by Alexa Hartono

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Human beings have this destructive capacity as well as the preservative nature. And as the environment is recently getting more and more vulnerable, it seem that the environmental-destructive capacity of human beings begins to show its power. It may cause severe destruction, not only to the environment but also it is a thread to the existence of the human beings.

The environmental destructive-capacity of human beings at present is supported by systems developed and spreaded all over the globe under the sake of globalization.

Just take the global the economic system dominated by capitalism as an example. Since the emerging of industrialization in eighteenth century, the changing in production, distribution and consumption pattern has created more pressure to the environment.

The massive production pattern now is no longer making the supply of goods based on demand. The supply is abundant and-by means of advertising-the producer makes it all demanded by the market. This, then responsible for the consumerism in the society in which greeds of most humans are fertilized by the abundance of goods available.

Where do the abundant supply comes from? Especially for goods resulted by extracting the nature, massive production means extra pressure to the fragile earth. On the other hand consumerism also means more "money" have to be digged out of the earth's "shell".

Speaking of distribution, in the economic chain it leads to the abundance as well as a friendly buddy for the abundance. Improper and unjust distribution-my way for those brokers who kept the abundance for later distribution as the people panicked of scarcity-also contributed to the whole junk system.

Here, as we talk about the environmental-destructive capacity of human beings means we are talking about the structurized capacity. It is not easy to cope with. But remember, human beings also have nature to preserve the environment.

Realize our environmental-destructive capacity, suppress it to its lowest level and avoid taking part in the system enhancing the destructive capacity. At least do it like Gandhi, the non-violent revolution is quite good if you feel stuck withing your routine. Or join people fighting the structurized environmental-destructive capacity of human beings. In case you want to join me, I'm with Friends of the Earth Indonesia. Volunteering in its provincial level, at Walhi Kalsel (Indonesian environmental forum of South Kalimantan). Act now. Let's do in hand in hand as now we realize what we deal with.

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