After reading a rebuttal to my previous post, I believe that the original title to my post may have been a little misleading. My true purpose and thought behind the post was not that the human species has become a parasitic growth, plaguing the planet. I did make reference to this, but not to put my opinion towards it, but to make a point. The point and my true purpose with the post was to outline the fact that science has now reached the point of growing larger than nature. Yes, some wonderful scientific findings and ventures have come from this. I'm a huge fan of the NASA ventures, the X-Prize, sea exploration, and just general scientific venture (I do love the fact that I'm just ending my childhood, and not ending the prime of life in a 30yr life span). Science, though, primarily through the corrupt ventures of capitalistic gain has led us down the path of the destruction of our symbiotic relationship with Mother Nature as, through things like the ozone layer problems, destruction of rain forests, and just overall complete ransacking of natural resources we have begun to treat Mother Nature as our own personal whore. It is the dark side of science. These are the things that make it seem that we are parasitic on the face of this earth. My belief, though, is that we have not wholly lost our symbiosis and that things are still recoverable.

And these are facts. We are depleting the world’s resources at a rate that alarms many in the scientific community. This is why there has been such a stir towards finding ways of combating it. But it is tough when thinking of things like the trash problem. NYC alone produces (on average) 20,000,000 kg of trash a day. And what do we do with it? We burn it, polluting the air, bury it polluting our water supplies, or dump it in the oceans killing millions of animals and slowly destroying a very valuable resource. Now it is important to remember that these things are not just dreamt up by "mainstream media, new-age environmentalists and "enlightened" Hollywood activists", but by those same scientists that strive to achieve. NASA, for instance, has been very involved in the safety of this planet. With satellites like Aqua, Terra, and Aura, they are monitoring temperature changes, land movement, and changes in the water cycle to try and determine exactly how much of an impact we've had on this earth. I have listened to NASA spokesmen/spokeswomen say that they have a focus on the earth because they realize how important it is to keep our planet safe in order to be able to continue our way of both worldly out-worldly research.

Now I believe, however, that it is very important to remember that the media has a way of focusing on the worst of the worst. Not because the producers are all mud-sucking slime balls, but because people tune in to desaster and the networks get the ratings. But most of that which is reported is either focusing on certain aspects of or skirting around the edges of the truth and it is our job, as an educated people, to pick the facts out of media reports and form our own opinions and conclusions.

With that said, I'll get to the point, the meat, and the sum of the matter. Looking at the influence of science in a scientific manner lets look at the impact of our growth on the way we interact with nature. As a mammalian species of this planet, for thousands of years, we did as all other mammals do; the population in a given area would never grow any larger than that area could support. But as we evolved we refined how to learn. The rudimentary sciences were born. We learned how to adapt to tough environments, trade (probably the biggest one), preserve, and live longer. These all spelled out us breaking through the natural barrier of controlled populations. We, at this point, started our venture of slowly taking over the planet; eventually becoming the dominant species. Well, now we're here...we've grown well beyond the bounds of natural limitations. We are a wonder of our own sciences, but need to find a way to coexist again with nature. The things spelled out above are happening, maybe not as fast or harsh as the media likes to predict, but happening non-the-less and we are responsible for the outcome. We can continue down the same path, eventually wallowing in our own filth, or clean up our cosmic bedroom so that when we go out to explore the universe, we have something to be proud of when we get home.

Since my trip to Ocean Shores I've been doing a little thinking. The once serene landscape and light populous is gone, taken over by million dollar homes, and high-rise hotels and bringing forth a swimming sea of trash-infested tourists to trash the sandy shores of a much less destructive sea. Once upon a time we, the human species, was like any other animal on this planet, growing to meet an area, and then joining the gentle ballance of nature. Local populations never exceded the maximum capasity of their given environment and lived in symbiosis along with the other living things of the area.
But then we learned to import/export, agrigate, populate unpopulable areas, and just suck the land dry. We use the land without giving back by clearcutting, farming until the topsoil is no good, damming rivers, and laying asphalt. Then we plant a few non-indiginous trees, toss a few fish in that man-made lake and say that it's all good. We kill the ozone with hair spray and car exhaust, but say it's ok because we recycle and have car pool lanes. It's like a parasitic rash that allows temporary relief from itching...the rash is still there, but we temporarily forget about it.
We have become the parasite, only giving temporary relief from the itching of the world by giving it a scratch...but we keep growing and destroying. It is the need to not only survive, but thrive that has caused this change. Somewhere in history, we changed, changed in a way that has caused us to want to move, to settle, and to grow. We have left our sedentary socialistic ways to ways of expansion and with science as our wings we are flying strait towards the destruction of our world. I don't say this lightly.
Being a strong believer and follower of scientific goal and achievement it is a hard view to take, but a strait-forward one none-the-less. We need to find a way to live again with the rest of the world. But we're not doing that. In fact, we're taking other living things with us, corrupting the ways of nature. We unsettle the balance by introducing animals from one place to another. The same with plants, insects, aracnids, birds, and many many other living things. Even if the human race were to die out today, the effects of our changes would go on...echosystems would destroy each other in a battle begun by us.
So what do we do? I haven't thought this far into it, and truthfully this is a very difficult answer to come up with. We'd have to look at what got us here, what we need, and what we can let go. We'd have to put the world before us and honor it instead of treating mother nature as our own personal whore. I'd have to think that if we are watched by other life in this universe, that they look at our planet and us as a self-maintained garbage dump, swimming in self-filthe...bathing in our own waste...and it'd be hard to deny it.

Amidst a forest of hotels and high rising SUVs, I crept the little ranger through a maze of skinny, run down roads to a little lot about a mile and a half outside of town. A stone's throw away from million dollar homes and just minutes from a metropolis of hotels, motels, and inns, we pitched our Coleman tent and lit a camp fire.

Ocean Shores has changed since the last time I was there, nearly 10 years ago. I didn't let this ruin our fun, though. The nice thing about the location of the lot was that, with trees all around us and only a small opening to the street, once on site, it was easy to escape the reality of the money-driven world around us.

I went through the LOTR trilogy yet again, and devoured the Call of the Cthulhu for my first time. Amanda and I caught a beautiful sunset together on the day marking 2 years since our first date:
































On the same beach as these pictures were taken, I had my first experience with the power of natural electricity in what I know consider to be my Franklin Experience. Right after a thunder storm passed by, I did the only logical thing...go fly my kite. In the sea fog that followed the storm, my kite soared...and every time it got up over about 20-25 feet in the air, I got a nasty shock on my knuckles from static electricity flowing down the kite strings. There are now 3 burn marks on the left nuckle of my pointer finger where I got it the worst, and it hurts to type this blog...but it was worth it!

All-in-all, it was a wonderful week off, and I would have stayed longer if life had permitted it. Amanda felt the same way. Got in 18 holes of golf and an additional 36 of put-put, a bit of swimming at the local pools, and, most of all, some much needed R&R.

Well, as of tomorrow I'll be in Ocean Shores for a week. Family has a lot down there...yes, in one of the highlight resort spots of Washington State, we won't be stying in a hotel, or even a house, but in tent, on an overgrown chunk of land, right in the middle of it...and I'm going to love it! Got the kites, got the clubs, and am going to go enjoy the sand, sun (if we're lucky), and at least 36 holes of golf (18 put-put!). Some biking and sand-dune hiking as well, if the weather holds. I'm taking the digital and am hoping to have a few pics to post when I get back!