In ancient times the relationship between the man and the nature it was harmonious, they perceived their creator in nature, they felt part of it, and even complemented themselves with other living beings. In modern times this has changed, man constantly tries to control and exploit natural environments.
What is it?
In the history of humanity, the relationship between man and nature has been contradictory and variable. We have all heard of mother nature at some point. This does not mean that our treatment of her is what we should give a mother. If you want to learn how to have a quality of life, we invite you to read the following article How to change.
The human being, in his eagerness to control and seize natural resources, separates himself more and more from nature, he never has enough. Man and nature no longer converge as a whole, they live in a constant battle, one to take advantage and the other trying to resist.
This should not necessarily be the case, before the seventeenth century, the human being only used what was necessary to live, and did not occupy more than what he needed, at that time the imbalance that we currently see was not observed.
It is interesting to analyze what has led us to this situation, only with a deep understanding could we reverse the damage caused. This dominion over nature has affected the harmony that should exist between man and nature.
Man and Nature through time
The relationship between humans and nature has evolved over time, from the days of gatherers and hunters to the technological age.
Nature has always been the sustenance of people, we depend on it to survive. In the early days, man and nature lived in harmony. The passing of the seasons marked the time to collect fruits, the migratory periods, and the hunting seasons.
The sun and the moon meant the beginning and the end of the day. The glare of the sun was synonymous with life, it gave light and warmed up. Mother Nature gave us everything we could possibly need to sustain life, and human beings revered and admired her.
Years and centuries passed, and the way in which man saw nature, evolved to a more conceptual level. They no longer looked at her as a life-giving companion, but as a resource.
In ancient times, the enlightened understood that to obtain knowledge they had to be contemplative of nature and with the world they were in. With this, they sought to understand what it was that held all natural elements together, including man.
postulates of St Thomas y Saint Augustine
St Thomas y Saint Augustinegreat philosophers of Middle Ages, considered nature as proof of the existence of God, could only be created by his divinity. This contemplation of the natural brought them closer to He, and in some way participated in its greatness.
Its postulates affirm that everything that exists, receives its being or existence from a superior entity, in this case God, and as coming from He They should be cared for, respected and valued.
practical knowledge
In about the seventeenth century, Francis Bacon, English philosopher, postulated a new line of thought: "practical knowledge".
In this philosophy, contemplation had no use, unless manipulable information was taken from it. They were the beginnings of a current of thought in which man takes center stage and takes over what is natural.
This trend is still used today, in it the human being is placed in a privileged position. Nature represents a means or tool to pave the way for man.
It is considered that it is man who gives meaning to nature, depending on what he needs. It could not be different, man has become so separated from nature that he can no longer conceive of participating in life in any other way, the healthy interaction between the two is seriously diminished.
Consequences
In the five preceding centuries, man's egocentrism has made him stop seeing nature as part of us, they see it as a separate entity that can be used.
Excessive consumption by human beings has unbalanced ecosystems in almost the entire planet, and with this it also affects the balance of their own lives. Nature must be considered as a living organism, of which we are a part.
Man and nature make up a living organism, in which we all live together and which should be harmonious and balanced. Nature has the ability to self-regulate, just as man adapts to new conditions.
Climate changes represent a strong movement in natural environments, produce catastrophes such as floods, tsunamis, aridity, typhoons and tornadoes. The fact in the ozone layer and global overheating, even if nature tries to activate its self-regulation mechanisms, are processes that generate permanent damage.
How far to go?
Not everything is bad, there is an instinctive desire in man to return, and coexist with everything natural of which he is a part. The sun that gives heat and light, allows us to synthesize a large number of vitamins. When we walk without shoes on the natural ground, we manage to throw our vital energy and refresh it.
Our organs need water and air to function properly, the less contaminated these elements are, the better they will be for us. And perhaps the most valuable thing, that peace and tranquility that we can only find far from the cities, in a wonderful environment that allows us to renew our spirit, which can only be offered by an environment of nature with few alterations.
Every time we contemplate nature, it amazes us, it is to witness first-hand the miracle of natural creation, to exist is a miracle. Respect everything that is part of nature, which has a beauty that gives life and energy, and of which we are part, like a big family. To know a little more about the formation of the new human being, read this article, rainbow children.
