New Scientist.

If you don't read it and you're interested in all things related to science, the World and the Universe. It's for you.

It is a staple of my reading diet and gives my brain a much needed perk every week.
I like it namely because it covers some very diverse topics, both on the fringe and within main stream science.
It's written in a language that is reachable by all. It isn't too heavy going, keeping things within any ones grasp.

What's prompted me to write here now is an article about how "humans take control of evolution". Probably like me, your mind jumped to genetic manipulation at the hands of scientist. In terms of cloning or injecting jellyfish genes into mice. That kind of stuff.

No, more mundane than that.

The article starts by saying "call it unnatural selection", "we've turned the world into a vast and uncontrolled evolutionary laboratory". It then goes on to talk about how we are threatening our evolutionary heritage, because there is no shortage of species that haven't evolved in response to human interference.

They give an example of Yearling Pacific Chinook Salmon in Snake river, Idaho are now 20 millimeters smaller than they were 50 years ago. As a probable result of dam construction.
Also that the longer humans keep certain endangered animal species in confinement, so that they may be released again into the wild, the more that species will adapt to being confined. Nature finds a balance in other words.
Just as people are taller, healthier and live longer than several hundred/thousand years ago.

The sum of the article is that we are "damaging" (a consideration) the environment in yet another way, by changing the environment to suit us.

Although, I would argue, that in all that we can know and understand, we are simply acting in a way that has always happened. That this result of something we've done should not be viewed in terms of, "unnatural" damaging behaviour, but seen in a broader deeper context. That we simply cannot see beyond our own spotlights. We only illuminate so much and that change, regardless of how it happens, comes about, is just change. It isn't right, or wrong as some consider it to be. That whatever happens, if we, the human race were here or not. Change would happen. Life survives. Because it changes. Which is the most important thing of all.

Also, one day, many many many years from now. Once we've mastered genetic manipulation, we will be able to recreate anything, from any period of any time with as much ease as drawing a picture of a dinosaur.

Change then, will not matter, life will take on other importance's. We will be unconcerned with change caused through our behaviours because whatever we do, however we act or be, we create and effect the very environment by being here.

Even if it's simply one extra organism, taking one extra breath of air. It has an effect, even if imperceptibly and quite easily dismissively small.

Life is change, it is the only eternal thing.

Change is going to happen with or without us. So I suppose the thing we should really think about, is how to simply be in this world. How to see our life from a deeper perspective and not be too caught up in trivial things.

We all know that if humans were wiped off the face of the Earth, the animals would change yet again, because we were gone. The animals will change if we aren't wiped off the Earth.

But what gives us the authority to go around and interfere with life? Nothing. But, we do not realise that we are. We are ignorant by and large of what impact we have.

Just as you can't see what happened to that other car you pulled out in front of after you've you've turned the corner and lost sight of it. We can't know until we've done something. We always lag a step behind. Always. We will therefore never have the foresight or the true power to not effect our world. It's impossible.

We simply need to relax more and pursue a way of life that is gentle and measured, one that doesn't have us worrying about what impact we are or are not having.

It wont matter in a thousand years. Why? Because things will be different.

That's like saying what we have now shouldn't be because it effects the dinosaurs. It doesn't, their dead and long since changed, because things changed.

We have our time, our place. The real question shouldn't be, not how we are damaging the planet, but where do we want to go and how do we want to live this life we've got, however it is that it came about. Such as the Chinook Salmon that are now smaller than they were previously.

where do we fit in? How do we fit in? What is it about? Not, we should change the wrong we've done. Not we are bad.

Life will tick along, long after we're gone and one day, we will all be gone.

Sorry, a bit long and rambling, but I felt my point of view needed to be shared.