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A Short Essay on Peace, Ecology & Music!
The status of humanity and the environment is in a very sad state today. Wars, conflicts, prejudice, racism, genocide, and religious persecution are some of the many tragedies brought on humankind by humankind. Greed, ignorance and a lack of wise foresight have lead to rampant destruction of natural resources worldwide. Due to poor planning, human’s continued dependence on fossil fuels, and the power the oil and gas companies have over society; needless environmental disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continue to threaten our planets health and future. For decades better and more earth-friendly technologies (such as solar, wind-power and others) have existed, but they have remained beyond the reach of most people due to low availability and high prices. The technology to manufacture more fuel efficient gasoline powered vehicles has existed for decades, unused by automobile manufacturers. Numerous other energy and transportation technologies have also not been fully explored and developed for various reasons. Yet, the extensive use of fossil fuels continues worldwide. Ironically, the species and period of Earth’s history that once ruled the planet for millions of years are now destroying it! Under great pressure and time the creatures and ecosystems that once dominated life on Earth have been transformed into the fossil fuels that are now destroying the Earth and altering the planet’s history forevermore. How odd is it that the vast coal, oil and natural gas reserves that fuel human life and technology today were once countless and thriving life forms. Through death and time these former animals and plants are reborn for a short period, yet only long enough to once again degrade and destroy life on Earth. The black and dark substances of fossil fuels lead only to a black and dark future for humanity and all species that currently inhabit the Earth. I wonder what, if anything, the transformed remains of all of human achievements, monuments, great knowledge and technology, over roughly the past 6,000 years, will fuel in a world to come? Will the carcasses of millions of automobiles be our future fossilized dinosaurs? For whatever reasons, life on this Earth was violently and suddenly destroyed many times before. Many scientists believe we are now in our sixth major extinction episode on planet Earth. Many great human civilizations have also suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Is this the future of life on this Earth once again because of the foolishness of humanity? Of all species on Earth humans have the greatest potential to do good, and to guide and protect the planet. Humans are also the best equipped to ensure a safe and healthy future for humanity and all other species that call planet Earth home. A dark side of human nature is arrogance and a self-appointed superiority over all other species on the planet. For various reasons, and often in the name of religion, humans feel they have the right to exploit any natural resource and destroy any other species, race, religion or culture that stand in their way of personal gain and profit. As development, habitat fragmentation and the human population increase throughout the globe, many people feel inconvenienced or get upset when they think animals are invading their homes and yards. It is ironic that people don’t understand that where they live was once the homes and habitats for hundreds and thousands of former animals and plants. Many animals loose their lives simply because they do not understand imaginary boundaries and restrictions humans have placed on them. Every species that inhabits the Earth has a right to live, whether humans understand or agree with that right. If only people would take the time to try and understand and study the thousands of other species we destroy without a second thought; they would see that so many of them are intelligent, possess feelings, and are capable of suffering pain and experiencing emotional distress at the loss of other animal family members and their homes. Many other species on the planet are also very advanced, and highly evolved, much more so than humans in many cases. Everything in nature has a place, occupies a niche, and plays a role, no matter how great or small. Humans have greatly altered or destroyed the balance of nature in many places on the Earth, either by needlessly destroying nature or each other. Humankind could certainly learn to better co-exist with all other life on this planet. A more peaceful and loving co-existence would benefit humanity, not only with all other life forms, but with other races, cultures and religious groups. Numerous environmental threats face humanity, caused by humanity. These threats were created or worsened either through wars and conflicts, or by direct misuse and abuse of natural resources and poor planning. Some of the major environmental threats, and results from these threats, that impact the quality of life on Earth as we know it include: increased loss of biodiversity, deforestation of rainforests and old-growth forests, degradation and loss of coral reefs, degradation of the world’s oceans and loss of seafood resources, climate change and global warming, rising sea levels, increased levels of carbon dioxide and pollutants in the atmosphere, improper disposal of waste and pollution, flooding, erosion and famine. More information about these threats and the numerous related impacts they are having on humanity and the planet can be found in a variety of sources. In this limited context it is my desire simply to alert and remind people about