> > Right now it is us that is destroying life around us
>
> Speak for yourself. I'm not destroying anything.
By your very existence you are destroying life, or at least preventing it from existing. This is true for the average coyote, snail, and tree, because it is the nature of life in general, and isn't inherently evil.
Assuming you live in a building, have ever purchased anything made from plastic, eaten any food produced with artificial fertilizers or pesticides, used fossil fuel-based transportation... basically done anything involving modern life (which includes accessing the Internet), you have contributed to the destruction of life and habitats for other creatures, and done so in a way that is disproportionate to the destruction wrought by other lifeforms.
That should in no way stop us from questioning how we live, and to what extent we destroy the environment for our own benefit. But we will have to live with the fact that we do affect things by our very existence.
> Assuming you live in a building, have ever purchased anything made from plastic, eaten any food produced with artificial fertilizers or pesticides, used fossil fuel-based transportation... basically done anything involving modern life (which includes accessing the Internet), you have contributed to the destruction of life and habitats for other creatures, and done so in a way that is disproportionate to the destruction wrought by other lifeforms.
Was I wrong to eat, travel or use the internet? Should I wring my hands and flagellate myself for my existence?
Do you understand what 'wrong' is? Did I mean harm by the actions I took? No.
Did corporations act without care in providing me those things more cheaply? Yes.
Did governments wave their behaviour through, while lobbyists re-wrote the laws to ensure that corporations are able to make the people pick up the bill? Yes.
So, who is responsible again?
Instead of allowing yourself to be sent on a guilt-trip for your existence, you should stop playing the martyr and take a closer look at the causes of the problems. There are specific companies, people, actions (governmental and corporate) that have caused problems. If you take the leadership roles, you can't abstain your responsibilities to the weak.
Governments and corporations should bear the responsibility for their actions.
> There are specific companies, people, actions (governmental and corporate) that have caused problems. If you take the leadership roles, you can't abstain your responsibilities to the weak.
You... need to take a long hard look at human history.
There have been various peoples across the world that lived more in-tune with nature. That had much less destructive effect on their environment.
What happened to them? They were displaced, conquered or exterminated by a more industrialized group / nation. Every single time.
Why? It is the nature of competition. Humans have taken natural selection to a whole new level with tools and technology, but it really is the same thing.
Even if you "fix" particular corporations and governments, they will eventually be displaced by ones that don't care so much for the environment.
The only actual fix is to try to educate everyone about what's going on, and what we as a species are doing. And try to convince everyone to make some changes in how they live.
We should do this. But it is shortsighted to think that the problem is due to just a few bad actors. We all contribute, and we all must be part of the solution to the very problem inherent to our own nature. Is this hard? Yes, it very much is.
> The only actual fix is to try to educate everyone about what's going on, and what we as a species are doing.
Yes. But your fix and mine are different. You think that its the damage the environment that's the problem.
I agree to some extent, but I think there is a more fundamental problem - that of people slavishly following what the government+corporations have to say. These 2 groups work together and they are helping each other - not the people or the environment. They are perfectly prepared to use whatever excuse - the environment, disease, etc as long as it advances their authority. Increasing compliance to authority is the goal - if you agree it is right to pay taxes, fines, etc under the guise of helping the environment you are weakening yourself and will also fail to achieve the goal you desire.
'The people' have Stockholm syndrome with regards to the governance structure. We think people from the government are here to help. They are not lying when they say that - but they are here to help themselves. At your expense!
This was commonly understood - but it seems as the governance structure has increased its power, applied psychology to the masses (nudge units), altered educational systems, etc, etc, this has had the effect of training people to think that it is a neutral entity. People believe that we need to vote harder. It can never work.
Nietzsche said it best:
A state, is called the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly lieth it also; and this lie creepeth from its mouth: "I, the state, am the people."
By your very existence you are destroying life, or at least preventing it from existing. This is true for the average coyote, snail, and tree, because it is the nature of life in general, and isn't inherently evil.
Assuming you live in a building, have ever purchased anything made from plastic, eaten any food produced with artificial fertilizers or pesticides, used fossil fuel-based transportation... basically done anything involving modern life (which includes accessing the Internet), you have contributed to the destruction of life and habitats for other creatures, and done so in a way that is disproportionate to the destruction wrought by other lifeforms.
That should in no way stop us from questioning how we live, and to what extent we destroy the environment for our own benefit. But we will have to live with the fact that we do affect things by our very existence.