I’m reading a very interesting book titled, “The World Without Us.” The author is Alan Weisman who is a faculty member at University of Arizona and a science writer. The book is a combination of research paper and science fiction which raises the question “What would happen to the earth if human beings suddenly disappeared?” If human beings somehow left the earth completely, what would happen to the world as we know it? After interviewing scientists, biologists, environmentalists and other professionals, Weisman makes some conclusions.
He writes that, in the first few years after the disappearance of humans, our roads and highways would crumble and be overtaken by foliage. Buildings would slowly crumble for lack of maintenance and eventually lie in ruins covered up by plants and vines and dirt. Bridges would rust and eventually collapse. Even nuclear power plants would melt down leaving only traces of radiation where they once operated. Even major cities like NY, built over streams and rivers would sink as their subways filled with water and caused cities to sink. Fish would multiply and fill the oceans as would birds in the air unlike anyone has ever seen. Wildlife would thrive and move into once populated areas. Our pets would eventually turn wild. Even the weather would become more favorable as the seasons would return to every place.
As evidence of this, he looks at certain areas of the world where a lack of human activity has caused a transformation of nature. In the demilitarized zone that separate north and south Korea where no human activity is found, birds and other wildlife have become common sites. On and on, the writer makes the case that, without human beings, the world would return to its original state of bliss. Only a few remnants of human life would remain such as plastic and glass bottles, some metals and other things that would remain for a few millennia.
Overall, Weisman paints a picture that would put a smile on the faces of extreme environmentalists who often blame human life for the state of the planet. It’s a very interesting read.
Of course, for people of faith, the answer for the state of the world lies not in the presence of the human species but in the poor choices that human beings have often made. We are reminded, for instance, in the Genesis story of creation, that God placed human beings in the garden of Eden as the crowing moment of creation. We hear in that story that man and woman lived in harmony with the rest of the animal kingdom and the environment. But our first parents made a poor choice. Tempted to become like gods, they disobeyed the creator and, immediately, as a result of that disobedience, paradise is lost. Not only do man and woman develop an adversarial relationship (the man blames the woman for tempting him), but humans develop an adversarial relationship with the earth. Suddenly, the animals are no longer our friends and God tells the man that the earth will no longer cooperate with his attempt to till the soil and raise food. Finally, death enters creation through the disobedience of the man and woman who are given dominion over the earth. All of creation suffers as a result of that “original sin.”
But unlike some who say that the presence of human beings is the greatest danger to the planet, the Scriptures reveal that it is a human person who is responsible for the redemption of all creation. As much as some would love to see the earth return to its state of paradise, that will not happen by the absence of human beings. Instead, our faith story tells us that the Creator chose to redeem the world and all creation by having his Son, the Christ, take on humanity and enter the world. So, if paradise is lost by the poor choice of human beings, paradise will be regained by the healthy choice of the human person in Jesus Christ.
Notice that, according to the Gospel, Jesus was confronted in his humanity, with the same temptation that Adam and Eve faced. He enters the desert, the most forbidding environment on earth, and is tempted by the devil. The three temptations that Jesus faces have to do with abandoning his human condition so that he can exalt himself as God. Yet, Jesus resists that temptation. Instead he chooses to remain obedient to his human nature and embrace the role that God wishes for him. And through his obedience, Jesus restores a balance to creation that was once lost by Adam and Eve. By remaining obedient to God, even to the point of death, Jesus redeems the human family and reverses the effects of original sin. But Jesus not only redeems the human family but all of creation as well. As St. Paul tells us, “All of creation groans as it awaits its redemption in Christ”. In Jesus, Paradise is regained as we are all invited to live in harmony with each other and the world. And even if we choose to refuse that invitation to live in harmony with each other and the world, there will come a time when Jesus will return to restore order to creation. The Book of Revelation tells us plainly, “There will be a new heaven and new earth” and “Jesus will make all things new.” That is good news for all human beings not just those concerned about the state of the environment.
Until all things are made new, however, we have the opportunity to begin transforming the world and ourselves by making upright and holy choices.
When we are tempted to focus only on ourselves, the Spirit within us strengthens us to choose what is best for others and the world. When we are tempted to turn stones into bread—that is—to gratify our personal desires and to comfort ourselves we are invited to look outside ourselves to care for others and our world. When we are tempted by ego and power, we are invited to become the humble servant of others. When we are tempted to bow down before the material things of the world, we are invited to remain faithful to the Creator. Like Jesus, we are given the grace to respond to temptation in a way that will build up the human family and all creation. By following the example of Jesus, we can continue to reverse the damage that has been done to the human family and the world in which we live.
Ultimately, God does not wish to save the world by removing humanity. The answer to the state of the world is not to have The World Without Us but The World With Us as we live out our humanity in the way it was intended to be from the very beginning.