The Power of Nature

On my last trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior, the waves were big, often reaching five or six feet tall. It made for a dramatic experience watching them crash onto the granite boulders along the shoreline. As they hit the rocks, the sprays were been impressive, reaching six or even seven feet in height. The waves get bigger as the strong winds blow across the water, a beautiful sight. Seeing this dynamic in real-time reminds me of the power embedded in Nature.

As individuals, we tend to believe that we have the power to control everything in our lives. People who prioritize sustainability and acknowledge the negative impact of human behavior often view nature as a victim of our actions. Yet this is simply untrue.

Humans are arrogant, but Nature is no victim

If there’s one thing I know for sure, Nature is never a victim.

Seeing the power in waves and wind makes human power pale in comparison.

We have arrogance when it comes to our relationships. As humans, we like to create command and control structures, and it’s one aspect of our hubris. We also like to think we are the top predator in this ecosystem, forgetting that Nature has more power than we will ever have, collectively or individually. Our actions have brought us to a changing climate with 500- and 1,000-year weather variations over the past years. According to research published in Nature Climate Change, at least 85 percent of the global population has experienced weather events made worse by climate change. This is Nature reminding us of its power.

Part of the worldviews of people who deny climate change subtlety diminishes the intensity or significance of climate change. They don’t think the loss of biodiversity will damage a human being’s right to make money or extract more natural resources that put future generations in harm’s way. Three things hold together their point of view:

  • Ignorance of the world’s interdependent nature
  • The implications of their actions over time.
  • Their arrogance of believing in their power to do what they want.

What this point of view misses is that the actions of these “deniers” may cause the actual extinction of humankind.

We already have places on this earth that are becoming unlivable due to CEOs’ and policymakers’ decisions. We know this will result in the population migrating away from their homes because these places can no longer sustain them. We also know climate change will disrupt political regimes and increase conflict. These costs are already being manifested right now.

Nature will regenerate – it’s designed that way!

We may not have understood that Nature will continue to exist even if the human race doesn’t. Nature as a system has a 3.8-billion-year history designed to create conditions that support future generations of life. Over the 3.8 billion years, life has come and gone. Dinosaurs no longer exist, but other life forms do! This is what nature does, it regenerates itself. There have been five mass extinctions in our planet’s history, and in one, up to 95% of life was lost. Many scientists believe we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction. Why do we think as humans that we will be spared? Our choices and actions will matter to our lives and those of our grandchildren.

Behind this denial is the perception that Nature is not as powerful as it is! Nature will always win over time in a match up with human beings. If we remembered this, and understood the fragility of humans, perhaps we would accelerate a shift in the reality of our own power and see the power embedded in nature. That is another gift I have received from this visit to the North Shore of Lake Superior, perspective on my relative place in nature and the world.

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2 Responses

  1. Thank you for this thoughtful post. It flipped a switch in my thinking about climate change. Love this series on the North Shore.

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