Introducing Mother Nature
A Brief History of Our Attitudes and Interactions
Mother Nature is a timeless concept. She is the personification of nature - the oceans, the sky, the plants and animals - our earth. For better or worse, we have interacted with Mother Nature since we took our first breath. Some cultures have been careless with her bounty while other cultures worshiped her and considered her a God. Global research has gained immense knowledge about how Mother Nature works. Ingenuity could provide us with a blueprint for a more cooperative relationship with her in the future.
Classic Period 8th/7th Century BCE to 5th Century AD
This is a long period of history beginning with Homer and ending with the decline of Rome and the early years of Christianity. Mother Nature was revered and worshipped. Greek cities grew and became independent political entities. Trade flourished. Conflict was ever present sometimes involving whole areas in warfare for decades (Greco-Persian Wars 499 449 BCE). Conflict and warfare did not stop with the ascendancy of Rome in the 1st century BC.
During this period a concerted effort was being made to control aspects of Mother Nature - irrigation, flooding (Nile Delta), and the creation of sewage and water systems in cities. All had an impact on the ancient ecosystem.
Wars devastated the land and rivers, while city limits became polluted with sewage and garbage. Prayers were offered to the Gods, but they were not aware of how human behavior was damaging Mother Nature. Populations were still small and, in some cases, the earth had time to heal itself. But, the landscape was already changing (www.cam.ac.uk).
Medieval Period 5th Century AD to 17th Century
This period includes both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was a time of tremendous expansion. The early chaos of Romes decline was followed by population growth and sustained urbanization. Military expansion, the urbanization of Europe and contact with the Islamic world resulted in an explosion of the sciences, mathematics, astronomy, engineering and the arts. There were major technological advances: gunpowder, compass, heavy plough, artisan well, and in 1436, the creation of the printing press by Gutenberg.
Mother Nature was used for the benefit of humans. The need for arable land and warfare continued to devastate the landscape and human waste continued to pollute the rivers and the cities. Disease and famine resulted, but there was no consensus as to the cause.
Superstition was gradually being replaced with fact, logic and reason and the printing press created an environment where knowledge was available to the many rather than the few. (www.boisestate.edu).
Modern Period 17th Century to 21st Century
The Industrial Revolution was the backdrop for an explosion in knowledge and innovation and the primacy of reason. New technologies were developed robotics, nuclear fission, DNA, computers, biological warfare. Wars, revolutions and technology changed the face of the world. Progress, competition and consumption underlined global behaviors.
Today, we drill into the earth to extract minerals and oil, dam rivers for thermal electric power, split the atom and invade the skies, oceans and forests with our machines. Until lately, little thought was given to the long-term impact of technology on Mother Nature (www.fordham.edu).
Global communication has made everyone aware of the damage being done to Mother Nature, our environment. We have enacted environmental protection laws, banned chemicals, fund charities, protect wildlife and extend the frontiers of knowledge about our environment.
We are experiencing a global will to stop the destruction of Mother Nature and reverse the damage already done. The United Nations regularly sponsors summits on sustainable development (May, 2012 - Rio de Janeiro) and debates how to protect Mother Earth (April 27th the United Nations General Assembly debated the creation of a treaty that would grant the rights to Mother Earth, www.un.org). The basis of healing Mother Nature is cooperation.
Human evolution has led us to this point in history were cooperation with Mother Nature is no longer a choice, but rather a necessity.Back to Anniversary Issue 2011 |
