What do we humans contribute to the Eco system/environment? I am not the brightest bulb, so please keep the "your a dumbass" to a minimum.
Well, a slightly different take.. Nature certainly didn't intend us to die then be buried in steel boxes six feet under. That's us deciding we don't like the smell of rotten human flesh or the disease that often comes with it. Being we're the only species to blow each other up en mass we bury our dead instead of leaving the dead for scavengers hither hather. Some cultures did take the dead out to the boonies and do just that though so the circle of life stays intact meaning some other creature eats the dead, usually several and those creatures in turn die and are consumed and on and on giving what I believe is the essence of eternal life.
I'm not sure we contribute anything, other than restoring the stuff we previously screwed up. All the ecosystems in nature were fine without us previously.
Quote from: "fingerscrossed2013"What do we humans contribute to the Eco system/environment?
Toxic substances, clear cuts, and extinction of other species at a rate heretofore unknown.
Contribution? To what? Ecosystems come and go. Some longer that others, but all eventually go the way of the dinosaur. There have been, what, 5 known mass extinctions?
Don't worry about it. Do what you think is right and enjoy life while you got it.
Plastic. The earth wanted plastic and needed us to get it. :-D
LOL I wasnt expecting all bad. But it makes sense.
Saying that human contribution is "bad" or "good" is looking at human contribution through the eyes of humans. The whole idea that mass exctinctions and destroying the atmosphere are "bad" is because it would be bad for us. The universe doesn't care.
Quote from: "Plu"Saying that human contribution is "bad" or "good" is looking at human contribution through the eyes of humans. The whole idea that mass exctinctions and destroying the atmosphere are "bad" is because it would be bad for us. The universe doesn't care.
^Right, and very well stated. =D>
There were mass extinctions long before we came along. Where we contribute is basically rectifying what we already screwed up, like the Subaru plant in Indiana that runs on gas generated from landfills and has a zero carbon footprint, and uses as much recycled material as possible.
You can consider it a contribution when we actively work to bring a species back from extinction, but there is a caveat to that: A species like the Burrowing Pipsqueak Water Mite (I made that up :-D ) might have gone extinct simply because it was no longer viable as a species. Some species simply reach a dead end and go out on their own, so its hard to say whether we are really contributing or not.
We contribute carbon dioxide so plants can breath and live. We plant marijuana seeds so they can live. :shock: 8-) Solitary
To put it in perspective, lots of people think that if humanity were to just disappear, nature would just reclaim everything and life would go on much the same. It is not that simple. It might seem weird, but humanity are still animals, and we are still part of nature. We make new ecosystems, have symbiotic relationships with animals, and we have been involved in nature for a decent time now. If we were to disappear, there would be a lot of harm that went along with the good.
Here is a good example of how we modify our environment: Before Europeans came to America with their culture, wolves were the dominant apex predator across the whole continent. Coyotes, being smaller and less pack oriented, were hunted by wolves, which kept their numbers at a relatively smaller number and kept them isolated in the Southwest.
When Europeans started raising livestock, wolves found a new food source. The Europeans went after wolves to the extent that they all but wiped them out across the continent. Coyotes, now free of their primary predator, became numerous and spread. Settlers also brought in their dogs and cats, which were allowed to become feral and became minor predators around cities.
Now Coyotes are found all the way across the continent, and have become far more numerous than previously. These, along with feral cats and dogs, have caused a drastic loss of lower life forms such as Voles and other rodents, which causes changes across the ecosystem. By removing one animal and introducing others, it changes the entire ecosystem over time, often unpredictably. And don't get me started on pigs and horses. :-D
Ehem..
:-$
(//http://s25.postimg.org/3k3ftkqhr/11528.jpg)
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Plastic. The earth wanted plastic and needed us to get it. :-D
:rollin: You said it before I could. Gotta love George Carlin