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The Network of Life
The network of life is in danger
The Earth, our planet, is inhabited by an amazing range of living things, from giant animals like whales to microorganisms that are too small to be seen by the human eye. Land and sea, rivers and mountains, all sorts of places are brimming with life, and all the lifeforms have a profound influence on each other. They form a network of life. It is thanks to these bonds that the Earth is the “Planet of Life,” a precious jewel in the universe. However, the network of life that has been built up over hundreds of millions of years is now in great danger.
The extinction of species causes the network to break down
Currently, many species are about to vanish from the face of our planet – and very rapidly at that. This is not simply a question of the number of species on Earth decreasing. More importantly, it means that the functions performed by those species in the network of life will be lost as well. If we are lucky, perhaps some other lifeform may step in to fill that role, but this takes time, and in the meanwhile other species may also become extinct. The bonds of life mean that organisms influence each other in complicated ways to maintain harmony and stability. The long-term side effects of the extinction of a particular species are very hard to discern.
Looking at the world from the viewpoint of our fellow creatures
If the extinction of lifeforms continues at the current pace, eventually the day will come when the rich network of life on our planet will no longer be able to sustain itself. That will have an enormous impact on humans too, of course. Before we let this happen, we need to take a new look at the modes of life of all the many lifeforms that we share our planet with. They have abilities that we humans lack, and they have survived vigorously in their natural environments. There is no reason why they should have to disappear. It is time for the human race to wake up to the fact that we are also members of the rich network of life, and that we must change our stance toward nature.
