CORONAVIRUS, HUMANS, AND THE NATURAL WORLD

 You can't fool Mother Nature. (anonymous)

Nature is a Hanging Judge. (Professor Scott Morris)

The numbers are not good: 

• total cases, in the world and in the USA: at least 44,300,000 and 8,817,000
• total deaths, in the world and in the USA: at least 1,170,000 and 227,000
• average (7-day running) daily number of new reported cases, in the world and the USA: 450,000 and 77,000 (highest to date)
• in the past week in the USA,
• the daily number of new cases has increased by 20%
• the number of deaths has increased by 5.4%
• the number of hospitalizations has increased by 9.5%

Yes, I'm talking about the SARS-CoV-19 virus that causes COVID-19. In just seven months, this virus has been responsible for the numbers presented above, and the end is nowhere in sight. 

We humans should all feel humbled and afraid. The virus, something that is not considered a living organism (see my earlier post), a tiny packet of genetic material (about 700 of them laid side-by-side would equal the thickness of one human hair), has basically brought humanity to our knees. In the 21st century, a time of advanced knowledge and technology in medicine and science in general, a microscopic, replicating chemical particle is winning its attack on, and invasion of, human beings. And so far there is nothing we can do to stop the virus in its tracks and eliminate it from the planet.

The interesting, and very sad fact is that we humans know how to slow the spread of the virus, and it is not through technology. Behavior is, so far, the only thing that works. Wear a mask. Keep a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and other people. Do not go into crowds of people. Simple, and proven effective behaviors. And yet...

And yet human hubris enables the virus. The simple virus-slowing behaviors have been politicized instead of accepted as fact. Some political leaders claimed that the virus was a hoax, the scientists and medical experts were wrong, and that political opponents were using the virus as a way to bring down the fearless leader. The truth is a simple equation: science denied = people died. 

Humans, the species Homo sapiens, are not above nature, we are part of it. No matter how strenuously we deny it, we are part of the natural world, and we ignore nature at our own peril. We have carelessly and foolishly significantly changed the chemistry, physics and biology of the planet as a result of our actions in modern times. Climate change is no longer a question to be debated; it is a proven process and our chickens have come home to roost! Drought, violent storms, massive wildfires, altered ocean chemistry, and many more processes of the planet systems are altered from what used to be normal. It is already too late to ask "what if" and instead, ask "what now?" 

My point, if you have not gotten it by now, is that as part of the natural world, we humans are impacted by whatever happens in natural systems. A tiny virus, part of nature, can do tremendous damage to our societies. The systems of nature, such as the atmosphere, that we so wantonly and carelessly abuse will change in ways that negatively impact us. We cannot fool nature; nature will win in the end.

I am not one who says that the planet is in danger, and we need to save the planet. Planet Earth will be fine no matter what we do; it will just be different. The reality is that humans are in great peril, and our social structures, always tenuous constructs, are breaking down at a fast rate. The virus and the changing climate - just those two factors alone - are drastically changing our economies, our demographics, our geographic distribution on the planet, our behaviors, and much more. We humans have the capability, at this moment, to destroy ourselves. We could do it quickly, through nuclear war; we could do it slowly, by continuing business as usual. Perhaps our species will survive and continue to evolve; however, we must keep in mind that other great civilizations of humans once prevailed on Earth and are now long gone. 

Perhaps intelligence is a fatal flaw in evolution. Or perhaps intelligence is the key to successful evolution. Humans are intelligent enough to understand that our own behaviors and actions are destroying the natural system of which we are a part and that keeps us alive. Perhaps natural evolution can only go so far, and once intelligence is reached, the species has to self-evolve behaviorally. In addition to having the capacity to destroy ourselves, we humans have the capacity to change ourselves in ways that will enable survival: acceptance instead of rejection, cooperation instead of conflict, building a world community instead of separate enclaves, loving instead of hating. Technology has a role in this, but it alone will not save us. 

Human. Nature. 

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