Humans truly believe they are the ultimate species of this world. Maybe the universe, given we fictionalise most concepts of alien lives. We believe, that the theory of evolution (weather Darwin’s or others) had its glorified conclusion with us – the most superior, intelligent, industrious species to have every lived in the history of life. We were the perfect answer to a very complex evolution equation that balances all other laws.
But all we are is a geological blink in what concerns earth life. So insignificant and small that the future species millions of years from now would be disinterested in us. Human evolution plays up visions of permanence when all it is, is survival. Till the time its not enough. Till the time the next version of geological movement makes way for new life and a new species. The last movement gave us our chance. Whether you call it the biblical flood, an asteroid hit or a mass volcanic reaction, it got the dinasours out of our way. It took us millions of years to surface and evolve to a dominant position. Dominant here meaning - “Earth was created for me and it is my responsibility to preserve or destroy it, either through a sustained use or abuse or by way of creating destructive or protective sciences”.
Truth of the matter is we really don’t have a choice in it. No matter what we do and don’t do, evolution doesn’t give a damn. Dominance has a big price to pay. It’s called extinction. The great dinasours paid that price (but the turtles did not). We will too when another geological movement will make way for a further evolved species to enjoy that illusionary dominance. Whether they would know their place in the sun is a very interesting discussion for another day.
Before you think this is a tirade against what we are doing or not doing for global warming, dying animals, growing sea levels, increasing CO2 levels and other doom stories, it is rather the opposite. We have always thought of what we are doing to earth. Have we ever thought that this could be about what earth is doing to us?
Because you see, no matter what it has gone through, the earth has survived millions of years. It’s the life form on it that has had somewhat a tough time surviving it. So when we say “look at what we have done to the earth”, its only what we have done to us. A message, maybe thousands of years in the making which says, “enjoy your time in this resort as much as you can because you will soon have to check out for the next guest waiting in line”.