There is increasing concern about the severe damage that Mother Earth has suffered, the fact that there are extinct species, due to the voluntary action or not of man, worries many people. The increasingly marked scarcity of resources, that is, all these not-so-subtle changes that affect us.
Man with Nature today
Currently, man and nature are related in an incorrect way, this should call our attention, to take measures that generate awareness. The collaboration of all is necessary to achieve a change.
Slowly but surely, in the media, we find more and more expressions such as “sustainable economy”, “green marketing”, “eco-friendly”, this is already beginning to generate a positive impact on the new generations.
There is an inescapable reality, and that is that, if measures are not taken immediately, we will be left without our common home that is the Earth, we all have a role to play in this, conservation is both a global and an individual issue.
Fortunately, a set of specific practices have already been designed to encourage respect, care and conservation of natural resources. These practices should be part of people's daily routines, they are simple to apply, and very beneficial.
The trash in it's place
It seems like a very basic rule, but the number of people who throw garbage anywhere is incredible, it really is a very little respected practice.
The speed of modern life means that we have to get everywhere we go quickly, people do not stop to look for a suitable place to throw garbage and throw their waste on the street.
This situation is aggravated by the fact that some cities do not properly distribute garbage bins intended for public use. This causes the citizen to have to walk entire blocks without finding where to throw their waste.
The formation of the home also has its share of responsibility, children must be educated so that they see the common areas as part of their responsibility, if at home we do not throw waste on the floor, then they should not do it on the street either.
All this generates a great impact on the health of the natural environment, it is a lack of citizen awareness towards nature. It is necessary to educate man to save the planet, to give it health. A healthy natural environment automatically results in balanced and peaceful human beings.
recycle and reuse
One of the most practical ways to respect nature is to recycle and reuse. Some of the waste from human activity, for example, plastics, bio-degrade in thousands of years, that is, each plastic waste that we throw away will be in nature intact for hundreds of generations, thus polluting the planet.
If we look for a way to give this type of waste a new use, it will not end up in garbage dumps and eventually in the land or sea. There are so many uses that can be given to them, that it is only a matter of creativity and will.
It is important to promote the culture of recycling and reuse, the same speed with which we lead our lives, makes us not stop to think what we can do to assume our share of responsibility.
Respect for vegetation
Plants are not only living beings, many of them take years to reach adulthood, and have a very slow reproductive cycle. This is something that people do not keep in mind, so they indiscriminately attack trees and other plants, without realizing the years it took to reach the size it is.
The world expert in Plant Neurobiology, Stefano Mancuso, affirms that plants have a great sensitivity, from the sensory point of view. They react to many stimuli, such as the sun among others, they are capable of reacting to some smells, they use this ability to communicate with each other.
They breathe for the world. They have the amazing ability to renew the air through their photosynthesis process. Without plants we would not have oxygen to breathe.
Take care of the water
More than seventy percent of the planet's surface has water. Despite this, only two percent of this water is potable to be used and consumed. Every year this figure is reduced, the water that is drinkable naturally, is being contaminated by man.
Water is essential for life, going through plants, animals and man, we all need water to live. Our body is over seventy percent water.
Water functions as a thermoregulator of temperatures in ecosystems. She herself is a habitat, with a great variety of beings being born, growing and living within her. It was in the water that the first living beings were produced, from which all the rest of us came.
It is very necessary to create awareness of water care, when we bathe we do not spend more than necessary, let's wash cars with buckets not with hoses, recreational areas should be swept and not washed with a hose, in short, there are many changes in our habits of life that we can implement to take care of this vital and fragile resource.
Interaction of man with the environment
Although some are not aware of it, man and the environment are in permanent interaction. Even if we live in a city, we are immersed in it, and we have to learn to take care of it and preserve it.
The consumption of resources should not be greater than the capacity of the ecosystem to adapt. Currently the consumption of resources is excessive, there are natural environments with great problems of scarcity, a product of over-exploitation.
If we focus on generating the necessary changes to reduce the environmental impact, we will surely achieve a better and more balanced life with Mother Earth. To learn about part of the mythology of the origin of life, we invite you to read Origin of origin of the universe according to the mayans.