EARTHLY TRUE

“The phrase "conquest of nature" is certainly one of the most  
objectionable and misleading expressions of Western languages. 
It reflects the illusion that all natural forces can be entirely  
controlled, and it expresses the criminal conceit that nature
is to be considered primarily as a source of raw materials 
and energy for human purposes." From A God within by René Dubos

The Earth

• The Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years. Scaling this time down to 46 years we have been around for 4 hours and our Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago. During this short time period we have ransacked the planet for ways to get fuels and raw materials, have been the cause of extinction of an unthinkable amount of plants and animals, and have multiplied our population to that of a plague.

• Despite all of the damage we have caused the environment most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to them; clean rivers; renovate buildings; replenish the topsoil, replant forests. However, these activities do not relieve the worst symptoms of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems, us and our vision that we must progress.

Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.html