By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
itself. Whenever the human population is soaring too high a new disease comes along to knock them down a bit. Now, with pollution at all time highs, people protesting in the streets about it but governments slow to react or in denial, then suddenly we have this virus that has drastically slashed travel and the pollution that comes with it. Meanwhile, scientists discover a bacterium that eats plastic, a substance that can't easily be recycled, which has been mounting up to the tune of 8bn tonnes, and which has only been around since the 50's.
Is my imagination running away with itself or is there something bigger than us at work here?
When you start to think about this it is properly sobering.
Stokie posted yesterday what the WHO is saying about the ‘worst case’ COVID impact if no countries had taken any action at all. 40m deaths.
But....linked to your post. The world population is arguably 4bn too high. So If we had let COVID take its natural course we would have trimmed 1% of the worlds surplus population. Or put another way, it would take x100 unchecked pandemics to get the worlds population down to what is sustainable.....and what it was as recently at the 1960s.....
When this is all over the global population will be much, much bigger than when we started.....
0
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:51 - Mar 28 with 3828 views
As the population has been rising for the last few thousand years, I'm saying no. And the planet is still in massive need of our protection.
Growing populations and changing patterns of living/communicating will change how those populations are attacked but Mother Nature isn't in with the remotest chance of winning the war on her own.
Pronouns: He/Him
0
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:52 - Mar 28 with 3823 views
Humans are pattern seeking creatures. We also constantly look to imbue things with meaning based, often through wishful thiking.
A pandemic virus of this type is a function of global movement, and unregulated animal markets in china (in all likelihood). It IS therefore connected, but not in the way you suggest, to our current over-dominance of the planet.
The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett)
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:47 - Mar 28 by WD19
When you start to think about this it is properly sobering.
Stokie posted yesterday what the WHO is saying about the ‘worst case’ COVID impact if no countries had taken any action at all. 40m deaths.
But....linked to your post. The world population is arguably 4bn too high. So If we had let COVID take its natural course we would have trimmed 1% of the worlds surplus population. Or put another way, it would take x100 unchecked pandemics to get the worlds population down to what is sustainable.....and what it was as recently at the 1960s.....
When this is all over the global population will be much, much bigger than when we started.....
Just for clarity, I don't think this particular virus is about cutting the population so much as cutting the pollution, which it has started to do already. It has been much much more successful at that than any man-made interventions, it seems.
But previous diseases like The Black Death, Aids etc seem to have been designed to prune the population, if 'design' is the route we're going down. Some might even cite it as evidence of something akin to a god.
It's weird how these things just appear out of nowhere.
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:55 - Mar 28 by BrixtonBlue
Just for clarity, I don't think this particular virus is about cutting the population so much as cutting the pollution, which it has started to do already. It has been much much more successful at that than any man-made interventions, it seems.
But previous diseases like The Black Death, Aids etc seem to have been designed to prune the population, if 'design' is the route we're going down. Some might even cite it as evidence of something akin to a god.
It's weird how these things just appear out of nowhere.
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:55 - Mar 28 by BrixtonBlue
Just for clarity, I don't think this particular virus is about cutting the population so much as cutting the pollution, which it has started to do already. It has been much much more successful at that than any man-made interventions, it seems.
But previous diseases like The Black Death, Aids etc seem to have been designed to prune the population, if 'design' is the route we're going down. Some might even cite it as evidence of something akin to a god.
It's weird how these things just appear out of nowhere.
You are pulling the impression of design from nowhere. There is absolutely no basis to imbue such things with intent and consciousness.
The more heavily populated, and the more dirty a 14th century city gets, the more likely disease is to spreasd and to be lethal... Hence there is a degree of self correction inherent in the plague- but there is no basis to suggest it is design.
The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett)
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 10:01 - Mar 28 by sparks
You are pulling the impression of design from nowhere. There is absolutely no basis to imbue such things with intent and consciousness.
The more heavily populated, and the more dirty a 14th century city gets, the more likely disease is to spreasd and to be lethal... Hence there is a degree of self correction inherent in the plague- but there is no basis to suggest it is design.
See also the living conditions of the average Chinese urban worker in the 21st Century.
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:55 - Mar 28 by BrixtonBlue
Just for clarity, I don't think this particular virus is about cutting the population so much as cutting the pollution, which it has started to do already. It has been much much more successful at that than any man-made interventions, it seems.
But previous diseases like The Black Death, Aids etc seem to have been designed to prune the population, if 'design' is the route we're going down. Some might even cite it as evidence of something akin to a god.
It's weird how these things just appear out of nowhere.
But something would have to start it, isn't that God rather than Mother nature?
0
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 10:06 - Mar 28 with 3746 views
Nature has a natural way. When there is a plague of bugs the thing that feeds on it gets stronger and thus breeds itself. When that food source diminishes the preditor becones weaker and itself breeds less.
