WWF just released its annual report. Shocking. http://www.worldwildlife.org/publications
It's almost impossible to live in balance with nature in today's society
To me, that is an indication that we need to change today's society, not a justification for doing nothing.
That depends on how one defines "balance with nature". We're just a species competing for resources with other species. To argue that what we do is anything but a normal survival strategy is to buy into a supernatural role for human beings on planet Earth. In fact we're a natural species, and we follow entirely predictable patterns of natural selection.
> Even retreating into the wilderness and living off the land just makes a big artificial farm-shaped hole in the wilderness.
And? Is a farm distinct from an anthill, or is it a natural variation? We may see ourselves as exceptional, as separate from nature, but nature certainly doesn't see us that way.
In many cases it has long term detrimental consequences far in excess of the short term benefit of the economic activity causing the damage. Personally, I'm an advocate of factoring in the environmental costs of our economic activities and taking those costs into account. However the idea that we can live in balance without having an impact on the world around us is a fantasy.
Well, although I am a scientist and traveling to conferences is a habit that everybody does, I could limit my number of flights to one last year.
The point is, we don't need to fly. Conferences are boring, we have videocons. It is just a fashion to spend vacation overseas (even over the weekend). It is just the aviation industry screwing our minds.
"It's almost impossible to live in balance with nature in today's society"
You certainly have to be smarter than a hunter-gatherer to do it. But that's what makes us different.
Of course it's shocking. This tells you very little about how good or bad things actually are. WWF will always say that right now is the last chance to save life on earth unless their viewpoint is given high-status.
As far as I know, humanity is dependent on several crops and a few animals(cows, pigs, and chickens) for our survival.
Indeed, missing knowledge is most dangerous. That's why education is so important. Start by reading the WWf report ;o).