In fact, in my gloomiest moods I can only hope that our species will somehow do itself in, leaving the earth intact before we do too much more damage. Lester Brown of The WorldWatch Institute believes we have fifteen years to reverse human ecological devastation that appears now to be unequivocally causing ozone depletion, global warming, and the most widespread destruction of species since the atmosphere changed to oxygen. If we haven't made drastic changes in the next fifteen years, he predicts it will be too late. Our beautiful blue bubble of a planet in the middle of black, silent space could turn into another bleak Venus or Mars. But one need only look at the grimmest most abandoned neighborhood in any city to see how quickly Gaia restores herself.
Nature has an inexorable passion to exist.
Humans have bodies. We have veins, lungs, lymphatic, nervous, and endocrine systems. We move through the world as sensual beings, touching with our voices, our eyes, our hands. Flesh is not simply a container for the mind as Descartes, who is often held responsible for the dualism of mind and body, argued. When you ask for a doggie bag in Berkeley you generally get a wax-reinforced cardboard box.