Humans are Cancer

[ronart]

I believe that Humans are the earths Cancer. Homo sapiens are destroying
the planet. Like each cancer cell doesn't know it is bad they are all, collectively, killing their host. The Earth must somehow get rid of it's cancer.
Mankind is a plunderer of the earths resources and is slowly killing off
all other forms of life. There are too many of us.
Is the earth fighting back with AIDS and reduced sperm count.?
What do you think about this. ?
Love Ron.

[Parthon]

I think you are right. The question is, what are you going to do about it?

I'm raising my own consciousness, living more naturally and helping others in doing the same.

[Trezker]

No worries. We wont be able to wipe out 70 - 95% of all life even if we blew up all our a-bombs at once. We may destroy ourselves and some of the bigger animals, but we can't possibly match what the universe has already done to life on this planet over and over again all by itself.

We'll either destroy ourselves long before we are any threat to the world or we learn to live in peace with everything.

[BringTheDarkness]

I don't usually use the term "cancer" to describe humans I usually use the term locusts.

But I agree. What to do about it? I say we blow the planet up and start again because I think it is too late to fix it.

Some would be left of course or there would be no point in starting over.

BTD

[JoepBlox]

I'm afraid I have to disagree Ron.

A cancer cell can't choose not to damage the host. We as humans however have the option to life in harmony with the planet. I agree that it's not the common way of life (yet). But it's an option. And in my eyes the only logical future.

If you want to know how we can live in harmony with the environment, check out the Cradle to Cradle documentary. And ow yeah, go vegan

Joep

[ronart]

Hi JoepBlox, You are right in saying that we have the option to life in harmony
but, most people are struggling to stay alive and haven't the luxury to consider
our collective fate. The ratio of births/deaths needs to be tipped in favour
of deaths. I don't see that being very popular as most of us are programmed
to survive. We tend to be myopic and unconcerned with the bigger picture.
More governments than the Chinese need to restrict family size with
incentives or legislation.
Love Ron

[Joely]

Originally Posted by ronart

Hi JoepBlox, You are right in saying that we have the option to life in harmony
but, most people are struggling to stay alive and haven't the luxury to consider
our collective fate. The ratio of births/deaths needs to be tipped in favour
of deaths. I don't see that being very popular as most of us are programmed
to survive. We tend to be myopic and unconcerned with the bigger picture.
More governments than the Chinese need to restrict family size with
incentives or legislation.
Love Ron

Whilst I agree that our key problem is overpopulation, I would be wary of imposing the same kind of policies as the Chinese government. They are now suffering a widening gender disparity because Chinese culture sees women as less beneficial, shall we say, than men. Female babies are abandoned or killed, in the hope that the couple can have another male baby. Similar problems are arising in India as well, where daughters are a financial burden whereas sons are a financial benefit. Cultural views about the values of gender make a "one child policy" a dangerous thing to impose on a population that would select one sex over the other.

I don't personally see humans as a form of cancer, or even a virus (although the Matrix's description is a highly effective one). I think we have great potential in us evolve and develop in new ways. If we learn this lesson that we can't choose between economy and environment (because you simply can't have an economy if you don't have an environment to put it in), we have an opportunity to progress massively as a society and a species. I would rather focus, as an individual, on what I can do than worry too much about what others can't or won't.

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by ronart

I believe that Humans are the earths Cancer. Homo sapiens are destroying
the planet. Like each cancer cell doesn't know it is bad they are all, collectively, killing their host. The Earth must somehow get rid of it's cancer.
Mankind is a plunderer of the earths resources and is slowly killing off
all other forms of life. There are too many of us.
Is the earth fighting back with AIDS and reduced sperm count.?
What do you think about this. ?
Love Ron.

A cancer cell is a cell that is out of harmony with the whole, and working against it, destroying the body that gives it life. Maybe if there was some way we could convince the cancer cell to work with all the other cells....... There is room for all the cells, but they do need to work together for the whole body to be healthy.

[ronart]

Hello Joely, Many thanks for your interesting views on over population. Yes, I agree that the Chinese attempt at population control has problems. I think it
could be done better. Insentives need to be tailored to address gender preferences. Also support for old age as, many cultures regard a large family
as a retirement pension, sons and daughters look after parents.

I am more worried about your statement that, you would rather focus on
the individual,on what "you" could do.
This is the problem, This is why nothing will be done, individuals are self
aware and will always put self survival first. Are cancer cells each aware
of their combined effect ? I suspect not. I own a motor car which I know is
bad for the planet, However, I can't bring myself to get rid of it, I need
authority to make me get rid of it. For most people they will see the wisdom
and then turn away, I admit to the failing.
Love Ron

[Joely]

Originally Posted by ronart

I am more worried about your statement that, you would rather focus on
the individual,on what "you" could do.
This is the problem, This is why nothing will be done, individuals are self
aware and will always put self survival first. Are cancer cells each aware
of their combined effect ? I suspect not. I own a motor car which I know is
bad for the planet, However, I can't bring myself to get rid of it, I need
authority to make me get rid of it. For most people they will see the wisdom
and then turn away, I admit to the failing.
Love Ron

Cancer is a disease. It doesn't think, it doesn't feel. You can't compare human society and human consciousness to malfunctioning cells.

You have to choose, by yourself, to make a difference, to behave differently. Who cares what "most people" will do? We have witnessed over the last year or so a massive shift in awareness of the issues and the consequences. I've been involved in environmentalism for much, much longer than that - I was green when it wasn't cool to be green. What I've witnessed demonstrates that it is possible for human consciousness to shift itself around and start to see things differently. This rising awareness has the potential to make a real difference in the world.

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by ronart

I believe that Humans are the earths Cancer. Homo sapiens are destroying
the planet. Like each cancer cell doesn't know it is bad they are all, collectively, killing their host. The Earth must somehow get rid of it's cancer.
Mankind is a plunderer of the earths resources and is slowly killing off
all other forms of life. There are too many of us.
Is the earth fighting back with AIDS and reduced sperm count.?
What do you think about this. ?
Love Ron.

Ron, yes I do believe we have taken over and are are killing off the planet, solely because we are able to, and we can prevent other organisms from doing the same, e.g. locusts, cockroaches, viruses, bacteria, or whatever.

There is a theory that plagues and wars are a natural leveller of the world's population.

Here is a rather hard-nosed, negative view (not one I subscribe to), but one which has a kind of nihilistic logic to it:

What does it matter if we destroy the earth - there are plenty of other planets out there we can colonize?
Anyway, we can't actually destroy life, as it is eternal; it just changes form, so we are not really killing anything.
Even if mankind vanished from the earth, we would just reincarnate on other planets and the less enlightened amongst us would just create the same problems again

[ronart]

Hi Joely, When I compare humans to cancer cells I don't mean literally. I mean
that in relation to the earth we are killing it the way that cancer kills the body
that hosts it. It does this even though it kills itself in the process.
I wish that I had your faith in humans, I am not aware of much "rising awareness". Politically green parties are a long way from political control.
If you check out, The Global Footprinting Network, you will discover that
according to their calculations, The population of the earth has been
beyond the bio capacity of the earth since the early 1980s.
As I see it, only a global catastrophy will raise awareness sufficiently
to change the behaviour of everyone.
Love Ron.