It is hardly an insight to state that we have largely wasted and abused the intelligence that evolution has conferred on us. Instead of nurturing and protecting our own species and all the others that abound in our world, our human story seems to be one of ruthless exploitation and degradation, a short-sighted philosophy that will likely end in collective destruction.
The latest iteration of that selfishness is evident, for example, in Donald Trump's intention to undo the advances made during the Obama administration on climate change mitigation. That such is ideological madness is evident in the latest report on massive Artic permafrost melting, which will ultimately serve to accelerate global warming.
But grim as our choices have been and still are, I always harbour a faint hope, despite all the contraindications, that we can still achieve some of our natural potential before it is entirely too late. As I have written in the past, I believe that nature documentaries hold the key if we are ever to overcome even a little of our innate selfishness. To see the larger and the smaller world around us, a world we give little thought to in our day-to-day lives ("So what if another species is going extinct? I'm never likely to see a Sumatran Tiger anyway."), is to be both humbled and infected with awe. This is especially true given the latest techniques in natural cinematography that can be described as little less than magical.
It is in this spirit that I urge you to see Planet Earth 11, which is currently being broadcast in free preview on BBC Earth in my neck of the woods. So far I have seen two episodes, one on islands and the other on deserts. Neither, as you will see if you watch, are static environments, but rather ones teeming with life and constant change.
Believe me, you will not be disappointed; I suspect you will come away from the experience a changed person.
Thanks, Lorne. Now that I've "cut the cable" you taunt me with that BBC trailer. Oh hell, never mind, I just pre-ordered it on blu-ray. What are you doing posting today anyway? Aren't you supposed to be outside shoveling your drive?
ReplyDeleteI am happy to report that I took care of that onerous task yesterday, Mound. When you have watched it, let me know what you think of the series. One criticism I have read is that David Attenborough doesn't explicitly discuss climate change, but I think anyone with any awareness doesn't need to be told. Also, in the episode on deserts that I watched last night, he does talk about how much the desert in a specific locale is expanding significantly each year. Duh, I wonder what could be causing that?
Delete.. its a wondrous docu.. seen it many times..
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in my continuous migrations seeking exemplars to work with, I came across Allan Savory.. who left me thunderstruck.. so much so, my next novel may be set in a future Canada, in the boreal.. based around his thesis.. Nomadic herders & massive herds of ungulates.. ie thousands of bison and/or reindeer ..
https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change
Thank you, Salamander. I shall check out the link.
DeleteI just watched the TED Talk, Sal. Absolutely fascinating! I really learned a lot about desertification from it. Thanks.
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