Man and nature cry for harmony

The apparent conflict between man and nature seems to have originated during the Renaissance that ushered in the scientific inquiry. What happened thereafter is that man wanted to control and conquer nature. with the advent of the Industrial Revolution vast stretches of virgin forest were denuded to put up large factories. The water in rivers and other waterways was harnessed to produce hydro-electricity. Highways were made cutting across remote villages, hills and valleys. Skyscrapers were built for mega companies. All this was applauded as a victory for technical progress.

Apart from the scientific and technological revolution, man’s faith in modern science and technology convinced him that nature was waiting to be exploited. When this happened, nature hit back with tsunamis, floods, epidemics and famine. Then a new breed of environmentalists appeared from nowhere and looked at the scenario and studied how prehistoric man lived in harmony with nature.

In ancient times, man had no choice except to live in harmony with nature. Most of the time he had to submit to the dictates of nature. Although he resisted nature at times, he never assumed that forces of nature should be brought under control. However, with the progress of science and technology, conquering nature gradually became fixed in man’s collective unconscious. Even today we want to “conquer” Mount Everest or Kilimanjaro.

Conquering mountains

It is interesting to trace the history of conquering mountains. At first it started as a sport during the Renaissance. King Charles VIII of France goes on record as the main sponsor of mountain scaling competitions. It was the time when rapid industrialisation and urbanisation were taking place in Europe and America. Conquering mountains gradually became an article of faith of modern man.

Tomiyama Kazuko: “Protecting nature is not simply a matter of cordoning it off and leaving it untouched.”

Today, while living in the post-industrial world, man is questioning himself whether he is doing justice to nature. The local and global ecological issues have compelled him to reconsider his assumption that nature is waiting there to be exploited. The shift towards environmental consciousness was marked by three phases.

It was during the 1960s that man began to focus his attention on the importance of protecting the environment. He realised that nature’s resources were limited. Scientists predicted that the world’s coal and crude oil deposits were fast dwindling. However, man soon realised that the situation was not so bad as predicted.

New problem

In the 1970s man faced a new problem: environment pollution. Environmentalists warned of the pollution of air, water and atmosphere due to industrial waste and toxic fumes. The governments and companies were forced to enact laws and other measures to curb environmental pollution.

The focus on environmental pollution took a new turn in the 1980s. Scientists warned of acid rains, global warming due to the depletion of the ozone layer and the loss of biological diversity due to industrialisation. In fact, there was mounting fear that some small islands would go under water due to the rising water level of the sea. The visual images of melting icecaps in the Arctic sent shock waves around the world.

During the three phases man has learned three important lessons. The first lesson is that he knows very little about the balance of nature and its exploitation. The scientific community seems to be divided on the effects of exploiting nature. Some experts believe that industrialisation and emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will lead to the melting of polar ice caps and raise the sea level. Others argue that the increased levels of carbon dioxide would cause a cooling effect on the atmosphere. Ordinary people do not know which view is correct.

Ecology

The second lesson is that even some environmentalists have not understood the complex nature of ecology. Some experts believe that by trying to save certain aspects of nature will upset the ecological balance. For instance, if we try to save a particular species of animals, it will lead to a multiplication of numbers in the absence of predators.

The third lesson man has learned is that he should not exploit nature with the idea of subjugating it. He can take a leaf from his ancestors who utilised nature without damaging it. Well-known Japanese environmentalist Tomiyama Kazuko says, “Protecting nature is not simply a matter of cordoning it off and leaving it untouched.” She maintains that there should be a harmonious relationship between man and nature.