#Quotes #Conservation #Preservation #Humankind

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people. -Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995)

I have worked on things that are not easy to see and bear, some cannot be spoken about because they are confidential and others because they are very tragic or painful. I have worked with addicts, with people in extreme poverty, with terminal illnesses. Also with people who were in prison, with extremely rude and dangerous people. I have worked for NGOs and for governments. I was autistic and I did not realize the impact that this had on my mind and my health. Today when I look at the millions of tons of weapons, bombs, expensive and sophisticated technology used in wars, I see on the other side of the scale the tons of food that millions of people lack, the tons of medicine that many others lack. I see the ravages caused by drug trafficking, human trafficking, pedophilia and I cannot help but feel a profound contempt for politicians, rulers, for ideologies and beliefs, for the fanaticism and fundamentalism that currently exists in almost everything, even in the field of computing and hacking. This world has no solution, all this darkness and rottenness is part of human nature itself. The species, which considers itself intelligent and dominates the planet, is not capable of dominating its own perverse and dark nature. We are still millions of years away from being able to evolve to something better. A few manage to see the Dantesque dream in which we live and know that it is impossible to fight against it. I can only extend my arms and know that this is the measure of the world for me, I can only reach out to those close to me and help as much as I can while at the same time receiving help from others. That small work is all that is needed and all that can be done. I have seen many idealistic movements, ideologies and paradigms that came to save the world and humanity born and die without pain or glory. They continue to appear and fall every decade, every year, every day. I am going to die knowing that we are in free fall, in a tailspin towards the abyss of extinction. And nature is wise and will extinguish us, we will disappear like any other species. I don't know what will come next and it doesn't matter because I understood that all the life I have and exists is this infinitesimal instant and nothing more.

Gassho.

(Reflections of an autistic old man at dusk)

My problem, my disgust with the computer world today, is the increasing loss of humanity. The problem is not the technology itself. The big problem is that at times, intermittently, every time a wave of progress brings new things, the first to use them, master them and exploit them will be the darkest specimens of the species. From fire and the wheel to artificial intelligence. It is inevitable. A knife can be used for cooking or killing.

Thor Pedersen, tanskalais-suomalainen mies, kiersi kaikki maailman maat ilman yhtään lentomatkaa. Hän on kansalainen mutta viettänyt lapsuuden kesät äidin kotimaassa

Omistan Thorin ajatukset ihmisistä nimimerkki ”riikalle” ja puoluetovereilleen (kuvakaappaukset)

#maailmanympäri #world #humankind

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/aug/16/take-the-high-road-the-man-who-visited-every-country-in-the-world-without-boarding-a-plane?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other