Tomorrows Biodiversity Reactions

"Biodiversity is in fact the embodiment of centuries of cultural evolution, because humans have coevolved with other species in the diverse ecosystems of the world" (Shiva 38)

All of the animals in time have gone through some type of evolution in order to survive. Humans are no exception to this rule of thumb. Often people speak as if they are not a part of nature, that they are above it but this is not true. Without the diversity of humans and animal species there would be no progress on earth because it is likely the non-diverse animals would not survive. Hypothetically speaking if there was a virus that kills polar bears and only polar bears were on earth bears would go extinct simply because there was no diversity to the animal.

"The destructions of biodiversity translates into the destruction of the diversity of livelihoods of the large majority of third world people who make their living as farmers, fishermen, craftspeople and healers" (Shiva 39).

The bigger picture is never thought about when focusing on ones own personal wants or goals. Diversity on earth is important and by destroying it we are not only injuring ourselves but the people across the entire world. If there is a fishermen who fishes tuna off the coast or a farmer who grows turnips and diversity is wiped out it is likely these people will have no form of income or would have to focus on a different species. The fisherman would have to start farming artificial salmon and the farmer would have to plant GMO crops because in a land with no diversity only man made options could survive. By destroying biodiversity we are destroying the people and world around us.

"The idea of emptiness also leads to the notion of limitlessness-- that there are no limits set by nature or other cultures to be respected, no ecological or ethical limits, no limits to the level of greed or accumulation"(Shiva 57).

This quote is most certainly my favorite out of the reading because of how correct it is in describing the problem we face today. People think there is an endless amount that we can do to the earth and that we wont be held responsible for it and this is untrue. Peoples notion is that any damage done can be reversed by our outstanding progress with technology. We might understand technology well but the earth is so complex no one can truly claim to understand it. Greed is destroying the world as people knockdown forests and create invasive plant crops simply for the love of money. We need to instill ecological and ethical respect not only for ourselves but for the earth too or else we are gonna find ourselves taking a big bite we cant chew.

Sources: Shiva, Vandana. Tomorrows Biodiversity. Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print.
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