It seems like almost every week I check the news online or on TV and there is a natural disaster somewhere. In recent memory, there's been
- Haiti (earthquake)
- Chile (tsunami & earthquake)
- US East Coast (brutal snowstorms and, later, flooding)
- Mexico-California Border Region (earthquake)
Every spring -- the season gets underway soon -- there will be a plethora of reports of killer tornadoes. As we move into summer, the media will tell us about forest fires all over the western half of the country and the potential for hurricanes that threaten the Caribbean, Mexico and the southeast US coast.
Of course, these natural phenomena happen each and every year. It's part of the deal we get for living on Planet Earth. That said, the frequency and severity of these natural events seems to be increasing. The big question is why.
If you are a fundamentalist of a number of religions, you may reason that the end times are near. Our world seems unhinged and many "end times" stories predict that these kinds of cataclysms will usher in the end of days.
An offshoot of the above is that an angry god or gods simply is/are punishing humankind for our wicked ways. Under this kind of thinking, the people being pummeled by nature must be the most wicked of all...well, until it happens to you, then a new theory will be proffered.
If you are a tree-hugging, pinko, godless, commie environmentalist, you may reason that humankind's negative impacts on blessed Mother Earth are impacting climatic cycles. But who really listens to tree-hugging, pinko, godless, commie environmentalists anyway?
While I am far closer to the latter than the former, I have my own theory -- I think it's a little of both. While, of course, I don't believe in God, I do think the order of life (Tao, the Way) may be a tad bit upset (for lack of a better word) with the manner in which we humans keep trying to gum up the process. If you accept the notion that Mother Earth is a viable and living being, then one might say that she's behaving like a dog shaking off excess water and we're that water!!
And why is she trying to shake us off? Because we refuse to treat her with the utmost respect she deserves. She gives us life and all we give in return is war, pestilence, pollution and degradation. Our species behaves like a haughty two year old; throwing constant temper tantrums, knocking over the china and, when caught in the act, we cry out, "I didn't do it!".
Of course, these natural phenomena happen each and every year. It's part of the deal we get for living on Planet Earth. That said, the frequency and severity of these natural events seems to be increasing. The big question is why.
If you are a fundamentalist of a number of religions, you may reason that the end times are near. Our world seems unhinged and many "end times" stories predict that these kinds of cataclysms will usher in the end of days.
An offshoot of the above is that an angry god or gods simply is/are punishing humankind for our wicked ways. Under this kind of thinking, the people being pummeled by nature must be the most wicked of all...well, until it happens to you, then a new theory will be proffered.
If you are a tree-hugging, pinko, godless, commie environmentalist, you may reason that humankind's negative impacts on blessed Mother Earth are impacting climatic cycles. But who really listens to tree-hugging, pinko, godless, commie environmentalists anyway?
While I am far closer to the latter than the former, I have my own theory -- I think it's a little of both. While, of course, I don't believe in God, I do think the order of life (Tao, the Way) may be a tad bit upset (for lack of a better word) with the manner in which we humans keep trying to gum up the process. If you accept the notion that Mother Earth is a viable and living being, then one might say that she's behaving like a dog shaking off excess water and we're that water!!
And why is she trying to shake us off? Because we refuse to treat her with the utmost respect she deserves. She gives us life and all we give in return is war, pestilence, pollution and degradation. Our species behaves like a haughty two year old; throwing constant temper tantrums, knocking over the china and, when caught in the act, we cry out, "I didn't do it!".
Yes, we are quite an arrogant lot. Our world to do with it what we want. Many times we mean well...but the law of unintended consequences tends to bite us in the ass.
ReplyDeleteDog damn it, you're probably right!
ReplyDeleteWe felt the tremors here in Tucson yesterday from the Baja California earthquake. Been here a decade, and that's the first time I've experienced anything like that. Very unusual. I'm half expecting a meteorite to land in the backyard next. Or a UFO. Seriously. I think we may have entered the twilight zone...and I'm not a doomsday fundy either, but I think the earth changes are a coming, full speed ahead.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed this as well, I'm also inclined to the view that we're seeing the consequences of a fair bit of meddling on our part. The Pigeons are well and truly coming home to roost.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we shouldn't overlook the omnipresent media and that we have a ever higher world population. Which means that we have to take into account that someone's more likely to get in harms way and it's more likely to be reported in high def.