With regards to humans, as we over populate, illnesses are easily spread. As I'm getting older I'm pleased that medicine and better access to food should allow me to live into my eighties. The downside is that no country can afford to fund an increasing aging population. Its sobering to think that if illness doesn"'t cull us then wars are inevitable as people fight over diminished resouces.
Its a shame that as humans we have the answers to solve most of the World's problems but there are too many vested interests and greedy people to simply slow down the growth in populations.
5
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 11:04 - Mar 28 with 3635 views
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:54 - Mar 28 by sparks
Your imagination is running away with itself.
Humans are pattern seeking creatures. We also constantly look to imbue things with meaning based, often through wishful thiking.
A pandemic virus of this type is a function of global movement, and unregulated animal markets in china (in all likelihood). It IS therefore connected, but not in the way you suggest, to our current over-dominance of the planet.
Oh Bully, I love your practical logic, but where is the romance in logic?!
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:47 - Mar 28 by WD19
When you start to think about this it is properly sobering.
Stokie posted yesterday what the WHO is saying about the ‘worst case’ COVID impact if no countries had taken any action at all. 40m deaths.
But....linked to your post. The world population is arguably 4bn too high. So If we had let COVID take its natural course we would have trimmed 1% of the worlds surplus population. Or put another way, it would take x100 unchecked pandemics to get the worlds population down to what is sustainable.....and what it was as recently at the 1960s.....
When this is all over the global population will be much, much bigger than when we started.....
The world's population is not four billion too high. This notion that the planet can only provide for so many people is nonsense. The standard of living in the world is the highest it's ever been yet the population is the highest it's ever been.
You are ascribing and intelligence to an action that doesn't merit it.
Evolutionary processes are all that is at work here as they have been since the beginning of the Earth - there is nothing bigger at work.
For instance, the fact that the population is bigger gives viruses more vectors to explore and evolve to infect, it's a numbers game based around natural selection and evolution and nothing to do with an intelligence.
The same goes for your bacteria example. Evolution demands that specialisations increase to fill all niches. The fact there is more plastic means there is a greater niche to exploit and a bacteria has evolved to do that. The same can be said about bacteria which live within nuclear reactors.
There is no magic at play here, just the wondrous and ongoing process of life.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
1
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 13:30 - Mar 28 with 3404 views
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 09:55 - Mar 28 by BrixtonBlue
Just for clarity, I don't think this particular virus is about cutting the population so much as cutting the pollution, which it has started to do already. It has been much much more successful at that than any man-made interventions, it seems.
But previous diseases like The Black Death, Aids etc seem to have been designed to prune the population, if 'design' is the route we're going down. Some might even cite it as evidence of something akin to a god.
It's weird how these things just appear out of nowhere.
It's really not weird and perfectly explainable.
If you want to believe it's god then that is entirely your choice and go ahead. If you want to understand the science then there are plenty of good sources out there which don't invoke mysticism to explain it.
A virus cannot determine to cut pollution. That is simply the result of it evolving a successful infection vector and thus making us all stay inside.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
1
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 13:33 - Mar 28 with 3394 views
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 13:30 - Mar 28 by StokieBlue
It's really not weird and perfectly explainable.
If you want to believe it's god then that is entirely your choice and go ahead. If you want to understand the science then there are plenty of good sources out there which don't invoke mysticism to explain it.
A virus cannot determine to cut pollution. That is simply the result of it evolving a successful infection vector and thus making us all stay inside.
SB
Shut it you. I'm on a mission to save Dolly's eternal soul here and could do without you fouling it up with this sort of mumbo jumbo.
footers QC - Prosecution Barrister, Hasketon Law Chambers
I'm beginning to wonder if the planet, or Mother Nature, knows how to look after on 13:27 - Mar 28 by StokieBlue
You are ascribing and intelligence to an action that doesn't merit it.
Evolutionary processes are all that is at work here as they have been since the beginning of the Earth - there is nothing bigger at work.
For instance, the fact that the population is bigger gives viruses more vectors to explore and evolve to infect, it's a numbers game based around natural selection and evolution and nothing to do with an intelligence.
The same goes for your bacteria example. Evolution demands that specialisations increase to fill all niches. The fact there is more plastic means there is a greater niche to exploit and a bacteria has evolved to do that. The same can be said about bacteria which live within nuclear reactors.
There is no magic at play here, just the wondrous and ongoing process of life.
SB
I get what you're saying but the suggestion that bacteria has evolved to exploit plastic can't be right, surely? Things evolve over millions of years, not 60 odd!
I also didn't say anything about intelligence. You've ascribed that. I'm suggesting something 'built in' to evolution, like a safety net, in order to keep the ecological balance.
I'd like to add, for clarity, I'm not saying I think this is all fact. I'm playing with an idea/playing devil's advocate to the mainstream.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
