[obol] Are humans "natural"

[Jason Randolph (Conservation For The Oregon Coast)]

A MESS! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone...

Jason in Charleston

Dennis P. Vroman wrote:
> Here's a birding highlight from yesterday, we found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED 
> GOOSE in the Cave Junction area with a large flock of Canadas, not commonly 
> found here.
>
> The remainder is non-bird stuff...stop now if you like.
>
> Dennis (north of Grants Pass)
>
> Good question Lona,
>
> This is my own take on this.  We, meaning all of us humans on the planet, 
> are very much part of the natural world, which we depend on for our 
> existence.  We interact with other organism on a daily basis in order to 
> survive.  But, we tend to go beyond just using what we need to just 
> survive - after all, how many Groundhogs as an example (excluding Phil in 
> PA) live in lavish mansions with eclectic power, central heating and 
> plumbing.  We feel this separates "us" from "them" and we are above nature 
> and it's rules.
>
> Don't get me wrong, that's just the way we are thanks to that large 
> attachment to our upper spinal column.  We like our "creature comforts." 
> Want really separates us from the natural world is our various economic 
> systems, with monetary units (Dollars in our case) and political systems. 
> Didn't use to be that way, a few eggs for some bread, milk or whatever. 
> But, this system didn't pay for a political system, which "protects" its 
> citizens from the dangers of the world (mostly from other humans, that don't 
> happen to think and behave the way "we" do).  So, we are beyond just basic 
> survival these days, we have to have funds to support our protective 
> political system with large quantities of missiles, nuclear weapons, so on.
>
> ...at any rate, you asked a good question, just what do we call this?
>
>
>
>   
>>       On the nonbird hot topic this week on obol (man as part of nature):
>> Don't we use the words "nature, native, natural" simply to define what is
>> and isn't man-caused?  I don't think the intent is to say people are 
>> aliens
>> from outer space and therefore everything we do is "unnatural", for lack 
>> of
>> a better word.  What would be a superior system to describe man-caused
>> effects that won't give the illusion man is from another planet?  We need 
>> to
>> be able to talk about our manipulation of the environment somehow.  Lona
>> Pierce, Warren 
>>     
>
>
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