THE EARTH AS A CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM

THE EARTH AS A CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM
By Pete Holly

PREFACE:FEW INTERNET USERS KNOW HOW THE INTERNET
CAME TO BE.THE INTERNET WAS A LONG TIME IN THE MAK-
ING AND WAS BORN AS A PRODUCT OF THE UNITED STATES
GOVERMENT AS A SORT-OF BACK UP DEVICE-IN CASE OF
OF A WORST CASE SCENERIO ALL-OUT NUCLEAR WAR.
AFTER WE HAD DESTROYED THE WORLD-IT WAS THOUGHT
THAT ALL OF THE IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE HUMANS HAD
DISCOVERED WOULD BE PRESERVED ON THIS GIANT INTER-
LOCKING NETWORK SO THAT IF A FEW PEOPLE SURVIVED-
SAY IN SOME INCREDIBLY NUKE PROOF UNDERGROUND
SAFE HOUSE;THEY WOULD HAVE A PERMANNENT RECORD
OF ALL HUMAN KNOWLEDGE AND SO IF IT EVER WAS SAFE
AGAIN TO GO OUTSIDE-THEY WOULD HAVE ALL THE
KNOWLEDGE THEY WOULD NEED TO REBUILD OUR
CIVALIZATION.THEN THERE WAS ALSO THE THOUGHT
THAT IF SOME OTHER GROUP OR GROUPS HAD SURVIVED
THEY TOO WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THIS INFORMATION.
WHAT IT IS USED FOR NOW-WAS NEVER THE INTENTION.

-THE EARTH AS A CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM

AS THE EARTH IS THE ONLY KNOWN PLANET UPON WHICH HUMAN
BEINGS THRIVE-IT IS THE ULTIMATE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM.THIS IS
ESPECIALLY TRUE AS IT RELATES TO THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A
HUMAN BEING.IN THE 70-80 YEAR RANGE MOST HUMANS WON'T
EXPIERIENCE A CATACLYSMIC EVENT LIKE THE ASTROID THAT
WIPED OUT THE DINOSAURS OR THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION ON
THE ISLAND OF SANTORINI WHICH COMPLETLY ERASED THE
WHOLE COMPLEX MINOAN CIVALIZATION-BOTH IT'S VAST
KNOWLEDGE AND ALL OF IT'S AMAZING ARTISTIC ACOMPLISHMENTS.
ONLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER DID WE EVEN BEGIN TO UNDER-
STAND THE MAGNATUDE OF WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND OF WHAT ONCE EXISTED.
ATOMIC AND HYDROGEN BOMBS WERE USED IN WARFARE IN
1945-BUT I WAS NOT EVEN BORN YET.FEW PEOPLE ARE AWARE
THAT THE FIRE-BOMBING OF TOKYO ACTUALLY KILLED MORE
PEOPLE AND CAUSED MORE DESTRUCTION THAN BOTH HIROSHIMA
AND NAGASAKI COMBINED.IT'S THE SINGLE MOST DEADLY ATTACK
ON A CIVILIAN CITY IN THE WHOLE 20TH CENTURY.BUT STILL;IT
HAPPENED BEFORE MY TIME AND BEFORE THE LIFETIME OF MOST
HUMAN'S WHO NOW LIVE ON OUR PLANET.
THERE HASN'T BEEN ANOTHER GREAT WAR-WORLD WAR III-
BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN THE END OF ALL LIFE ON EARTH-
AND SO FAR WE'VE BEEN LUCKY-WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY LEADERS
WITH AN ITCHY-TRIGGER FINGER BUT THE DANGER IS FAR FROM
OVER.TENSIONS MAY HAVE DIED DOWN BUT THE FACT IS THERE
ARE STILL MANY ICBM'S READY TO FIRE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE
AND ALL IT TAKES IS ONE TO SET THEM ALL OFF.
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT LET'S SAY THAT NUCLEAR WAR
DOESN'T HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETME.SURELY WE'D BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT
THAT WE HAD BEEN VERY FORTUNATE BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST
CHANGE THAT WE WOULD HAVE LEFT IN OUR LIFETIME OR MORE TO THE
POINT-WHAT HAS HUMAN ACTIVITY CHANGED THE MOST IN OUR LIFETIME ?
I'M WILLING TO BET THAT IT'S THE DAMAGE WE'VE DONE TO THE WORLD'S
OCEANS AND RIVERS,TO OUR ATMOSPERE{THE OZONE LAYER}AND THEN OF
COARSE TO THE EARTH ITSELF-TERRA-FIRMA.IT IS ONLY IN THE VERY RECENT
PAST THAT SCIENCE HAS BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND HOW ALL THESE ASPECTS
OF OUR PLANET,THE LAND,THE SEA,AND THE SKY'S ARE ALL INTERRELATED.
THAT ANY CHANGE OR DAMAGE YOU CAUSE OR INFLICT ON ONE OF THESE
ASPECTS-WILL IN SOME WAY-GREAT OR SMALL-AFFECT THE THE OTHER TWO.
NOW THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THIS-HOW SHALL WE GO ABOUT TRYING TO
MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS HUMAN'S HAVE INFLICTED UPON THESE
THREE INTERCONNECTED EARTH SYSTEMS.
AND I SUPPOSE THE BIGGEST QUESTION OF ALL IS WILL WE AS A SPECIES
BE ABLE TO CHANGE FAST ENOUGH IN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF WAY'S-TO
SAVE THE PLANET THAT GIVES US LIFE.FOR THIS PLANET,EARTH,WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT IT-REALLY IS OUR LIFE ! IT'S THE ONLY LIFE HUMANS HAVE EVER
KNOWN.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2009-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED