[ECOLOG-L] Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth
I am excited to let you know about the publication of: Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907962522/ref=nosim?tag=cranmorpublic-20 http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73 Here is the amazon info: From the Author At the start of Chapter Two I quote an all too familiar view: The lesson we need to learn urgently is this: we cannot do without the rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without us. My objective in this book is to make it clear why this contemporarily fashionable view is completely and utterly wrong. This view has been forwarded and propagated by a wide range of intellectuals, academics and environmentalists. I hope that through this book, and the rest of my writings, that these people will come to see where they have gone wrong. Some components of the view that I forward in the book are open to debate. However, that the human species is the saviour of life, rather than the destroyer which the rest of life on Earth can do very well without, is so obvious that it shouldn't be one of these debatable components. Book Description Publication Date: March 15, 2012 There are many ways in which humans can conceptualise the relationship between their species and their surroundings; these 'surroundings' can be taken to be the rest of the life-forms which exist on the Earth, or everything non-human that exists in the universe. In this book I focus on various possible relationships between the human species and the rest of the life-forms that exist (and those that have existed, and those that will exist in the future) on the Earth. Is there no deeply significant and meaningful relationship? Or, is the human species superior in some way? Or, is the human species inferior in some way? If you are familiar with my previous work you will be aware that I am particularly interested in how the relationship we are exploring relates to the 'environmental crisis'. I have suggested that the human species is superior in some way, and that the environmental crisis/human-induced global warming are positive events which indicate that the human species is fulfilling its role as saviour of life on Earth. I take this book to be a valuable addition to my previous writings. In it I consider at length the opposing view that the human species is an 'inferior destroyer' of the rest of life on Earth. I also outline the whole range of ways in which it is obvious that technology is in the interests of life on Earth. I also develop the view that the universe is a 'feeling universe' whose movements/evolution is directed by all parts of the universe seeking to move to higher states of feeling; and I explore how this plays out in the day-to-day lives of individual humans as they seek to live more happy and fulfilling lives. Furthermore, I describe how we live in an epoch which can best be described as a 'birthing process'; life on Earth is bringing forth the technological armour which will ensure its future survival. This is a birthing process, which like almost all births, entails a lot of pain and suffering. I suggest that this process will come to an end when the temperature of the atmosphere is being successfully technologically regulated. Finally, I outline the serious environmental problems that we face on the surface of the Earth and urge that we take both technological and non-technological actions to address these problems. If we can successfully do this then we can forge a sustainable and harmonious future for all life on Earth. There are both paperback and ebook/kindle versions available. Dr NPC http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth
How can you claim that the idea that we cannot do without the rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without us, is completely and utterly wrong, given that life did just fine for 4 billion years without us? I suggest that is a powerful and irrefutable empirical rejection of your claim. Later, Dave On 3/26/2012 9:32 AM, Neil Cummins wrote: I am excited to let you know about the publication of: Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907962522/ref=nosim?tag=cranmorpublic-20 http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73 Here is the amazon info: From the Author At the start of Chapter Two I quote an all too familiar view: The lesson we need to learn urgently is this: we cannot do without the rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without us. My objective in this book is to make it clear why this contemporarily fashionable view is completely and utterly wrong. This view has been forwarded and propagated by a wide range of intellectuals, academics and environmentalists. I hope that through this book, and the rest of my writings, that these people will come to see where they have gone wrong. Some components of the view that I forward in the book are open to debate. However, that the human species is the saviour of life, rather than the destroyer which the rest of life on Earth can do very well without, is so obvious that it shouldn't be one of these debatable components. Book Description Publication Date: March 15, 2012 There are many ways in which humans can conceptualise the relationship between their species and their surroundings; these 'surroundings' can be taken to be the rest of the life-forms which exist on the Earth, or everything non-human that exists in the universe. In this book I focus on various possible relationships between the human species and the rest of the life-forms that exist (and those that have existed, and those that will exist in the future) on the Earth. Is there no deeply significant and meaningful relationship? Or, is the human species superior in some way? Or, is the human species inferior in some way? If you are familiar with my previous work you will be aware that I am particularly interested in how the relationship we are exploring relates to the 'environmental crisis'. I have suggested that the human species is superior in some way, and that the environmental crisis/human-induced global warming are positive events which indicate that the human species is fulfilling its role as saviour of life on Earth. I take this book to be a valuable addition to my previous writings. In it I consider at length the opposing view that the human species is an 'inferior destroyer' of the rest of life on Earth. I also outline the whole range of ways in which it is obvious that technology is in the interests of life on Earth. I also develop the view that the universe is a 'feeling universe' whose movements/evolution is directed by all parts of the universe seeking to move to higher states of feeling; and I explore how this plays out in the day-to-day lives of individual humans as they seek to live more happy and fulfilling lives. Furthermore, I describe how we live in an epoch which can best be described as a 'birthing process'; life on Earth is bringing forth the technological armour which will ensure its future survival. This is a birthing process, which like almost all births, entails a lot of pain and suffering. I suggest that this process will come to an end when the temperature of the atmosphere is being successfully technologically regulated. Finally, I outline the serious environmental problems that we face on the surface of the Earth and urge that we take both technological and non-technological actions to address these problems. If we can successfully do this then we can forge a sustainable and harmonious future for all life on Earth. There are both paperback and ebook/kindle versions available. Dr NPC http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/ -- -- David M. Lawrence| Home: (804) 559-9786 7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787 Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com USA | http: http://fuzzo.com -- All drains lead to the ocean. -- Gill, Finding Nemo We have met the enemy and he is us. -- Pogo No trespassing 4/17 of a haiku -- Richard Brautigan
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth
Thanks for this. We seem to agree on quite a lot. However, I seek to persuade people in my books that the extinction of the human species would ultimately lead to the extinction of all life on Earth, rather than a new era of evolution (although my view is compatible with a very short new era followed by total extinction). I should point out that my claim that the human species is the pinacle of the evolutionary progression of life on Earth has to do with its position in the evolutionary process rather than to do with unique characteristics. All species have unique characteristics and there might be species of non-human Earthly life which are more intelligent than humans. Best Neil http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/ http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73 On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 7:25 PM, Brian West adventurew...@gmail.com wrote: I will respond to both posts, but given that I have not read Mr. Cummings' book. We, as a species, are intricately involved in a series of selective evolutionary events that have culminated to result in the biodiversity that we see today. We, as well as all extant life on planet, stand on the shoulders of millions of species that have come and gone that paved the way for our current biosphere. The planet did do just fine without the presence of Homo sapiens sapiens for the last 3.8 billion years, but now that we are here, we do play an important part in it--for better or worse. Would life go on without us? Of course. But if we went, in theory, so would many species that have coevolved with us. Dave, we are intricately involved in our biosphere and it is intricately involved with us. We are a cog in the machinery of our current biosphere. We are important in the current picture of our biodiversity and biosphere. We are but a still-shot in the whole reel of the film we call life, but our still-shot is still important. We are a keystone species. The loss of Homo sapiens as a species could cause a cascading extinction event. But, Dr. Cummings, we must not make the mistake of near-sightedness in this situation. Life on the planet would be affected by our disappearance, but it would not end by no means, but pave way for a new era in evolution (i.e. The Age of Reptiles paved the way for The Age of Mammals). I reject the notion that we are superior to all other species. We do have unique characteristics that allows for us to stand apart, but so do many other species. For one example in a sea of others, the polyextremophile Deinococcus radiodurans is a biological superman that has many characteristics that make it superior to Homo sapiens. I mention this not to perpetuate the idea of superior or inferior, but to caution in using the words and ideas behind superior or inferior. We are the ones who rank and order and categorize and value, which is to some extent why we treat the planet the way we do. Dr. Cummings, we must move away from the anthrocentric worldview that our forefathers perpetuated, which led to the abuse and destruction of so many aspects of our biosphere.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth
I'm sorry, but you'll have to offer more evidence than you have before I'll plunk down $20 for a book that might just be full of nonsense. Speaking both as a scholar and as a consumer, nothing I've seen here on or on the Amazon site entices me to spend either the money or time on your thesis. To me, 4 billion years of evolution before the hominid line arose speaks rather clearly as to the lack of necessity of our presence, much less our involvement, in the biosphere. And given that relatively few species have coevolved with us, and that our impact on the biosphere as a whole was quite limited until a few thousand years ago, I see little justification for the argument that our continued presence is necessary for the biosphere's health and/or survival. Dave On 3/26/2012 4:52 PM, Neil Cummins wrote: Just because life exists does not mean that it is doing just fine. Life existed in the past. Life exists in the present. Life will exist in the near future. The idea that the planet's bidoversity can do very well without us is a claim that humans have made in the very recent past concerning the NOT near future. It is this claim which I reject. This rejection is in no way refuted by your message below concerning the past. I hope this helps you to understand. If not the book might, much of it is viewable for free on amazon. Best Neil http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/ http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73 On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 5:46 PM, David M. Lawrence d...@fuzzo.com mailto:d...@fuzzo.com wrote: How can you claim that the idea that we cannot do without the rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without us, is completely and utterly wrong, given that life did just fine for 4 billion years without us? I suggest that is a powerful and irrefutable empirical rejection of your claim. Later, Dave On 3/26/2012 9:32 AM, Neil Cummins wrote: I am excited to let you know about the publication of: Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human species and the rest of life on Earth http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907962522/ref=nosim?tag=cranmorpublic-20 http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73 Here is the amazon info: From the Author At the start of Chapter Two I quote an all too familiar view: The lesson we need to learn urgently is this: we cannot do without the rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without us. My objective in this book is to make it clear why this contemporarily fashionable view is completely and utterly wrong. This view has been forwarded and propagated by a wide range of intellectuals, academics and environmentalists. I hope that through this book, and the rest of my writings, that these people will come to see where they have gone wrong. Some components of the view that I forward in the book are open to debate. However, that the human species is the saviour of life, rather than the destroyer which the rest of life on Earth can do very well without, is so obvious that it shouldn't be one of these debatable components. Book Description Publication Date: March 15, 2012 There are many ways in which humans can conceptualise the relationship between their species and their surroundings; these 'surroundings' can be taken to be the rest of the life-forms which exist on the Earth, or everything non-human that exists in the universe. In this book I focus on various possible relationships between the human species and the rest of the life-forms that exist (and those that have existed, and those that will exist in the future) on the Earth. Is there no deeply significant and meaningful relationship? Or, is the human species superior in some way? Or, is the human species inferior in some way? If you are familiar with my previous work you will be aware that I am particularly interested in how the relationship we are exploring relates to the 'environmental crisis'. I have suggested that the human species is superior in some way, and that the environmental crisis/human-induced global warming are positive events which indicate that the human species is fulfilling its role as saviour of life on Earth. I take this book to be a valuable addition to my previous writings. In it I consider at length the opposing view that the human species is an 'inferior destroyer' of the rest of life on Earth. I also outline the whole range of ways in which it is obvious that
