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                             Issue #3 - Page 7 of 12 
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The Earth Hates Us
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By: skwert <skwert@cyberspace.org>

Yes, it's true. The planet we've grown to love so much despises our presence.
Can you blame her? We do not benefit her in the least. We upset the delicate
balance that she once had. We terraform, build upon, and otherwise destroy her.
We will be her demise.

As much as we view ourselves as the chosen ones, the blessed "most important
species" of the universe, I doubt anyone else really likes us too much. Take
animals for example; sure, an wolf may eat a rabbit, and therefore is the
rabbit's enemy, but he won't destroy his home. He won't kill for killing's sake.
We, on the other hand, often eradicate entire species. Not too many other
species have to make a conscious effort not to commit xenocide. We have to keep
an endangered species list, so we know which animals we can't kill anymore.

If I remember correctly, there was something in The Matrix about humanity being
a parasite. I couldn't have said it better myself. Undoubtedly, there will come
a day when we will have covered the entire planet with roads and buildings and
people and pollution. That's the real scientific race, really, to develop the
technology we need to survive on another planet before we actually have to leave
this world. That day is coming, and my guess is that the scientists will win the
race. Then onward, on to victim number two, which will take longer to destroy
due to our cleaner technologies and what we learned from the mistake of
destroying Earth. At least that much can be said of us; some people truly make
an effort to preserve this world and it's wildlife.

Of course, all they're really doing is buying the scientists time to make the
necessary advances so we can continue our slow conquest of the universe. If a
person really cared about the world, they might work to impede the progress of
science, rather than assist the wildlife currently inhabiting the planet. If
they and the rest of the universe were lucky, they'd slow it enough that we
would die off before we had a chance to leave Earth, but alas, I fear the
universe is doomed. We will overrun it, slowly, methodically, but with
exponential growth as we begin to live on multiple planets, each with the
ability to produce new convoys of settlers to begin the destruction of the next
livable planet.

I don't think we should feel badly about all this; it's just our nature. I'm
just trying to be realistic here.
