Eventual destruction of the Earth

Discussion in 'Philosophy and Religion' started by Professor Jumbo, May 11, 2004.

  1. Professor Jumbo

    Professor Jumbo Mr. Smarty Pants

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    In approximately 4.5 billion years the sun with swell to red giant state, engulfing the orbit of Venus. The earth will be turned to an atmoshpereless nickle and iron cinder. Aproximately 100 million years later the sun will swell to red super giant state, engulfing the orbit of Earth. The planet will then be utterly destroyed. It is likely, however, that some other event will wipe out life on earth years before any of that happens. So what's the point then? Why advocate for any kind of "preservation of the Earth" other than for momentary and selfish reasons?
     
  2. Fractual_

    Fractual_ cosmos factory

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    who told you that?


    the reason to care for the earth is because it is a living thing, like you and me, no better or worse. it does however deserve our love! it is also our home, and our only one at that.
     
  3. mother_nature's_son

    mother_nature's_son Member

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    Why don't you just kill yourself? C'mon, stop being so selfish.
     
  4. Fishndude

    Fishndude Member

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    Damn I better start building my underground bunker,sounds like we don't have long .lol
     
  5. know1nozme

    know1nozme High Plains Drifter

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    Hey, "preservation of the Earth for momentary and selfish reasons" - that's good enough for me! No point in arguing about something that is expected to happen 4.5 billion years form now. That's a long time off.

    How about preservation of a stable living environment for the next hundred-thousand years or so... Or at least for the next seven generations or so... You know, long enough for us to get off this ball and out into the REAL uncharted territory. Once we have figured out a way to expand beyond this solar system the destruction of the Earth will be a moot point.

    It’s survival of the species that I am concerned with. Let’s see how far we can get before we wipe ourselves out from sheer boredom, eh? But that means taking good care of the planet we have until we are strong enough to leave it and become the hermit crabs of the universe.
     
  6. POPthree13

    POPthree13 Member

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    Life as we know it has come from a strand of reproducing RNA to the amazing variety of creatures on the planet today in around 3 Billion years. Did they ever ask what the point was? If we have another 4.5 Billion years to grow what new and amazing thing may come out of it.

    I think it is shortsighted human defeatism that makes us think that just because something must end it must not be worth it. If you really look at life that idea seems really foolish. Just because your going to die you can find no reason to live? Just because the sun will set you have no reason to make a day of it?

    Whatever is going down here on earth is a lot bigger than just a human's view of existence and for billions of years life has gone on without any idea that there would be a tomorrow. So... how about being at least as positive as a fly or an ant or a virus?
     
  7. osiris

    osiris Senior Member

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    the way i look at it is, there is no ultimate purpose in living, so therefore no ultimate purpose in giving up. Like a fire, you can burn fast and bright or slow and dull, or slow and dull then fast and bright then slow and dull... shit... you think the fire cares about how much fuel is left? nah, just the action of burning it until it is gone!

    much love :)
     
  8. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    tangable worlds come and go like tangable anything else. its a big universe and worlds are always being born and lost. but hey four and half billion is a pretty good chunk of time. our species has only been arround yet for a couple of million. in four and a half billion we'll either all be long gone or know how to look for greener pastures or even possibly have evolved into total nontangability ourselves. today we have a green world to enjoy, why not let's just enjoy it while we have it and try not to screw it up (any worse then we may already have).
     
  9. Fractual_

    Fractual_ cosmos factory

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    lol yeah, by that time we will probably each be our own planets! communicating telepathically of course!
     
  10. FreakyJoeMan

    FreakyJoeMan 100% Batshit Insane

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    There's no point to anything, and that's the point.
     
  11. sky_pink

    sky_pink er... what's the time?

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    Hmm. Well, obviously we don't know the meaning of it all. All I can suggest is that something might happen in those 4.5 billion years, something for which we should be alive and well. The second coming? The discovery of a wormhole so we can travel to... wherever? The ability to travel to beyond our Solar system? Who knows.
     
  12. FreakyJoeMan

    FreakyJoeMan 100% Batshit Insane

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    Heh, heh. We'll all become star babies and travel the universe in our little luminescent bubbles.
     
  13. sky_pink

    sky_pink er... what's the time?

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    Well, well, well, who here has watched to many movies... or rather one movie too many times? :rolleyes:
     
  14. FreakyJoeMan

    FreakyJoeMan 100% Batshit Insane

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    I'm just a psychonaut, girl.
     
  15. Professor Jumbo

    Professor Jumbo Mr. Smarty Pants

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    Sigh, I suppose that I should have been a bit more simplistic. Eventually, all life on earth will be wiped out. Currently, humanity seems to trying to speed up the process. Rampant pollution ruining the ecosystem, continual extinctions upsetting the food chain, deforestation contributing to extinctions as well as altering whether patterns and atmospheric composition. We have nuclear proliferation to think about as well as mass stravation, over developement, desertification due to over grazing. Possibly global warming, a shrinking ozone layer. I could go on and on and on.

    I reiterate; eventually, all life on earth will be wiped out. Sure we can come up with fantasies about space ships and telepathic existence, and maybe some day we will be able to permanently reside off planet I'd like that, but that's not the point. The point is this: Once it's all gone , once no life is left it won't matter that we didn't save it because nobody will be left to care. Why then does it matter that we preserve life for the time being? Why does it matter when it ends?
     
  16. sky_pink

    sky_pink er... what's the time?

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    Hell, you can't know how it'll end. That's the beauty of it.
     
  17. osiris

    osiris Senior Member

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    it doesn't matter that it will end, or if it will end. it matters that we are here, now.

    much love :)
     
  18. know1nozme

    know1nozme High Plains Drifter

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    For the time being we have some measure of control and a little thing called hope. These are reason enough to care about maintaining decent living conditions on this little rock we call home (it isn't the Earth we are saving, it's US). Seems to me that you have at least a cursory interest in this or else, with that attitude, you'd have snuffed it by now, so I'm sure you see my reasoning here. Why concern yourself with a "someday" that is so far off? There is going on NOW that could be occupying you attention.

    Any parent worth the title will tell you that the birth of a child creates a whole new paradigm for living: Insuring the future of the child. It is built into the instinctual make-up of many creatures living on the planet - such an instinct must serve a purpose, or the universe/evolutionary process wouldn't have bothered with it. Simply because you don't understand that purpose doesn't invalidate it. It is obvious; you see it every day, if you bother to look. You might as well be asking "Why does a mother bear defend her cubs from harm?" Same answer.
     
  19. osiris

    osiris Senior Member

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    it goes even deeper than instinct, if that is possible to contemplate.


    much love :)
     
  20. 7river

    7river on a distinguished path

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    eventually you will die as well...why bother taking in nourishment and seeking shelter? why even attempt comunication at all...it does not matter, your fate is sealed...all our fates are sealed...everyone will die. why do we stop for a child crossing the street...will she not die within a hundred years?

    i think in our hearts we know we are here to remember our place of harmony with the one.if we get quiet, we do what feels right and brings no harm.
     

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