A larger view on our world
by aran
The past couple of years, volunteers have been working to cut down trees, grass and reeds on a stretch of reclaimed land just outside Zaanstad. Last weekend they held an open day and I took the chance to take a boat tour through the labyrinth of canals and little islands.
Originally a swamp, the area was pumped dry and made suitable for agriculture probably somewhere around 1000 AD. For centuries the land was used by farmers, but over the last century the area was abandoned and nature was allowed to run its course. Reeds grew thicker and higher and bushes and eventually small trees started growing. This was of course beneficial to some species of plants and animals, but other species suffered. Birds, for instance, that prefer to build their nests in an open meadow refuse to breed when there are trees around, because that is where most of their natural enemies live. And so trees and bushes and reeds were cut down by human hands to favor one ecosystem over the other.
The volunteers I spoke with were aware that they were manipulating nature, it was a conscious decision, but often it seems that people with the best intentions don’t think twice. Nature is a living, breathing thing with no consciousness and no direction. It is the sum of all things living, including mankind, and is thrown about by all their workings. When we burn fuel like madmen to travel to work or around the globe, it has an impact on nature. But when we fight to conserve land, trees or animals, that has an impact on nature as well. We may have an idea that growing trees is better than burning fuel, but to nature, it’s all the same.
So eco-consciousness goes beyond artificially preserving plants and animals and maintaining bio diversity. Sometimes, it’s good to take a step back, and then take another step back, and look at the bigger picture. What are we doing? What is our big plan for this world and all things on it? And what little things can we do to work towards that big plan?