Humanity is smart, or at least it can be from time to time, when required. It is, unfortunately, also pretty stupid, greedy, and selfish. The single cell must replicate itself and consume it’s competitors to ensure that resources will be available for it’s ancestors. Scientists observe it in their Petri dishes under microscopes with the presumption that humanity is somehow more advanced than this.

And yet for all our genius, technical advantage, and superior sense of superiority, it is the ancient natives that were truly wise. The aborigines of Africa, Australia, and America or the enlightened Buddhists perhaps. It is better to share then withhold. Better to be hit than hit. Better to take only what you need than hoard.

Our only hope as a race on this planet is that eventually the individual, primal greed that is causing the destruction of our environment and depletion of resources will be replaced with one simple realisation. The only thing that can save humanity is a reduction in population together with an increase in the numbers of trees. Trees will become protected creatures and tax benefits will be granted to those that provide growing space for trees on their property and do not produce multiple human offspring. Until then, the trees and other inhabitants of the planet will often wonder whether a successful pandemic might be just what the planet needs to restore some kind of equilibrium.