Saving Planet Earth

Following on from recent campaigns from the world of celebrity there is a new campaign on the block, Live Earth.

Tonight I caught a few minutes of a programme entitled "Saving Planet Earth". Now let me say from the start that I am not against the concept of saving the planet, if indeed it is about to disappear and does in fact need saving. Doom and despondency have their place I am sure. It is just that I can not help but feel a little cringe when I tune into yet another event organised by the great and good with statements which perhaps lose a little of their impact in all the glitz and glamour.

According to scientific records from National Geographic News the number of identified species on the planet is around two million whilst it is estimated that from ten million to more than one hundred million species are still undiscovered.

I read a couple of years ago in The New Scientist that the Earth may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction on a par with the five others that have punctuated its history.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the Earth has a balancing mechanism. That may be what we are seeing now. The redressing of the imbalance brought about by mankind.The outcome of the industrial revolution, the never ending race for more money , bigger cars, better living may have an inevitable and foregone conclusion.

That we, mankind, have the audacity to imagine that we have an answer to save the Earth seems a little far fetched when we look at what a mess we have apparently made.

If indeed mankind has the power to save the Earth I really hope that the other 100 million species is grateful. Or maybe just maybe the Earth and all its species are a little more important in the scheme of things than the arrogance of humanity would indicate. Maybe the creation of all the objects of the world does not have the goal of bringing happiness to just one species. Is it right that man should place more value on it's contribution than any other? Is not the contribution of the smallest creature or the smallest fragment just as important in the universe?

I think the Earth consists of a little more than the mere happiness or satisfaction of one species and I also think the Earth can take care of itself, even if that means being without mankind.

To quote variously from Ecclesiastes

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.