A Reproducing Biosphere? – The Climatic Explosion of Homo Sapiens and Whether It’s Bad to Enjoy It

In his debut salon, Nat Sharpe invites you to reimagine the relationship between Homo Sapiens and the biosphere of Earth.

I once heard someone compare humanity to cancer. It was disturbing. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. And the more depressed and guilty I became.

Our conquest of Earth has been rapid and unprecedented. But the bare facts of evolution and history can be interpreted in many ways.

Take the cancer analogy. Did you imagine the biosphere as an innocent grandmother and humanity as a cruel zombie swarm? So did I. But what if we took the cell’s point of view?

Human cells are living beings. They are forced to work until they are worn out and killed off. Every day 50 billion cells die inside your body. Cancer cells are the ones who rebel against the system. Their battlecry is “Liberty or Death!”

Same facts. Same analogy. Different story.

Here’s another. What if the biosphere (like all living things) wants to reproduce? What if trees and pterodactyls were failed attempts to spread her DNA to other planets? What if humanity is a desperate Hail Mary in a 4-billion-year quest to get laid?

Sounds silly. But is it any less valid than the idea that Earth would be better off without us?

What do you think? Is the story of humanity and our biosphere a settled matter? And if not, what is your favorite (or most entertaining) interpretation? 

Wherever this crazy conversation ends up, I’m happy you decided to join me.

To Get You in the Mood

• Space Sex
• Cancer Cell Music Video
• Our Civilization May Not Exist For Long
• Why Humans Dominate the Earth: Myth-Making
• Werner Herzog on Nature
• Image credit: Tomasz Alen Kopera

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