Humankind's Continuing Struggle (IV:8)

  IV:8 Beyond its perception of "ownership", humankind seems to be under the impression that it can completely disregard the rights of other species on Earth and do as it pleases to the land and with its resources.  

  Such notions are a particular concern that observers have about humankind, a species generally perceived as having the potential to do great things but also the potential to create great conflict. Observers see the species at a crossroads and have been unable to formulate a hypothesis as to which direction it is headed. The general consensus is that humankind has a long way to go before it will ever be perceived as a peaceful species that will start making friends in the Universal community.  

  Every species in Universe has a right to establish a personal territory where it can live in peace, and has the right to defend itself and its territory against invasion. In the process of settling a new territory, it is not unusual for the process to include some disruption to native habitats. This is an accepted difficulty of life in Universe.  

  What is not acceptable when settling a new territory, and what humankind has repeatedly been guilty of throughout its history, is the destruction of everything in its path and then settling into the claim, rather than carving out adequate space for itself within the native environment. It is not acceptable to clear the entire forest and everything in it when it needs only to cut down a few trees to settle and survive.  

  A few examples of human entitlement on the level of egregious include leveling entire mountains to extract relatively small amounts of non-renewable resources such as coal; destroying oxygen-producing rainforests for timber; driving the whale and other marine populations to near extinction through commercial fishing; and polluting the very air in which humankind and other species breathe yet doing nothing to clean it up.  

  Sometimes it is necessary to take extreme action to survive a desperate situation. But gratuitously destroying habitats to extract resources of which there are non-destructive alternatives is gruesome, criminal, and lazy behavior. Unfortunately, humankind routinely engages in such behavior for the sole purpose of profit, a shortsighted venture as limited resources will produce limited profits, whereas sustainable and non-destructive resources will produce continuous profits that are not dependent on continually seeking new non-renewable resources, destroying whatever is obstructing the non-renewable resource, and constructing the system to extract the non-renewable resource until it runs out and then repeating the process again at a new location.  

  There are many roads to prosperity, but blanket destruction is a dead end for all. Humankind needs not destroy entire ecosystems in order to survive.  

  While humankind has blazed paths of destruction across the face of Earth, it must realize before setting off for new interstellar destinations that such behavior will not be tolerated in greater Universe. If humankind sought to stake a claim on a world where intelligent life did not already reside, and if there are native non-intelligent life forms on this other world—even if it they are simple bacteria or single-celled organisms—humankind would have to agree to co-exist with and not annihilate the habitats of this native life in order to have the claim recognized by the Universal community. Over billions of years, the Universal community has established a "wiki-like" collection of data known as "The Database" that includes classifications of known worlds and species, so it is unlikely that humankind would encounter a world where the native habitats of these life forms were completely unknown.  

  Additionally, when traveling to new worlds, humans would not have the right to destroy native populations that may pose a health threat to them, and they would be advised to stay away if their presence threatens the health of a native population. Humankind would not be permitted to "sterilize" new worlds to create a habitat for itself but would instead have to find a way to adapt to the native environment, whether by inoculation or other protections. In order to approach a new world not currently inhabited by intelligent life, humankind would first need to consult The Database to check if there are any claims or restrictions on that world. If there are not, they would have to make an entry into The Database stating their intent to approach, which would generate a message that would be sent to anyone who has previously made an entry regarding this world. If no one objects, they would have to follow the recommended guidelines for approach that would likely include procedures that, if followed, would not pose a threat to any native life and offer health protection advice for the visitor. If any of these recommendations are not followed, the visitor risks being held accountable for any damage it may cause to the native inhabitants of that world.  

  If and when humankind does establish itself as an interstellar species, it must show far more respect to new worlds than it has shown to its native Earth. It would be wise to accept the guidance and protection of the Universal community and resist any temptation to go it alone, which could lead to perils unknown to humankind or banishment back to Sol if the rights of another being or beings are violated. There are no formal laws or courts in space, but violating the Universal Law of Freedom—the Universally accepted principle that recognizes the right of all beings to live freely and peacefully as long as they do not violate the rights of others to do the same—will summon a collective of species capable of enforcing banishment.  

  There are many wonderful worlds and much welcoming life in Universe, but there are many cautions to be heeded. Respect must be given to worlds where native life exists. It would be foolhardy to ignore advice based on knowledge accumulated by travelers over billions of years.