"Stand Up For Your Rights"

Humans have a great influence on our earth. Everything we do greatly affects things around us. This is why it is important that we be very careful with our actions. Something as small as not recycling a plastic bottle could greatly disrupt eco systems for generations to come, and this is why we must play a part in protecting our planet. Throughout the years our earth continues to suffer due to our selfishness. Humans are too concerned about their own needs that they forget to look at the big picture. Although we may be enjoying our lives and fulfilling our needs, the world around us is paying a heavy price. Eco systems and animals are suffering due to our consumption, waste production, exploitation of resources, and so on. If we keep doing this, there will be nothing left. We will have completely destroyed our beautiful home and everything it has to offer us. This is why I think it is very important that we give things like eco systems rights. This idea may seem preposterous to some because how can something with no voice or thoughts have a right? I think it is because of that reason that it needs them. Right now, all we are doing is using and manipulating eco systems for our purposes. Therefore, it needs someone to stick up for and look out for them. As I said before, if we keep up at the rate we are going there will be nothing left. One way to stop this is by protecting what we have and that means giving them rights. When people start protecting our eco systems and giving them a “voice” we will learn how to bring happiness to something much more than ourselves. We will help bring happiness for generations to come and we will help provide for a brighter future.

The Dangers of Man

The following is a passage from Hans Jonas’s writing Technology and Responsibility. I thought this passage tied in nicely with what we are discussing in class. This passage talks about how man has taken over the earth and has learned how to use it for their own needs. As a result man has become selfish and is ruling over all the earth’s inabitants (animals, resources, etc.) as well. Now the earth and all its specises are suffering because of man.

“Many the wonders but nothing more wondrous than man. This thing crosses the sea in the winter’s storm, making his path through the roaring waves. And she the greatest of gods, the Earth – deathless she is, and unwearied – he wears her away as the ploughs go up and down from year to year and his mules turn up the soil. The tribes of the lighthearted birds he ensnares, and the races of all the wild beasts and the salty brood of the sea, with the twisted mesh of his nets, he leads captive, this clever man. He controls with craft the beasts of the open air, who roam the hills. The horse with his shaggy mane he holds and harnesses, yoked about the neck, and the strong bull of the mountain. Speech and thought like the wind and the feelings that make the town, he has taught himself, and shelter against the cold, refuge from rain. Ever resourceful is he. He faces no future helpless. Only against death shall he call for aid in vain. But from baffling maladies has he contrived escape. Clever beyond all dreams the inventive craft that he has which may drive him one time or another to well or ill. When he honors the laws of the land the gods’ sworn right high indeed in his city; but stateless the man who dares to do what is shameful” (Jonas, pg. 174).

The Mystery of the Unknown

        When is it right to use an animal for our use and when is it wrong? We have people on both ends of this argument. Some say you should never use an animal for our purposes and others say that it is always acceptable, especially when it is for our benefit. Then there are some who stand in the middle of these views. They think that it is acceptable to use animals for our purpose in only select situations. The problem for most is knowing where to stand. People do not know if it is right or wrong to use animals. They do not know if animals were put on this earth for us to be in charge of or they were placed here to be seen as our equals. If you were to look at the Bible you can see that it was said that humans were meant to rule over animals. However, it is impossible to know if this is truly accurate because in some religions certain animals are seen as sacred. Therefore, they are never to be tampered with or used for our personal needs. That is why this debate remains a mystery. I think this is an answer we will never truly know for sure because what is unknown to us will remain unknown till further proof of reasoning.