It is evident, then, that man rules over Nature. Now, when you behold in existence such organizations, arrangements and laws, can you say that all these are the effect of Nature, though Nature has neither intelligence nor perception?
If not, it becomes evident that this Nature, which has neither perception nor intelligence, is in the grasp of Almighty God, Who is the Ruler of the world of Nature; whatever He wishes, He causes Nature to manifest. Change is a law governing the whole of physical creation. It is seen in the passage of the seasons. Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb.
The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand. The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.
He also explains that, in the physical world, the course of evolution is in the direction of increasing levels of complexity:. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and colour!
Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof The extent of the diversity of the "world of created beings" 43 is underlined in the following passage:.
The excellency, the adornment and the perfection of the earth is to be verdant and fertile through the bounty of the clouds of springtime. Plants grow; flowers and fragrant herbs spring up; fruit-bearing trees become full of blossoms and bring forth fresh and new fruit. Gardens become beautiful, and meadows adorned; mountains and plains are clad in a green robe, and gardens, fields, villages and cities are decorated.
This is the prosperity of the mineral world. The height of exaltation and the perfection of the vegetable world is that a tree should grow on the bank of a stream of fresh water, that a gentle breeze should blow on it, that the warmth of the sun should shine on it, that a gardener should attend to its cultivation, and that day by day it should develop and yield fruit.
But its real prosperity is to progress into the animal and human world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the bodies of animals and men. The exaltation of the animal world is to possess perfect members, organs and powers, and to have all its needs supplied.
This is its chief glory, its honour and exaltation. So the supreme happiness of an animal is to have possession of a green and fertile meadow, perfectly pure flowing water, and a lovely, verdant forest. If these things are provided for it, no greater prosperity can be imagined.
For example, if a bird builds its nest in a green and fruitful forest, in a beautiful high place, upon a strong tree, and at the top of a lofty branch, and if it finds all it needs of seeds and water, this is its perfect prosperity. But real prosperity for the animal consists in passing from the animal world to the human world, like the microscopic beings that, through the water and air, enter into man and are assimilated, and replace that which has been consumed in his body.
This is the great honour and prosperity for the animal world; no greater honour can be conceived for it. Two views of nature are contrasted -- one which holds that the "world of nature is complete", 49 and one that declares that it is "incomplete" 50 because "it has need of intelligence and education".
When we consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an educator. If the earth is not cultivated, it becomes a jungle where useless weeds grow; but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground, it produces crops which nourish living creatures. It is evident, therefore, that the soil needs the cultivation of the farmer. Consider the trees: if they remain without a cultivator, they will be fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful, and through cultivation, fertilization and engrafting the trees which had bitter fruits yield sweet fruits The same is true with respect to animals: notice that when the animal is trained it becomes domestic, and also that man, if he is left without education, becomes bestial, and, moreover, if left under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal, whereas if he is educated he becomes an angel The proper management of a resource to prevent its destruction or exploitation is called conservation.
Nature provides us with all the essentials for our daily needs. Due to overpopulation and human negligence we started to over-exploit our resources. If this continues, there will no resources left for our future generation. The need to conserve the resources are. Terracing: Terrace farming helps to control the fast flow of water which takes away soil with its flow.
It is usually practised in hilly areas. Soil fertility: Maintenance of soil fertility is obtained by adding manure or fertilizers or even by crop rotation. An old growth forest, like this tropical rainforest in Malaysia, is a complex ecosystem with many types of plants and animals.
When a forest is destroyed by logging, it takes hundreds or thousands of years for the forest to regenerate. Other examples of resources that are renewable but not entirely renewable include soil, wildlife, and water. How do these resources fit in both categories? Soil has a very slow renewal rate, so they are often non-renewable.
Fish and other wildlife can reproduce and so are a renewable resource, yet it is possible to take so many of these creatures that the populations are not able to rebound, making them a non-renewable resource Figure below. Organisms can be over-hunted, over-fished or have populations decline because of habitat loss so that their numbers go so low they are no longer a renewable resource. Non-renewable resources are resources that cannot be regenerated on a useful timescale.
Fossil fuels and most minerals are non-renewable resources. We can and eventually will run out of these resources. People depend on natural resources for just about everything that keeps us fed and sheltered, as well as for the things that keep us entertained. Every person in the United States uses about 20, kilograms 40, pounds of minerals every year for a wide range of products, such as cell phones, TVs, jewelry, and cars. Table below shows some common objects, the materials they are made from and whether they are renewable or non-renewable.
