In a similar setting, human nature can be seen as just as violent. Therefore, if the earth is a living thing, which this poem is arguing, why are humans destroying it? We pollute, pillage, and consume Earth's resources to an unhealthy level. We are increasingly taking advantage of our planet as a parasite does to its host. Humans tend to look at what Earth can do for them rather than what they can do for it. There are actions in place to alleviate climate change, like the Paris Convention and finding renewable sources of energy, but efforts can only go so far if mankind cannot overcome human nature by avoiding abandoning these movements and making conscious choices that are beneficial to taking care of the Earth.
After considering this poem and its message, I ask, is Human Nature or Mother Nature more violent? If humans begin to think of Earth as a living thing as Lucille Clifton suggests rather than just an entity to benefit from, can we reverse the damage that we have already caused? How?
Human Nature is probably more violent than Mother Nature. Above you do mention the destructive nature, of both human kind and the earth. But mother nature, especially animals like the black hawk and black bear are fighting to survive. Humans seem to just be trying to live a relaxed life, destroying what the animals need to survive.
ReplyDeleteIf humans came to think of Earth as a living thing I believe that it might make a difference. can the damage be reversed? Many articles I have read have said reversing the damage is possible. But the years it would take and the efforts it would take. I do not think Human Nature would be able to take care of the beautiful planet that we have been given, because of the nature of making life simple.
This article from MIT shows what it would take to change it. https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/can-global-warming-be-reversed/
I think that it is inevitable that humans are destructive— we were born to mess things up and leap with our eyes closed. Really, I think we're the monsters ravaging Earth, and Mother Nature is not. I think the destruction of the world rests in humanity, not Mother Nature or the force of her trying to save the precious organisms that reside on Earth.
ReplyDeleteIf people did consider and start to believe Earth was also living, I still don't think that reversing the damage is possible. After years of taking the Earth for granted, there's not anything that could fix it completely— try to think of it as a human being; if something traumatic happened in their lives and they worked through it in time, that doesn't mean what happened is fixed, it just means they've adapted. That said, I think if this human were Earth, then all of the factors that are destroying it— industrialization, pollution, deforestation, etc.— can partially be compensated for by cleaning up and setting rules, and planting trees, but the effects will still remain to some degree and it would take an incalculable amount of time for that "restoration."
Here is another link that talks about what we can do to help: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-solutions/