Bela Mondo

{ The first part of this post is here: Part I }

- The White Elephant

In this part of the post, we address some “difficult” concepts. Any idea that has been in existence for a long time tend to get enshrined as an absolute tenet.

Because we are looking at natural resistance, it is useful to look at what actually happens in nature. So what follows is not a digression but groundwork for what follows later.

The Natural Way

Most of us have seen wildlife programs on television and popular media. When focussing on a species, the documentary would explore their habitat, reproduction and their natural enemies. Their predators always invariably choose the youngsters, the injured or the old of the herd to target as the next meal. This even happens in the plant world, where pests will target a weak plant to attack and many gardeners will attest to this. There are many examples in nature of how the weak and vulnerable do not easily survive to make the usual lifespan of the species.

The White Elephant

We humans have never seen ourselves as part of that natural world, though we definitely are. We go against what happens in nature by not accepting that we cannot keep every vulnerable person from getting sick. Death is also a very natural part of life on Earth.

All the organisms in nature (us included; and also the viruses) interact as a whole system to balance out “extremes”. If we try to undermine nature’s natural actions, we will be doomed to failure. We exist in this ecology as a participant. The natural system of the planet is much more powerful than what our medical technologies can do.

For example, look at us struggling with covid-19. We are confident we can produce a vaccine given time. What if another one or two different viruses hit our population. Maybe concurrently. And maybe not just in ones and twos, as nothing is limiting the numbers of pathogens that can exist simultaneously. Pandemic of many viruses with the power of covid-19 - more than scary? We are talking about possible extinction of the human species.

Towards an Understanding

Bela Mondo looks at a different way that we humans can perceive the planet that we live on. We want to be part of the organisms that live in harmony with the planet. Our own bodies will eject harmful organisms that are not good for our health and welcomes those that are. On the larger macro scale, the planet Earth does the same. It is very likely that the growth in viruses that humans have experienced lately is the planet’s natural immune system starting to react to our abuse of the environment. We need to become an organism that the planet values.

This surely means that our farming methods need to be kind to the surface of the Earth. Our values need to include more than making money and include the other organisms and their well-being. Our human population numbers need to be in line with the space and resources available on the planet. The waste and pollution we produce must be reduced and recycled.

Once each of us start to imagine treating this world in which we cohabit with concern for the other inhabitants, it would not be long before our actions follow. Then we will become part of the beneficial species. And the planet’s immune system will become more welcoming to us humans.