When environmentalists talk about the damage we’ve done to our planet, I want to cry, but not for humans because we know what we’re doing. I want to cry for the animals, the innocent creatures who suffer for what we humans call progress.

They once roamed freely over the land, in the forests and fields, their population grew in numbers but there was always a balance maintained; the balance was called nature.

We’ve depleted our forests and fields to the point of no return for these creatures and they have little voice.

We can’t cast stones on this one, we’re all guilty. We all live in a house of some kind, somewhere. That house was built on what was once raw land, the way nature made it but we “improved” nature.

The ground was prepared soil removed, septic, sewer or plumbing installed as well as electrical. The one, two or three thousand square feet of living space and driveway, yard and road was plopped down on what was once a home to trees, plants, bugs and animals.

What God and nature intended is long gone and in its place, are man-made, artificial structures. We may plant some landscaping material but will it bring that once raw earth back to normal? No, not now, not ever.

The animals that once found a home on that plot of land are long gone. The plants that naturally beautified the landscape are replaced by concrete, brick and mortar. Many plants that are artificially placed to “beautify” the landscape are probably toxic to the creatures that do still exist and we’ve dumped enough chemicals into the soil to stunt or completely diminish any future growth.

The Earth was once a lush green home to many species of animals and human beings that happily co-existed; there was a good balance, everybody had their fair share and it was more than enough for everyone.

Our country has gone from a population of a little over 76 million in 1900 to over 272 million in 1999; nearly 200 million in population growth in just 100 years while over 200 other species of plants, fish and animals have diminished or disappeared entirely. Who’s over populating?

I will forever look upon the Twentieth Century as “the century that destroyed the earth.”

The hundreds of thousands of acres they once had has been reduced to just a few hundred. They continue to breed as nature intended, they haven’t changed their ways, we have.

Two hundred million more homes, unfathomable tons more concrete, artificial structures, roads, businesses and chemicals. We have taken away nearly everything that was already perfect and replaced it with imperfection personified; all in the name of progress.

Now we call God’s creatures nuisances, claim they over-graze, trample the ground and drive away other native species. We blame them for wiping out other plants and animals. We transplant animal, vegetable and mineral and then cast blame on them for their infringement and destruction of territories that once belonged to only the indigenous species; the very ones they once lived in harmony with, until we took over. We are killing them with our vehicles, concrete mortar, steel and our progress.

We’ve ripped most of theirs and our own natural food sources out of the earth and replaced them with cement or transplanted ones that are toxic to the animals or not in their diets. The animals, quite UNnaturally, begin to starve then we round them up and send them to slaughter all for “their own good.”

Well, I guess it’s no surprise that we mistreat the animals; the so-called sub species…we do it to each other too and it’s right up there in the top two most pathetic things humans do.

From sea to pollution-filled sea, we’re poisoning water, land and air, eventually they may all become extinct as will we.

Think about the cycle of life and gasses relevant to sustaining it. We breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide which the plants breath in then breath out oxygen. It was a perfect plan at the start, we’re the ones who thought we knew better and irreversibly screwed things up. Why should the plants and animals be the ones to suffer?

Once something is gone and there is no healthy earth for regrowth, it’s gone forever and we can’t get it back. Unless science has really researched and discovered the ‘Jurassic Park’ type of biotechnology we’re eventually and absolutely screwed.

I fear for them and us because I know that we will go even further beyond the present path of destruction of our earth and our animals; all in the name of progress. I cry for the animals because they are innocently being destroyed as we continue to diminish their quality of life. We fight for our freedom but think nothing of stifling theirs.

Humans continue to destroy the planet to our own detriment as well and we know better, we can stop but we don’t.

We’ll keep inviting more people, buildings and progress while depleting the so-called nuisances, the animals, vegetables and minerals that stand in the way of our progress. What happens when we run out of land?

A wise friend once said, “We long ago should have realized what this land is for and left it as we found it, God isn’t making anymore.” The earth is so much better when filled with nature’s life.