"[S]uddenly in the last century, Homo sapeins has undergone a radical transformation into a new kind of force that I call “superspecies.” For the first time in the 3.8 billion years that life has existed on Earth, one species – humanity – is altering the biological, physical and chemical features of the planet on a geological scale.”
- David Suzuki, "The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature"

The age old argument debating the superiority of nature or technology has been bumping around ever since the wheel was invented. I have been inclined to gaze more lovingly into the green eyes of nature rather than the steely gray eyes of technology, but I'm a player. While I tell nature that I think life with him would be better, in reality I spend most of my time flirting with technology.

You're so interesting, technology.

I can't live without you.

You always give me what I want, when I want.

It's true. While I crave the dirty, animalistic elements of nature, I live in a world of technology. The real question here is: is that bad? I don't think I'll ever be able to give shake my crush on nature, but let's get real here. If I was to actually live with nature, secluded, with no technology, I would go insane. I might actually die, come to think of it. Human beings are weak; while the "lesser" mammals and insects with tiny stupid brains can scurry and hop around nakedly for their lifespans, we need sweaters, elaborate housing, and love. We need technology. Technology, in a positive spin, has enabled human beings to live on a global scale. Instead of viewing the world in a planar, horizon-is-the-end-of-my-world approach, it's enabling an empathic concern for the round, biospheric world in its entirety.

I read an article lately on how we are at an age where we know more about humans and their behaviour -- en essence, ourselves -- than we ever have before. The catch is that we aren't doing anything about it yet. We know that the procedures that we are involved in can be idiotic, but we still engage in those activities.

I know that I shouldn't text and drive. I still do it.

Wars have never resulted in outnumbering the bad effects from their good intentions, but they won't stop occuring.

Racism is negative. I'm not racist, that is terrible -- I just see other races as "them" -- and their ways of living are not quite as superior, advanced, or right as the Caucasian way. "Their" way is barbaric / out-dated / nonsensical.

The fact that we all were created or evolved from the same God or the same tadpole means nothing. And we cannot forget that our diverse, advanced species is, of course, the most important species -- but of course those with paler faces and male genitals get the most rewards. “We are now the most numerous mammalian species on the planet, but unlike all the others, our ecology impact has been greatly amplified by technology.” (Suzuki). Kill or be killed. With the billions and billions of humans that can't seem to stop reproducing and using up the resources, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to scheme up a few less-than-glorious endings.

Okay, so humans need some forms of technology to survive. The thing is, technology has enabled too many of us to survive (I know this sounds awful). Does there really need to be BILLIONS of us? We're taking over everything! If we just cut our population in half, maybe poverty wouldn't be quite so extreme, the resources wouldn't be quite so depleted, the sky not so foggy with smog. I heard this guy say, on a video that I can't remember the name of, that if all the insects died on the Earth we would, as a species, die. Without the impact of the human race, the world would spin on -- just less intellectually. I know humans are important. Give me a break. Either God deemed us special over all other creation, or evolution has picked us to figure out 2+2=4. But really, billions? Enough to significantly alter all other life processes, of which we depend on?

So really, cellphones and ipads aren't the real issue here. If humans keep on reproducing at their current rate, soon all of Canada will be inhabited -- and that's saying something. Or people will keep on squishing into cities of millions. So, without technology, nature would have engulfed us a long time ago. Let's face it, without our intellect, we're dead. If you don't know how to put on some clothes, you're dead. If you can't fix a gun to kill the bear that is hungry, you're dead. Perhaps technology has gotten a little bit carried away. If we think technology is our saviour, we're dead. We can't even survive without the bugs that make us itchy. We can't really "do away" with nature here. So the debate between nature and technology doesn't even make sense. We need both, less of one, more of the other, less of us, more bugs.