I have often heard people go on at some length about how terrible man-made things are. About how they will only use “all natural fibers or clothing’ and eat only natural foods. About how terrible man-made structures are. About how they feel cut off from nature. Many of our objections to man-made things come from our perceptions and have little basis in reality. Many man-made things do create problems because they are created without thought about how they may affect either people or nature in the long run. They do not undergo the harsh testing over millions of years that nature provides but they are not necessarily evil or bad.
Let’s take a closer look at what can be found in nature.
First, structures. Termite mounds, ant hills, and bee hives, are all natural and can be as elaborate and complex as any apartment building. Only the size of the inhabitants is different. Some birds create large, or amazingly complex nests that rival human engineering. Beaver dams can have a significant impact on the environment.
Next, substances. Oil is made by nature. Man uses it and refines it but did not create it. Many pharmaceuticals started as substances found in nature. Refining and purifying them made them more predictable but often less not more effective.
Poisons and insecticides both have their origins in nature. Wasps make paper and bees make honey. Are they artificial? Alcohol is well known to animals, and many get drunk from eating fermented fruit from off the ground.
Genetic engineering, GMO foods. Nature has been doing this for millions of years. The only real differences are how long it takes and is in the amount of testing nature does, how harshly she treats her mistakes.
Even atomic energy. I have heard of a location in Africa where a naturally occurring deposit of uranium has created a naturally occurring nuclear reactor that generates a small amount of both heat and radiation.
Nature explores complex combinations and subtleties that man has neither the patience nor ability to explore. With near infinite time and space to work with nature has produced designs and substances that man is still trying to imitate. Are all these benign and perfect? No. But we do not decry them as being unnatural.
We were made by nature. Are we perfect? No Do we have the ability to change ourselves? Yes. Do we have the wisdom to do so? No. The changes made by man have been rapid and often thoughtless. This does not mean that everything man-made is bad or that nature is always better
A quick word on connecting with nature. To me, I am always connected to and a part of nature, the God and Goddess. If I feel a need for a closer connection to some specific aspect of nature, Think about it, visualize it and maybe look at pictures or videos. Space, Time and separation are all illusions. Hugging a tree mentally is as effective as being there especially if you have done it physically in the past.
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