Environmentalism is an ideology based on preserving the environment and the beings that inhabit it. Because it is focused on protecting defenseless animals and plants, one could call it a noble cause. Environmentalists could easily be called the defenders of life on Earth. Is this really true though? People view nature as needing humanity’s care, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Life has existed on Earth for 3.5 billion years, and it has adapted to every change that has come its way so far. Regardless of how bad climate change and pollution gets, life on Earth will persist.
To quote Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.” So far, no cataclysmic event has come close to eradicating all life on earth. An asteroid led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and a large number of other life forms, but it also caused the rise of mammals. One door closing opened another, as the niches left vacant were filled by different species.
At the site of Chernobyl, a fungus has adapted to use radioactive energy to stimulate growth. Table coral is more tolerant to heat, making it resistant to coral bleaching. Salmon have been migrating later in the year in order to better handle warmer waters. Living beings of all kinds are adapting to the changing world. Life is tough and enduring, and it’ll take a lot more than humanity to truly eradicate it.
My point is not that environmentalism is a pointless endeavor; I’m just trying to lower the stakes a little bit. No matter what humanity does, no matter how ignorant our leaders are, no matter how thoughtless we are, life on earth will go on without us. Even if we perish, we will be succeeded by new life forms. Keep fighting for the bees, the bears, and the barrier reef, but know that other creatures will rise to take their place, even if it isn’t in our lifetime. Acknowledge that believing that humanity needs to be the ones to save the planet is a bit anthropocentric, and accept it.
Nature is beautiful, and humans are just a small part of it. Take comfort in the fact that even if humanity tears everything down, life is too stubborn to not grow right back. Enjoy the beauty that we have today and fight for it, but know that the Earth is bigger than you and I. I find that fact comforting, and it lets me enjoy my time in the present without feeling anxious about the future. Regardless of what you do, the world will change, so value the time you have with it.
Comments