Last Fall I spent the semester studying abroad in Santiago, Chile. One of my most memorable moments was our trip to the Atacama Desert, the driest place in the world. After spending the day trekking over dunes we climbed to the top of some cliffs and watched the sun set. As there were no clouds in the sky was fairly unimpressive. But watching the sand change color in front of us as the sun set was amazing. Then the stars began to come out and it was breathtaking. I could see more stars there than I have ever seen in my life.
It was a truly humbling experience. I truly realized the massive extent of nature in terms of size as well as time. I also realized how helpless I was when left exposed to the elements. It really let me feel the brevity that is the length of a human life. Being 5'2" I've never thought I was very large, but standing in the sand dunes with sand as far as the eye can see, stretching all the way to the shadows of the Andes mountains in the distance, truly allowed me to feel microscopic.
"Saving nature" makes it sound as though we're far more important than we are. The truth of the matter is that we are trying to preserve something that could tear us apart if the weather continues to become more volatile. Furthermore, it is something upon which we all depend. In saving nature, what we are actually attempting is to save ourselves. Though we can continue to impact our environment, it will continue long after we are all gone.
It is vitally important that we conserve, reduce, reuse, and recycle, but it is for ourselves that we do these things. Conservation is in our best interest. It is what will ensure that the earth can provide for future generations. However, it will continue long past human existence.
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