Shiva Reflection

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We are now living in a world of better technology, advanced medicine, and discovering new ways to prolong life. Is this really what we should be doing? Shiva’s reading has allowed me to see that all of the advancements we have made may not be the best route to continue. In this process, we are hurting our own environment and the many species that we share it with.

Before beginning this course, I was aware of the noticeable changes to the environment. Such as forests being demolished for the use of trees, but I never understood the affects that it had on all other things that relied on the forest to survive. I think, was I just naive or did I not think twice, because it wasn't directly affecting me?  I feel strongly that “All life forms have an intrinsic worth and a right to evolve freely on their own terms” (40). We are not allowing this to happen. We are eliminating many species selfishly and not thinking of the long term affects this will have. It is vital for humans to prolong all species of life.

I have always had a huge soft spot for any living animal. I never thought of the microorganisms that are also living that help support human life. I learned about microorganisms this past summer in my microbiology course, which was very intriguing. David Suzuki states “We owe practically all life to bacteria” (Naked Ape to Super Species, 1999, 43). I always thought that microbe’s caused sickness, which there is harmful bacteria, but they mostly keep us alive. Microorganisms are the main reason all living things survive, beginning with the soil.

The last two quotes that I found very enlightening are “The lesson from biodiversity is co-operation, not competition. It is that the big depends on the small, and cannot survive by exterminating the small (44). I have come to appreciate all that this environment has to offer and realize that mankind will not live forever, if we continue to act selfishly. We should not think that we can substitute biodiversity resources. All resources that we use to survive currently, were here before was. Instead of overlooking the small, we need to start looking out for the small.