We have become the Grim Reapers of life on earth. Unless we specifically decide otherwise, billions of "lives" are taken for our needs, wants and whims. And very few of the species that we are supposed to shepherd will die a natural death. A cow for my hamburger, a tree for my desk, an elephant for my ivory piano keys, a gorilla for his hands to be used as an ashtray and on and on and on.
Even if we do not acvtively target a species it is likely to get caught in the collateral damage. We mine precious gold and thus kill the salmon downstream. Forests are stripped away and replaced with strip malls. Oil is drilled on the bottom of the sea and kills the Gulf of Mexico. Dolphins are suffocated in nets because we want a tuna sandwich. The honey bee is sickened from the pesticides we use for our crops.
And then they die to satisfy our egos. Dogs are euthanized because we can no longer stand to see them in pain. Horses are put down when we can no longer ride them. We shoot bears if they have the audacity to eat from our garbage cans. Pets die of mistreatment and neglect. Mules, horses, canaries, pigeons, dogs and cattle die fighting along side us in our wars. Mice and monkeys in our labs.
The century-old tree in our yard will know this all too well tomorrow morning. As it lies mostly in our neighbors yard, he has decided that it must go. It's just "too big" and presents a "liability". So it will die a premature death to keep insurance premiums low; you understand. And when our neighbor signs the check for it's removal I wonder if he will then understand why it is that every species on the planet hates us. Maybe he'll realize that we are the true liability.
