Oh Mother, Nature.

In Merchant's "Science and Worldviews" the true voice of Mother Nature comes out. The way Merchant compares the Earth to a human body and the way we function shines a whole new light on her [Earth] and in it she looks as beautiful as ever. Never before have I actualy thought of the world in quite the way Merchant explains it.

"A commonly used analogy was that of the female's reproductive and nurturting capacity

and of mother earth's ability to give birth to stones and metals with "her" womb through

marriage with the sun" (pg. 42).

This truly portrays earth as a human. Giving her the ability to reproduce just as humans do to be wed just as humans are. It makes you think of earth as something more than what we just walk on and use for our own selfish gain. In this metaphor Merchant shows the earth is just as important, if not more important, than a human being is, and without "her" life as we know it would not exist. It's much like how although woman are often taken for granted, if they no longer existed, then soon nobody would exist, because we are the ones who are able to reproduce, and keep this world going. This reminds me of a discussing we had in class about an animated picture with the quote,

"Housework is what a woman does that never gets noticed... until it isn't done"

by Evan Esar. This just goes to show how you can take the little things for granted, because you just expect them to be done. Many times the things that woman do are pushed into the background and ignored, so that they are unappreciated. It's difficult to grasp this concept for many people, that mother nature is valuable and not a renewable resource that can just be replaced. When you have been taught something your whole life it is difficult to change your way of thinking, but Merchant helps you to do just that. We as humans take for granted just what it means to be a human. In another paragraph merchant wrote,

"Nature must be "bound into service" and made a "slave," put "in constraint," and "molded"

by the mechanical arts" (pg. 45).

How true is that? Nature has been enslaved to humans. We are forever taking nature for granted and taking and taking, but never giving anything in return. We are abusing the privileges that have been given to us. Nature should not be enslaved to us. We should all realize that being able to use Nature's resources is not a right, but instead see it as a privilege which can, and will be taken away if we keep treating it the way that we have been. Merchant discusses how

"The management of natural resources depends on surveying the status of existing resources,

and efficiently planning their systematic use and replenishment for the long-term good of those

who use them" (pg. 53).

What I take from this is that it is impossible not to use some of nature's resources, but it is important that we do not over use her, and abuse her. We use nature only to try to improve our lives and yet all we are doing is destroying nature as we know it by over using what she has to offer.

When I think of us using Mother Nature to get ahead, with the result of us hurting her, I think of the BP Oil Spill off the Gulf Coast. The oil being spilled into the waters of the earth was a misfortune that could have been prevented if not for the carelessness of those involved. The waters can represent the "lungs" of Mother Nature and the oil that was leaked into her "lungs" represent the toxic nicotine and tar that contaminate her. Many people practice domination mastery in which they believe they have superiority over earth, instead of realizing that they are merely inhabitants of her wonderful existence. Not all humans are to blame for what happened during the BP Oil Spill, but most everyone does play a slight role in it. Vew people can honestly say they have never used oil, making them slightly responsible for the BP Oil Spill, because if oil wasn't in such high demand, then they wouldn't have been drilling for it to begin with. Humans haven't always been like this. Years ago humans were able to live on a bare minimum, and didn't find things like automobiles (what oil is most commonly used for) and such a necessity. Humanity has become such an egocentric existence where we seem to think only of ourselves. During the oil spill tons of oil leaked into what Merchant would call Mother Earth's "mucus," "blood," "saliva" and "sweat" (pg. 42) yet another part of her was contaminated by the carelessness of human actions. Until humans realize tht we are not special and the world doesn't revolve around us, Nature will continue to be the victim.

The picture can be credited to ADANnews