Gems like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, turquoise. Many different metals, like copper, mercury, gold. Non-renewable Clothing Soil to grow fibers such as cotton. Animals for fur and leather. Renewable Food Soil to grow plants. Wildlife and agricultural animals. Renewable Bottled Water Water from streams or springs. Petroleum products to make plastic bottles. Non-renewable and Renewable Gasoline Petroleum drilled from wells. Non-renewable Household Electricity Coal, natural gas, solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power.
Renewable Houses Trees for timber. Rocks and minerals for construction materials, for example, granite, gravel, sand. Non-renewable and Renewable Resource Availability From the table above you can see that many of the resources we depend on are non-renewable. Sustainable forestry practices are critical for ensuring we have these resources well into the future. One of these practices is leaving some trees to die and decay naturally in the forest. Other sustainable forestry methods include using low-impact logging practices, harvesting with natural regeneration in mind, and avoiding certain logging technique s, such as removing all the high-value trees or all the largest trees from a forest.
Trees can also be conserved if consumer s recycle. People in China and Mexico, for example, reuse much of their wastepaper, including writing paper, wrapping paper, and cardboard. We can also replace some wood products with alternatives like bamboo, which is actually a type of grass.
Soil Soil is vital to food production. We need high-quality soil to grow the crop s that we eat and feed to livestock. Soil is also important to plants that grow in the wild. Many other types of conservation efforts, such as plant conservation and animal conservation, depend on soil conservation. Poor farming methods, such as repeatedly planting the same crop in the same place, called monoculture , deplete nutrients in the soil.
Soil erosion by water and wind increases when farmers plow up and down hills. One soil conservation method is called contour strip cropping. Several crops, such as corn, wheat, and clover , are planted in alternating strips across a slope or across the path of the prevailing wind. Different crops, with different root system s and leaves, help slow erosion.
Harvesting all the trees from a large area, a practice called clearcutting , increases the chances of losing productive topsoil to wind and water erosion. Selective harvesting —the practice of removing individual trees or small groups of trees—leaves other trees standing to anchor the soil.
Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of living things that populate the Earth. The products and benefits we get from nature rely on biodiversity. We need a rich mixture of living things to provide foods, building materials, and medicines, as well as to maintain a clean and healthy landscape.
When a species becomes extinct , it is lost to the world forever. Scientists estimate that the current rate of extinction is 1, times the natural rate. Through hunt ing, pollution , habitat destruction, and contribution to global warming, people are speeding up the loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate. Scientists discover thousands of new species every year. For example, after looking at just 19 trees in Panama, scientists found 1, different species of beetles—80 percent of them unknown to science at the time.
Based on various estimates of the number of species on Earth, we could be losing anywhere from to , species each year. We need to protect biodiversity to ensure we have plentiful and varied food sources. Some predator s are useful for keeping the populations of other animals at manageable levels. Biodiversity is important for more than just food.
For instance, we use between 50, to 70, plant species for medicines worldwide. If the coral reef dies, many of the fish, shellfish , marine mammal s, and plants will die, too. Some government s have established parks and preserves to protect wildlife and their habitats.
They are also working to abolish hunting and fishing practices that may cause the extinction of some species. Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels are fuels produced from the remains of ancient plants and animals. They include coal , petroleum oil , and natural gas.
People rely on fossil fuels to power vehicles like cars and airplanes, to produce electricity, and to cook and provide heat. In addition, many of the products we use today are made from petroleum. These include plastics, synthetic rubber, fabric s like nylon , medicines, cosmetics , waxes, cleaning products, medical devices, and even bubblegum.
Fossil fuels formed over millions of years. Once we use them up, we cannot replace them. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource. However, there are other good reasons to limit our fossil fuel use. These fuels pollute the air when they are burned. Burning fossil fuels also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
Global warming is changing ecosystem s. The oceans are becoming warmer and more acid ic, which threatens sea life. Sea level s are rising, posing risks to coastal communities.
Many areas are experiencing more drought s, while others suffer from flood ing. Scientists are exploring alternatives to fossil fuels.
They are trying to produce renewable biofuel s to power cars and trucks. Everyone can help conserve fossil fuels by using them carefully. Turn off lights and other electronics when you are not using them. Purchase energy- efficient appliance s and weatherproof your home. Walk, ride a bike, carpool , and use public transportation whenever possible. Many mineral deposits that have been located and mapped have been depleted. As the ore s for minerals like aluminum and iron become harder to find and extract , their prices skyrocket.
This makes tools and machinery more expensive to purchase and operate. Many mining methods, such as mountaintop removal mining MTR , devastate the environment. They destroy soil, plants, and animal habitats. Many mining methods also pollute water and air, as toxic chemicals leak into the surrounding ecosystem. Conservation efforts in areas like Chile and the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States often promote more sustainable mining methods.
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