There is
this little blue marble. It is the third planet from the sun of its solar
system. It is one of eight planets (nine if you include Pluto) that was just in
the right spot to create an atmosphere. This group of spinning rocks, one
formed a protective bubble around it to keep space out and keep clouds in, thus
creating water.
After a
while, junk fell in the water and evolved into microbes that could join
together and split into new forms that could join with others. Eventually the
water was bubbling in life. These beings learned over time to survive with
techniques to fed and grow. Then they got bored and crawled out of the water
onto land.
They
grew into gigantic creatures roaming the land until (as some suppose) a big
rock smashed through their atmosphere ceiling and changed the air to the point
where all creatures died.
All
would have been lost, but this perky little planet regrouped and formed another
blue sky full of clouds bringing rain and wind and letting in just enough
sunshine to grow plants. Somehow creatures came down from the trees and started
walking around. They found shelter, food and began procreating.
These
new creatures formed families and became tribes. They learned how to grow crops,
kill animals and find water. They found how to create fire and became chefs.
They formed alliances with other tribes for protection and trade. The tribes intermingled
and formed diversity.
As they
expanded their curiosity, some other tribe may resist their invasion into their
private space. Borders were being formed over a tribe’s property rights. Some
would respect the restrictions while others, who had enough members to fight,
invaded the territory to pillage and loot taking property, goods, food, animals,
buildings and women. They had created war and enjoyed the rewards of the
winners. This would last them until extinction.
About
this time, they had to create gods to explain what they couldn’t understand. Later
they would call it religion and would worship in different forms. They also
created language. Now they could speak words that designated names and places
and objects. Unfortunately, each tribe created its own language and had to be
translated to other tribes.
Tribes
agreed upon their borders and formed countries. Some were ruled by kings or
emperors (the rich or the best warrior) or smart leaders who declared the rules
for everyone to follow. They started to build roads for their new invention the
‘wheel’ and harnessed domesticated animals to carry heavy loads instead of just
dragging them. Religious leaders started to transcribe but only a few could
read them so writings were held sacred.
Noticing
some animals preferred certain berries, tribes produced drugs and they like it.
Some became attached as spiritual sacraments while others were just to get
wasted.
To unify
countries and identify armies, flags were designed. They were waved at
celebrations and followed into battle.
Learning
to ride horses not only made travel faster but overwhelmed standing armies.
Raiders would ride into other countries to expand empires or colonize. Some did
this action in the name of their gods.
For
entertainment, these countries would take animals to torture until they decided
to do the same for each other. It started as competition until it became
battles to the death.
Then
someone invented gunpowder. That changed everything.
Celebrity
fireworks turned into bullets and shells fired through tubes to increase the
carnage of constant wars. Countries have continued to spend much of their
monetary resources on build bigger and badder weapons of mass destruction.
Didn’t
we mention money? Each country started placing value on goods of trade. A cow
was worth so many shoes or a basket of fruit could be traded for a loaf of
baked bread? First with coins of valuable metal to designate their value, then
with the introduction of the printing press, paper with the image of a
countries dead leaders and a number referenced to a banking system.
The
printing press manufactured books that could be stored in home libraries but as
more people learn to read spread knowledge. Schools were formed. The skill of
reading became essential for survival.
Once
roads and bridges were constructed, these bipeds with opposable thumbs traveled
over mountains and valleys exploring every corner of this planet. Always
wanting to be bigger and faster, they created trains and railroads, highways,
cities to construct centers of commerce.
Churches
were the first buildings to be constructed. They became community gathering
places, governmental debating halls and acceptable religious spots for comfort,
unified singing, verbal teachings and communal feasting. Their steeples
designated their location. These were also buildings that sold people.
Mail was
the only method of communication between family that lived beyond sound until
electricity was invited and thus the telephone. These tribes were never
satisfied so they invented the radio, television, computer and the internet.
All the
while, there were wars. If a war wasn’t happening in your neighborhood, you
went out to join another’s. There were no winners except for the industries
than manufactured the tools of death.
A
strange feature of this species is there is another side who don’t hate and
kill with no mercy or compassion. There are those who toward disaster rather
than flee for shelter. These are the ones who pull the bodies out of the ruble.
These was the ones who pick up the pieces of humanity and give them proper care
or disposal. Without them, we couldn’t have the daily body count.
There
are fields of scared land with mounds of bodies and markers naming the deceased
and birth and death dates if available. First, they surrounded churches, but
the continuing wars kept creating a need for more land so cemeteries were
created for people to visit on holidays or in passing but mostly sit unattended
and decaying.
With all
the inventions there was a constant and every growing need for energy to power
the cell phones, refrigerators, big screen TVs, computers, washers, automobiles
and trucks to deliver us and our stuff back and forth. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, bitumen’s, tar
sands, and heavy oils seemed the best choices to burn and create heat to turn
the turbines that create electricity.
Without them the light bulbs wouldn’t light and the mobile machines would not
move.
Again, finding a weapon that could destroy the planet,
nuclear energy was converted to make the atom fission be controlled for power,
but like other resources that vaporized in the air or soil the water or soil,
nuclear takes a bit longer to denigrate into harmlessness.
Then
they invented plastic. It seemed the perfect material made from a reliable
source to construct chairs and bottles and toys that will last long after
usage. Recycling didn’t solve the pollution.
All the
while, these countries feared each other and fought for religion or some other
petty reason, slaughtering young men and women who were sent to fight back
along with all the bystanders. Children just die.
So, the
moral of this story is this place called ‘earth’ was a Garden of Eden, but the
species who inhabited it decided to party like there is no tomorrow and their
prophecy came true.
Keep
moving. This is a dying planet full of possibilities but lacking foresight.
Happy Earth Day 2024
