So where should we begin? We could start in the year 1066 A.D. when William the Conqueror established the great houses of England and their land holdings in a book titled "Doomsday", since it was said that what he established would last until the end of the world.
On the other hand, we could explore the ancient archaeological discoveries unearthed around the world that reveal how humans have left ecological and biological devastation on extinct flora and fauna throughout countless ages.
Perhaps, we could examine the ancient Jewish texts that speak of tribal land assignments given directly by God. This story is especially relevant in our time since warring factions continue to divide people in the Middle East (and especially in Palestine/Israel/Canaan).
Or perhaps we could explore what has been called the first laws of man. This ancient stone engraved text is believed by historians to be the source material for the laws of Moses. This is a very curious claim, since many experts remain uncertain as to whether the Akkadian Code of Hammurabi was ever actually implemented.
Regardless of its implementation, it contains clues as to understanding the property obsession found in humans. This ancient touchstone sets boundaries for the fair treatment of masters towards their slaves. Whether knowingly or not it reveals a playbook for maintaining an indentured human workforce. It covers potential issues within a family, business, and even medical malpractice.
Throughout antiquity most cultures around the world have been driven by this quest for property. Even many modern tribal cultures that appear to respect the land and its native environment seem to be living on top of ancient ruins that tell a very different story. One of these unexpected locations is found in deforested portions of the Brazilian Rainforest in South America.
Recent discoveries are upending ancient paradigms. How can there be ancient foundations under a rainforest that should predate humans? Earthworks, canals, causeways, roads, and even pyramids are being discovered. Many of these earthworks only make sense only if viewed from a bird's eye view, which would be impossible to observe over a dense forest.
Beneath the soil of Turkey there are vast cities that resemble human-size ant farms. Archaeologists are perplexed over their ancient purpose. Were they carved out to hide from invading armies. These ancient human colonies may have even connected to other underground communities. Were they built by the Hittites as some archaeologists speculate, or could they be even more ancient?
While there is no definitive answer, one thing is clear. These ancient underground communities were carved out by people who were hiding from something that made living on the surface undesirable.
All of these stories appear to be unrelated, but they share a common thread. They reveal the invasive nature of humanity. Throughout our time on this earth we have conquered and dominated our fellow humans. We have pillaged the land and its resources. We have displaced indigenous cultures time and again. North invades South and vise versa. East invades West and vise versa. We may call it exploration, but the devastation left in our wake reveals a conquistador reality.
Our ancestors may have convinced themselves that they were spreading Christianity or another religious belief systems, but such conquests violated the very principles taught by Jesus Christ. He said make disciples, not subdue nations. Christians were to baptize with water, not blood.
Today many want to forget this violent past. We see attempts to revise history with a more palatable narrative. The Global North today continues to exploit the resources of the global south, which it refers to as third world nations. Nothing has changed. The only difference now is Climate Change is devastating these so called third world nations at an alarming rate.
As this global climate shift accelerates, humans will begin migrating towards the polar regions. More equatorial regions will become inhospitable. The result will be more invasion. We might call it a refugee crisis in the beginning, but wars are sure to follow.
Wealthy elites may build walls to slow this migration, but this pattern will continue unless we change our behavior towards this planet and all life on it. For countless centuries humans have found creative ways to survive by modifying their environment. We have genetically modified our food through cross pollination. We have domesticated wild animals for our purposes. We convert everything we encounter. While this has reached its zenith in modern times, this behavior could also hold the key to our continued survival.
In the past century many advanced societies have lost touch with the soil beneath their feet, in favor of pavement, wood, and Tile. How can we restore our connection with our destabilizing environment? That will be our goal as we turn the page.
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God Please Save Your Planet...from us.
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