The World Without Us

Have you heard of this book? It's been out for awhile and has appeared on many 'must read' lists. The content is a condensed encapsulation of all the wrongs we humans have done to this earth. Mistakes we've made that will continue to poison the surroundings for epochs if not forever. Nuclear and CO2 wastes being major among the ills we've set in motion.

Boo, us. And not just the recent us, either. Even our primitive ancestors laid waste to whole species by indiscriminate over hunting. Still, we can make healthier, more harmonious choices ourselves starting this second. The question is will enough of us do so? Really all we need is a quantum shift in our accepting personal responsibility towards maintaining a healthy planet. Doing so will embolden our chosen leaders (industry, government and spiritual) to make better choices and set in motion a turn-around our descendants will exist to acknowledge. Or we can ignore everything, continue on the path we've set and let some other life forms take over a couple epochs from now after we inevitably relinquish stewardship through unchanged now recognized filthy habits. But that would be crazy, right?

Who's next? Cockroaches? Those worms that live near vents in the ocean? Will their kind rise to replace us? In some ways, really, who cares? We won't be hear to see it, will we? In another - just how sacrosanct do you hold this existence? Is it worth saving or at the very least extending out as far as possible? Me, I think so. Besides I would be so embarrassed to have been a member of the species that ruins a good thing.