If the word beautiful could ever be accurately personified, it could only be done so by nature. With features that leave us in awe and glistening with delight at every glance, nature commands a grace that we can’t even dream off. Yet, perhaps it is her beauty that brings about the distress for her sustainability, perhaps it is that unique quality she posses that has brought about her demise (among other reasons).
Let me explain…
It cannot be denied that it is in human nature to appreciate all things beautiful then be consumed with an unyielding, selfish burning desire to own it at whatever the cost. Now bring into the equation how nature possess beauty that is unique and second to none (certainly nothing that can be made by the hands of man). Would it not be obvious how mankind would first notice her stunning existence then desire and craft ways to own her for himself?
But the thing about beauty and nature is, she is only beautiful when left as she is…free and uninfluenced. Take her out of her environment and that beauty will wilt away, unrecognizable come for death. Furthermore, nature isn’t solitary. She works among her peers; weaving among each other to create that magnificent manifestation second to none. Every petal, every coral, each gain of sand is an intricate part of the weave. Remove one and soon enough you will notice how the beauty of others too will fade before slowly but surely dying.
Take for example flowers, in the wild among its natural habitat it is a thriving magnificent sight! So pleasing to the eye and fulfilling to the soul it could have us standing there staring at it for hours at an end. But if we were to selfishly give into to our desires to own it, we’d remove the entire plant and replant it in a pot back home or pluck off the flower to decorate our vase. Either way, the flower will never be beautiful again, nor will it survive out of its environment.
Extinction of species …this is how it all begins…
Imagine if that plant were the last of its kind that would have been the end of it. And even if it weren’t the last of its kind, image if everyday 3 people went and took 3 plants home (with the same disastrous effect) how long do you think it would take before the species died out?
Now that last example was about removing parts of nature and taking it home, but sustainability is also threatened when we move into their habitat.
Take for example, a scenic beauty. Man would capitalize on the natural landscape and build buildings such as hotels. They would have kept that scene they fell in love with (perhaps the beach front, the lake, the waterfall) but to make space for the fancy building, they would have cleared off the rest.
What then about the larger effect on life itself? Remember how everything in nature comes intertwined? Well if the death of one species meant the breaking of one link, does that not mean the weakening of nature as a whole and thus its sustainability?
Sustainable living isn’t just about going organic and reducing carbon footprints. It’s also about preserving nature and one of the easiest way to do that is by controlling our urge to ‘own’ the beauty of nature and ‘exploit’ her.
Ultimately, we’re all just tenants of Mother Nature’s Green Earth. None of it belongs to us…why then be selfish to destroy it trying (to own it)?
