To balance or control nature for man’s own survival?

If Man, Nature and the Universe represent Unity, Diversity and Harmony that sustains life, then man’s selfishness, narrow mindedness and greed would lead to its death and disintegration.

“Treat the earth well: it was not given to us by our parents, but lent to us by our children.” American Indian proverb

Is man, not the most fantastic machine ever evolved, invented or created? With Space science, Robotics, medical science, genetic engineering or information technology that man’s ingenuity has developed, will man ever match the creation of his own being??

Let us consider the human eye, which converts a range of frequencies in terms of colour, light movement and distance measure for the brain to interpret as what man see. The ear that converts a lower range of frequencies in terms of sound and direction for the brain to interpret as what man hear. The mouth, through the vocal cord that transmits frequencies to communicate what the brain wants to express, as well as being an organ to recognize chemicals and interpreted as taste. The nose converts tiny particles of chemicals to be interpreted as a sense of smell. These may be just one millionth of activities that the brain or man performs every fraction of second.

Man, through civilisation, leadership and culture, developed music, art, science and literature through giants in each field such as Yehudi Menhuin, Vincent Van Goh, Albert Einstein and Rabindranath Thagore.

Yet, for what purpose is life, nature or man? One can argue that man’s conscience is the very basis of existence of nature. “I think, therefore I am” Descartes.

So the question “do we need nature?” is a reasonable one. But man is yet to understand the whole of the very machine we call man, let alone nature.

If we take the Elephant and its 100 year life cycle integrated with the plant life, man tries to control it through culling the strongest elephants that come forward to protect the herd, simply because man plans on a ten or twenty year cycle. But on a 100 year cycle, large elephant herds create mud-holes to save water, breakdown old trees to let new growth prosper, natures cycles of flooding and drought ensures that the fittest survive.  Competition, survival of the fittest, illness, decease, ageing, pain and suffering are part of the whole system; whether one consider it creation or an evolutionary process.

Then, should man stop interfering with nature’s plans? By developing medical science through genetic engineering, is man upsetting this fine natural balance? By the use of fossil fuel for machines in food production and transport, has man gained an unnatural advantage over natures survival? If the use of chemicals in farming upsets the balance of nature in a wheat field, then could one ask “what is natural or balanced about a wheat field anyway”?

With all the scientific advances, man is yet to improve or reproduce or match the physical qualities of wood, silk, cotton, wool, or the nutritional values of plant food. Man can produce machines and send probes to Mars but cannot produce food; only plants can produce food.

Yet, the moment life ends, man’s body is nothing more than disintegrating flesh.

Therefore man should use its ingenuity with intelligence to develop and sustain life, and reverse the imbalance that man himself has created.

Sri Lanka suffered one of the worst flood disasters due to heavy rains in 2003. The loss of human life and disruption was solely due to de-forestation and mining. This de-forestation through clearing of thousands of acres of rainforest was not for survival, but to grow cash crops like tea for export. However, what was not reported was the heavy loss and devastation of animal and plant life in the devastated areas.

During the 18^th century under colonial rule, five elephants a day on average were shot and killed, every day for almost a hundred years, purely as a sport for man’s amusement. Today, 2012 there are estimated around 9000 elephants left in Sri Lanka. At the current rate of killing, which is around 150 each year, we shall see the extinction of the Elephant in Sri Lanka in the wild by the year 2020, unless, action is taken to protect them .

Would man’s quest to prolong life and eliminate suffering and decease win the day?

Would nature somehow come up with new and innovative ways to restore the fine balance? Would man be able to counter nature’s devises to finally win this battle over nature? Is it a just battle?

Developments in science and technology can be used to research, understand and appreciate nature. But controlling nature to satisfy man’s craving for dominance may just be a losing battle, driven by greed.

Man should observe and learn from nature. If politicians could learn from “Nature’s” own system of planning around devolved eco systems, there would definitely be less human conflict and war. If man allows rest of nature to co-exist without interference and the need to dominate, it would leave nature to continue with evolution or continue with the process of creation.

We have now come full circle, back to the debate, “Has man evolved through creation to be as part of nature” or “Was man created to control nature”?

If we consider recent developments in medical science, could we say that while it has helped to prolong life and alleviate suffering, it has also stopped mans own physical evolution? If medical science discovers and manipulates the gene that causes aging, imagine the imbalance in nature.

Discoveries in stem cell technology will definitely bring relief to many, suffering from grave illnesses when administered to alleviate suffering at individual level. The discovery of the polio vaccine and the concerted drive to eradicate polio from the face of the earth has made a difference to millions of children all over the world that can now live a “normal” life.

Yet, if the ultimate goal in medical science changes from “that of alleviating suffering to prolonging life indefinitely”, it would be nothing short of greed by the pharmaceutical industry.

Man could learn from natures own way of balancing through unity, diversity and harmony.

Unity through self sustaining eco systems adapted to the environment. Diversity in species suited to balance nature. Harmony achieved through migration and evolution.

Man should recognise the strength in a united effort in scientific discovery and good governance to alleviate of suffering and reduce poverty; the richness offered to humanity through cultural diversity in man, without the need for centralized control and standardization; and how man can live in harmony by accepting differences in religious and political views and beliefs.