the myriad of problems that face us, caused by us! These devastating forces read like a list of Hollywood movies, but they will worsen if we don’t take immediate measures to reverse or slow their impacts on the planet and humanity. While human populations continue to grow, the condition and amount of our natural resources continue to decline. It is not the symptoms we need to treat, but more importantly the causes of many of these forces. Acting proactively to find solutions for many of these issues is in everyone’s best interest, before we are forced to react. Sadly, humans often don’t learn from history, and are quick to anger and slow to understand. Humanity so often reacts very slowly to tragedy, disaster, disease or genocide and only takes action after much death, damage and destruction have already occurred (be it human or nature). With the rise and fall of so many great civilizations, religions and cultures for thousands of years, humanity unfortunately learns very little or nothing from past mistakes, destruction, racism, wars and needless death. The species with the greatest potential on Earth, time and time again fall far short of the potential that lies within them. Human technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, yet humans remain much the same as they were thousands of years ago. The vast sum of human knowledge and technology is amazing, yet common sense and wisdom overall are greatly lacking within the human race. One of the greatest inventions of humanity, which holds great power is music! Music occurs in nature in many natural forms and has stirred the human soul and spirit for thousands of years. The power and influence of music is one humans can use to a much greater good. Music can convey the message of peace and love, hate and anger, among many other emotions. Music can be used as propaganda, political influence, to express religious beliefs and worship, to portray history, reflect current events and to expose sensitive social issues. Humans have taken the earth’s natural resources and turned them into musical instruments be they simple or extremely complex. It is ironic that the music on these CDs and materials are made possible by human technology and are imprinted on materials made from chemicals and petroleum products! The collection of 41 songs within this set of music contains some of the greatest, strongest, most emotional and inspiring secular tunes ever composed in recent human history about the environment, the ecological direction humans have forced on the Earth, and the hope of a planet full of peace and love for all species. The topics of these songs contain warnings, many messages of inspiration and direction, and hope for humanity and all life on this Earth. This set contains over two and one half hours of perhaps the greatest collection of peace, love and ecology songs ever compiled! Yet, through all humanity’s nonsense, continued mistakes, greed and destruction of the Earth, there is still hope for humankind. The power and message of music transcend many political, religious, cultural and social boundaries. The power of music contains a very strong tool to educate, influence human thoughts and emotions, expose evil actions, raise and uplift the soul and spirit, change and improve the beliefs and actions of people, and simply to better the human race. Whether your personal religious beliefs and views are Christian, Judaism, Muslim, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Native American or Aboriginal, Pagan or Spiritual, Atheist or Agnostic, or any other religion or mix of ideas we all live on the same planet, breathe the same air, use many of the same resources and share the same future while inhabiting Earth! We all should share the same critically important responsibility of caring for the planet and protecting all other species that live within it and fall under human influence. Numerous other social, medical and biological and political issues face humanity. But, unless we learn to be tolerant of other religious beliefs and races, and care for the Earth properly, none of those other issues will matter if we don’t have an Earth capable of supporting and sustaining life as we know it. Listen to these songs closely, feel them deep within your spirit, read the words and sing along from your heart and soul! Make a point today to safely save a turtle on the road, slow down for just a second for a butterfly, give someone a smile, and look at the inner beauty and hope for goodness and potential within every human, despite their color, perceived disability, race or religion. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Awaken the Hippie deep within you! Let the 21st Century truly be the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! This essay is not meant to be perceived as an emotional doomsday message, but simply as a report on the status of peace and the environment and what lies ahead for humanity if serious changes worldwide are not made immediately. All life on this Earth is linked, be it human, snake, bat or any form. Each animal, plant, or species we lose is one closer to losing the human race! If we take care of the planet and remember it is home to many other species besides humans, the planet will take care of us. I encourage and challenge everyone that purchases and listens to these songs to go forth and make a positive difference in the world, in whatever ways you can! Make it your personal mission to make life on this Earth better be it for humanity or Mother Nature, and for generations to come! Enjoy this awesome collection of music! Peace & Love, Karl R. Studenroth Jr.
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