these areas they can either create for the sake of survival and reestablishment, or live with the wilderness as they once did.  Humans have the right to fulfill their evolutionary potential but not at the expense of other life forms.  He feels if this is done it will prove better support for all life forms and the rehabilitation of earth.         

I understand and agree with a lot of the things Professor Nash inferred.  If you think about it, the earth lasted a long time in mint condition before the advanced humans came about with their uncontrollable urge to have more and more, of whatever they could have more of.  With nothing intervening, humans were allowed to do as they wish with already inhabited land as long as another human gave their consent.  Because other life forms are smaller or speaking a language humans can’t and care not to understand, except for entertainment purposes, they are stripped of their right to own property, sustain a stable habitat, or just live in general.  I do believe Humans are greedy and majority care about sustaining themselves whether or not at the expense of other life forms.  Professor Nash doesn’t think it’s necessary to resort back to the initial way of human life. He just thinks humans should be isolated, contained, and uninvolved with most of the earth.  I raise questions about how he suggests to cut the population down to 1/4 its current size without killing that would cause extreme chaos.  I also often wonder how and what would happen if a nuclear war broke out.  Every species to me would be dead or on the verge when considering the half-lives of the elements.  I don’t believe human isolation and containment is the solution to this obvious problem.  Like he said, with the intelligence level of humans nothing is certain but who’s to say it’s impossible.  I believe humans are capable to discover or invent a solution to each of their and other species’ problems.  Instead of reducing the population and instead of expanding, I think humans should create or discover endless supplements that can be used to repair and preserve the earth that we have left.  The job will not be easy or quick for that matter.  Therefore humans need lives to keep coming but at a slower, more controlled pace for the sake of passing down the collected data and ideas that will help find or create this supplement.  This will prove to be the key to a happy and long lasting preservation of earth and all its inhabitants.