Talk 4: Humans enslave nature

Talk 4: Humans enslave nature

6 September 2020 Off By Naginder Sehmi

TALK 3

All-powerful greedy humans

Surely now you know what Bacterium homo grǣdigus is. But the word “grǣdigus” is not easy to find in a dictionary. In old English, “grǣedig” means “greedy”. Hence, Bacterium homo grǣdigus signifies “greedy human bacteria”. You and I are BHG. Remember “grǣdigus”. It defines the nature of the human species, hence exceedingly crucial in my talks.

Humans are omnipresent and almighty, just like the gods we have invented. This fact does not require proof. We overpowered nature from the time we lit the first fire. Since then, we have continued  conquering planet Earth. Sadly, we have infected it as well.

Ecocide

In the current era that we have baptized Anthropocene epoch, humans consume food and materials excessively, practise eco-extermination wiping out vegatation and occupying land wastefully, dangerously polluting the air, water and soil with indusrial products and clamouring for faster mode of transport.  We knowingly upset the natural balance, increasingly devastate the habitat of other living beings and steal their livelihood. In this way, we humans trigger chronic diseases and pandemics. For self-inflicted troubles we shamelessly blame other animals, bacteria and viruses.

COVID-19 blessings

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has given an unasked feel-good sentiment not experienced for a long time. Humans are suprised to hear birds singing sweetly, to see colourful fish in lakes, canals and streams, to gasp fresh air, and to see joyously the blue sky in many parts of the globe. Sadly this has increased my anxiety. I know the nature  of “grǣdigus” humans. They will quickly forget this brief heavenly moment. Instead of resetting nature, BHG will launch an assault to steal even more from nature to recover the material loss caused by COVID-19. The headline in Le Temps, Geneva: “The economy thirsty for primary natural resources.  … One has to struggle to find copper, wood and plastic.”

Humanism

Experts fail to publicize our anti-nature behaviour and iniquitous living. BHG continue to proliferate like no other animal. At the same time, we seek improved comfort, try to fulfil every desire, seek pleasure and greedily acquire what we often do not need. BHGs’ enhanced empathy, altruism and goodness are directed for the benefit of BHG only, nothing for the rest of the biosphere. Our humanism is egoistic and self-centred. Our eyes have ceased to see, and our brains deny to recognise that we are the mighty, mutating, blood-sucking bacteria that have made Earth sick.  Having full sway over Earth and its nature we greedily aspire to infect the space as well.

Real gods

I have reasserted earlier  that BHG have been the real gods all the time. When we became conscious of our power we invented fake god stories. Billions of us started to believe these stories for thousands of years. The stories have mutated into religions, nevertheless fake. Do you not see that these fake gods were designed in our own image? We have been fighting, like them, among ourselves, killing each other and causing inestimable damage to innocent nature. Read what Erasmus wrote in the sixteeth century. Having acquired a full domination over nature, we categorically refuse to be part of it.

Designating Earth’s current age after themselves: Anthropocene, and becoming proud “owners” and masters of Earth, its land, water, air, fauna and flora is tantamount to malevolence.

Malevolent masters

From the very beginning we confronted animals, birds, rivers and faced natural calamities. As our intelligence developed, we took control of the freely wandering animals and began using them to cultivate land and eating them. Having learnt how they behave, now we manipulate them for our own profit and pleasure. We have tamed the most ferocious of the animals, like the bear, and forced it to dance at our signal. In no time we have become the masters and owners of Earth.

We have speeded up our efforts to subjugate the forces of nature as well: its gentle breezes, rebellious winds, clouds, rain, snow and temperature. Having cleverly brainwashed ourselves, we have stopped talking about our own boundless power.

Having admitted being responsible for the sixth mass extinction, called the “Anthropocene extinction”, now in full swing, we care less if unaccountable number of plant and animal families have already disappeared. Existing mammals, birds, amphibians, sea creatures, reptiles, insects and plant species are disappearing at estimated rates of 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural rates. Extinctions have occurred before in Earth’s life, but not on the scale and at the speed we are now causing.

Will my Earth recover?

Will my poor mother Earth ever recover? Evidently, BHG themselves are arrogantly confident of surviving all eventualities. We have more faith in our technologies than in any god. We want to realise our desire to spread our infectious greed and anthropocentric power across the entire universe.

Let’s face the bitter truth: will Earth-Doctors who are themselves BHGs ever administer antibiotics and medicines to cure Earth? Suicide!

I do not expect that some supernatural beings will come to mend the anthropocentric nature of BHG. Some scientists say that a meteorite had infected poor Earth with BHG way back in Earth’s history. It is my wish that another meteorite should strike and this time inject an antidote! But unfortunately, miracles do not exist!

TALK 5