Controlling Nature 2 From what surrounds us, food and sustenance become common
realities. Recreation, eco-tourism, sport fishing, long bike rides, and
scenic hikes become everyday options. Being the one species that can
meaningfully appreciate the environment affords us the inspiration we
crave for embodying the aesthetic, artistic, educational, and spiritual
values that imbue life with meaning.
Beyond what we see outwardly, we can also look inward at how our
lives cling to a niche existence. We are limited to about 4 percent of
the Earth’s surface that must be above sea level and below fifteen thou-
sand feet in altitude. Even though we are surrounded by water, almost
all of it is undrinkable or locked up in ice. We rely on an invisible layer
of gases to retain sufficient heat and keep temperature extremes within
physiologically tolerable limits.
We know that all species must adapt to the environment in order to
survive, yet we purposely try to reorder our habitat rather than strive for
greater harmony. The more we succeed in exerting our will, the more
control we presume to have—and the less respect we accord in return.
Perhaps if we can pause long enough, we might see that the environ-
ment is a marvel of completeness we can never match. We might real-
ize that decades of divisive debate about trade-offs and need to pro-
tect the environment have not served us well. The environment never
negotiates, nor does it need protection. It’s not at risk—we are. We are
the ones locked into a niche existence. We are the ones with our heads
on the chopping block.
Lack of a niche habitat for us means no food or human life. All the
money and technology in the world cannot change this reality. When it
comes to survival, not to mention well-being, our best shot is forgoing
presumptions of control and embracing harmony and respect with the
one and only partner available to us.