THE LOST SUMMER
The covid 19 virus has changed our lives beyond anything I could have imagined. We are now ten months pretty much confined to our homes and unable to socialize much, even with our family. I understand the need, but it has taken some major adjustments to cope with the changed life-style.
It is difficult to understand how what has been considered the most advanced country on Earth, has failed worse than any other country, to contain this virus. The media is full of statistics measuring number of cases by different groupings, numbers of hospitalizations, deaths, outbreaks, tests and different measurements designed to describe the magnitude of the illness. The most meaningful facts that measures the United States success are that the US has only 4% of the world population yet nearly 20% of the cases worldwide and over 20% of the worldwide deaths. The statistics tell the story of the largest failure on the planet. Unbelievable, so what can we do?
I had to find something to take my mind off our situation. I decided to focus my time on trying to make a final effort to inform people of what we have done to our planet, how depended we are upon our natural world for life and can we do something about the future. I am entitling the book, HUMANITY’S CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD. I have finished the manuscript and am working with a professional editor to prepare a final product. It presents my concerns for what I have experienced and observed during my life and my hopes for a desirable future for generations to come.
My biggest worry is that we may have waited too long. I have observed the regenerative powers of nature, hopefully we will find sufficient energy to transition to an eco-friendlier relationship with the natural world, so generations to come will be able to enjoy this beautiful earthly home.
I am sure there are those that question how a forest scientist feels qualified to discuss humanity’s reliance on the natural world. The more I studied and understood the individual uniqueness of the vegetation communities, the more evident it became that the life sustaining processes designed into these communities were common to most communities of the various species, including humans. The relationships designed into communities are the elements that allow life to exist and function.
It is also evident that much of our remaining natural world are our tree covered lands we call forests, and the vast majority of species we have currently identified, require forests to survive. The connection between humanity and the natural world is so obvious, and the similarities are so real, there is only one community that we belong to, the Earth community.
Forest scientists must expand their horizons and realize they may be one of the most important professions required for future life on our planet. We must expand the ecological base of all our scientists and form broad-based interdisciplinary teams capable of working together to lead the people to realistic changes in life styles for the future. We are rapidly approaching Earth’s carrying-capacity and failure to act soon, will bring suffering and even death to all the people of the world.
This pandemic has been devastating, but will be considered minor compared to the catastrophic results of exceeding Earth’s carrying-capacity. Scientists predict the carrying-capacity of Earth is approximately 10 billion people, which we will reach by 2050. We must now choose the path we will follow; spirituality and balance or materialism. To succeed, individualism must give way to group efforts. It is up to us and waiting is not an option!
The covid 19 virus has changed our lives beyond anything I could have imagined. We are now ten months pretty much confined to our homes and unable to socialize much, even with our family. I understand the need, but it has taken some major adjustments to cope with the changed life-style.
It is difficult to understand how what has been considered the most advanced country on Earth, has failed worse than any other country, to contain this virus. The media is full of statistics measuring number of cases by different groupings, numbers of hospitalizations, deaths, outbreaks, tests and different measurements designed to describe the magnitude of the illness. The most meaningful facts that measures the United States success are that the US has only 4% of the world population yet nearly 20% of the cases worldwide and over 20% of the worldwide deaths. The statistics tell the story of the largest failure on the planet. Unbelievable, so what can we do?
I had to find something to take my mind off our situation. I decided to focus my time on trying to make a final effort to inform people of what we have done to our planet, how depended we are upon our natural world for life and can we do something about the future. I am entitling the book, HUMANITY’S CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD. I have finished the manuscript and am working with a professional editor to prepare a final product. It presents my concerns for what I have experienced and observed during my life and my hopes for a desirable future for generations to come.
My biggest worry is that we may have waited too long. I have observed the regenerative powers of nature, hopefully we will find sufficient energy to transition to an eco-friendlier relationship with the natural world, so generations to come will be able to enjoy this beautiful earthly home.
I am sure there are those that question how a forest scientist feels qualified to discuss humanity’s reliance on the natural world. The more I studied and understood the individual uniqueness of the vegetation communities, the more evident it became that the life sustaining processes designed into these communities were common to most communities of the various species, including humans. The relationships designed into communities are the elements that allow life to exist and function.
It is also evident that much of our remaining natural world are our tree covered lands we call forests, and the vast majority of species we have currently identified, require forests to survive. The connection between humanity and the natural world is so obvious, and the similarities are so real, there is only one community that we belong to, the Earth community.
Forest scientists must expand their horizons and realize they may be one of the most important professions required for future life on our planet. We must expand the ecological base of all our scientists and form broad-based interdisciplinary teams capable of working together to lead the people to realistic changes in life styles for the future. We are rapidly approaching Earth’s carrying-capacity and failure to act soon, will bring suffering and even death to all the people of the world.
This pandemic has been devastating, but will be considered minor compared to the catastrophic results of exceeding Earth’s carrying-capacity. Scientists predict the carrying-capacity of Earth is approximately 10 billion people, which we will reach by 2050. We must now choose the path we will follow; spirituality and balance or materialism. To succeed, individualism must give way to group efforts. It is up to us and waiting is not an option!
