I heard a discussion on the radio this morning suggesting that humanity isn’t in all that much trouble because we can always save ourselves by creating a “life raft” to colonize distant planets once we have truly and totally destroyed this one. The idea completely floored me, but it isn’t the first time I have heard it. Being able to do this means that we don’t have to do anything about global warming, or excessive pollution, or over population, over fishing, … etc, etc. Many people seem to believe that while those things might end up making the earth uninhabitable to humans we are clever animals and can always start over again somewhere else.

Ignoring the huge problems associated with finding a suitable planet close enough for people to survive the trip in enough generations to prevent those travelers from transform into some other species through mutations happening along the way – what makes anyone think that we could be more successful in creating a new world, populated by a civilization that is any better than the one we have? Currently, we live on a pretty nice planet that has everything we could ever need already here. We have literally evolved together with the planet and therefore are as close to a perfect match that you could image – but we don’t seem to understand the value of what is here. We just trash it as if it is an old beer can that can just be discarded along the roadside while we reach for another.

If we can’t find the means to maintain what is already here, how could we possibly do better with a new one that DOES NOT meet our needs because we did not evolve together. The new one might be populated with plants and animals (and perhaps other things), but they won’t suit us. We will have to change that planet using our great wisdom and “smarts”. We don’t seem to be able to do it now, and won’t be able to accomplish the MUCH more difficult task of starting from scratch.

I know this is just a silly idea, but unfortunately there are many people that use these types of crazy concepts as an excuse for continuing to foster our “God given right” to destroy whatever it is that we feel like destroying in the name of short term, selfish desires. “Not to worry, we are capable of doing anything” (except manage what we already have). Having dominion over every living thing does not mean destroy it all, it means taking care to keep it healthy. Because of some unfortunate accidents of nature, we are in a place where we can destroy or protect. I think the Bible is referring to our ability to protect.