Our Questionable Fate

Although many attempts have been made to determine the origin of man-kind, no one can be certain when such an event really took place. A widely regarded belief concerning this phenomenon is that the species of man has only been around for a very short time. There are also those who believe in the concept of evolution- the belief that our kind was evolved from monkeys. Whatever our belief may be, it is certain that even our mind, however advanced it may be, cannot demystify the extent of our existence. Perhaps even more puzzling is the conclusion of our race. This mystery reveals the million dollar question: what is our fate?

20 years ago the luxury of computers were only reserved for the fortunate few that can afford its ridiculous price tags, now it is almost impossible to walk into a house without seeing one. With the way that society presently functions, the use of computers is almost inevitable. It is the backbone of small businesses and the foundation of huge corporations. It is a college student's best friend and the brain of most factories. It is the military's ultimate weapon and perhaps the catalyst to the world of tomorrow. A series of complicated math and science constitute the computer and its entirety. I am not qualified to explain each component that makes the computer what it is instead I will make the connection to the computer and nature. Take for instance the computer screen. Surely the material that encompasses the computer is made of some form of plastic and I can surmise that this plastic is a product of the earth's soil. So really a computer, stripped of all its glorious science and mathematics, is another product of the elements of the earth. The same is held true for everything that we manufacture. As we continue to build, little bits of nature will be breached. This is evident every time a new building is erected and in the continuous expansion of our infrastructure.

Building and destroying is perhaps the formula to keep the world moving. This method of expansion follows such a simple concept- find land, cut trees, blowup remaining landscapes and we have ourselves the foundation for more buildings. This frightening system of building and destroying is almost inevitable. As populations continue to expand, more land is required to accommodate the growing number of people. Where there are people, there will be buildings, roads, cars and factories poisoning the environment. If land is not accommodated by such structures, they serve as space to dump out garbage. The composition of all our waste combined with the poisonous presence of large cities has inevitably brought nature under our mercy.

Nature does not have the capacity to heal the mortal wounds man has inflicted; that is our responsibility. It is to some comfort that I see people collectively helping to reduce further damage done to our environment. Such an action is perhaps the product of the global warming scare. The more they know about this alarming condition, the greater their fear is. According to scientists, global warming does not merely result in the rising of temperature but also in much more catastrophic events. The melting of the polar ice caps is arguably the most noticeable as well as the most terrifying concept in connection to global warming. Extreme weather change is also of profound concern. Such drastic changes are the products of human activity.

As the birds are indebted to the trees that constitute their dwelling place, we as well owe this earth for supporting our life. Every element crafted by the Almighty's hand was made to facilitate the daily life of all creatures inhabiting the four corners of the world. Nothing is misplaced nor miscalculated for the ideal conditions that support life. The air that we breathe is supplied in abundance and the water in the sea is necessary to bring life to nature. An animal kingdom was established to carry on the natural cycle of nature- the prey that feeds on the grass, the predator that feeds on prey, and the vultures that devour the leftover carcass. Once this process is carried out then the carcass will seep back into the soil of the earth and henceforth the process continues. This natural flow has maintained perfect harmony before our appearing. However, under mankind's administration, this cycle was abruptly disturbed.

Perhaps the creatures of the land, air, and sea were able to maintain nature's cycle due to their absence of thinking. They allow nature to carry on its cycle however unfair the cycle may be. The victims that are eaten by the predators will not stand up to revolt against the superior creatures, instead they will continue being the victims and vice versa for the predators. The capacity to think is arguably the defining characteristic that sets us apart from the rest of the animals. Such a gift has led us to this glorious age of technology. On the contrary, it has also led to this lifestyle of living. Our capacity to think does not allow for a lower standard of living, for this reason factories, buildings, cars and roads were made to facilitate daily life.

This lifestyle, however, does not give countenance to the creatures with whom share this planet. Perhaps more than any other creature on the planet, the polar bears have been the most devastated. Slowly but surely these creatures are dying off as the ice caps on the far corners of the earth quietly melt away. Now more than ever multitudes of people are turning their attention to the ever-deteriorating condition of our environment. Even science is pushing toward greener technology to remedy such conditions. The excessive amount of CO2 levels in the atmosphere is the primary culprit- the result of everyday life. But who am I to say that our way of living is an abomination; I too am guilty of such a lifestyle.

Frankly, I believe global warming has been ignored for so long that its catastrophic outcomes are almost irreversible. Unless we resort to a humbler lifestyle, then such conditions will carry on without much difficulty. Is this transition to a simple life possible? perhaps not. As previously mentioned, our standard of living will not allow for a quieter life. Such a proposition is too radical to even be remotely practical. This human race lives in a world that is constantly in fast-forward. Our primary aim is to build bigger buildings, to expand infrastructure, to breakthrough in science and all the like. This era is perhaps most appropriately defined by our technological advances. I want to say that we live in the golden age of science but truth be told science will never have a golden age. Frankly, science will continue to develop as our minds get more sophisticated. Our existence will always tower over all other creatures of the land, air, and sea. Along with out existence is the inevitable process of expansion. As one or two departs from this life, three or four more will carry on the race. This process will go on for as long as we walk this earth.

The million dollar question is: what is our fate? This question is perhaps the most frequently pondered upon and also the most disappointing. One may be greatly comforted to know that our later counterparts will have the answer to the questions we were not able to answer. With every new generation comes even greater knowledge and with greater knowledge our race can continue existing. The human mind is gifted with an infinite amount of potential. Just how far will we go until the dreaded "it is impossible" concept overtakes faculties of each mind? Will there ever be a point where we reach the summit of knowledge that from that point on downhill is the only way to go? Our mind has taken us beyond the skies to the moon and even to the deepest depths of the ocean. But despite of each groundbreaking excursion there is so much yet to be navigated. Will this reckless lifestyle be our undoing? Are we dreaded with the same fate of the once supreme creatures of the land- the dinosaurs? So much is to be surmised concerning the conclusion of mankind but for now that question will only be resolved until the actual time comes.