Thoughts on natural disasters and human’s position in the world
This recent event has reminded me of how insignificant we are in nature and how we can be wiped-out at the slightest geologic event. I have always wanted to demonstrate this experiment to classes of sixth graders to bring home where we stand in the world and why it is so important that we pay serious attention to how we affect the environment:
The earth has a diameter of about 8,000 miles. The atmosphere in which humans can live extends upward to about three miles (about 16,000 feet.) This is generous. I have personally climbed to 14,495 feet and felt the effects of the diminished oxygen. Above that, humans need extra equipment to survive. If we use a scale of 1 millimeter=1mile, and you went out on the playground with a string and a piece of chalk and drew a circle to represent the earth 8 meters (8,000mm) in diameter (or 26.27 feet), the width of the chalk line would be 2-3 times the depth of the breathable atmosphere where we can live. When the effects of global warming or pollution are discussed, keep in mind that the atmosphere is this tiny ribbon of gases as thick as a slice of salami and not this huge bubble that most teachers and scientists draw for illustrations. This is where we all must live. There is no other planet where we can go. We have to take care of what we have.
