The environment shapes evolution. Now human beings are shaping the environment. This is, on earth, a new and shocking event. It took the universe, as we know it, about eleven billion years to create the human brain. With warp speed, (geologically speaking) home sapiens has taken the planet under their control almost entirely. Yet, the environment, although influenced by humans, is still shaping humans and all other living organisms to evolve.
Forests and food sources may be more rare as humans continue this dangerous game of shaping evolution and earth, but they also still sustain all life in ever more quickly evolving trends. A very real problem, now becoming more evident every day, is spreading and evolving epidemics, poisons and disease. The outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, is just one such example. Other concerns are the loss of fishing, and contamination, as PCBs and other toxins enter into air, water and food. Then there is lost bio-diversity which promotes all life, and of course melting ice, rising oceans and severe storms. And this is to say almost nothing about wars, weaponry, toxins and scorched earth of fighting over the threatened resources life requires.
Evolution, can be a great asset to all of humanity, still, however. As more and more people are educated to understand the life support system as it has evolved, more and more people are empowered to influence evolution in nurturing ways. First comes education. There are still many deluded people who do not have faith (Yes, that is the word!) that evolution is real. These people are in danger of misunderstanding that some deity will swoop in and save the people and the planet. Many even feel entitled to that, as if humans were somehow not kin to the rest of creation, and are more cherished, by their God. Yet in most faiths, the creation is sacred and regarding evolution (creation) with respect and immense gratitude will work wonders.
People who know better, do better. That is how the human species can be saved, one mind sharing and accepting education and evolution’s abundance, one at a time. Evolution, after all, whether planned by a deity or not, is how the natural biosphere works. To deny it is hazardous to the health of all organisms who depend upon it.
Even in religion, life is regarded as having existed far longer than human beings. One should realize that, and know that the world will continue to evolve so long as humans protect all organisms. However if humans destroy diversity they could perish from the earth and eventually all other organisms will thrive for eons. Perhaps humankind will evolve again, but who wants to wait for that?
