Are humans really that bad?

[newtron]

This question was inspired from the "What would happen " question below.  One answer mentioned the "human infection".  Are we really that different than other animals.  Many other animals have been known to use up all their natural resources and hurt their environment for themselves as well as other animals (obviously not on such a large scale).  Natural selection does not care about the environment, and until we came around probably didn't have any foresight concerning the conservation of our environment.  The fact that in many natural systems different species live in apparent harmony is a total accident.  If cockroaches were to take over the world and ruin the environment for everything else, they probably wouldn't make any effort to change their environment for the better and they would end up kill themselves.  At least  many of us are now realizing the importance of conserving our natural resources and that it utlimately will help us survive and reproduce like we are programmed to do. We're the nicest infection that I've ever heard of!!  What do you think?

[newtron]

Here's an example of how other species will overpopulate and threaten the integrity of its habitats and the habitat of other wildlife species if given a chance.  http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/sauvagine/html/comm_2-2-99e.html

[stupid64]

I quote answer from the Matrix

There are two paracites on Earth,One wich knows when to leave a dead body, and one which screams famin when its time leave.

The answer is yours not mine!

[brachiopod]

Two things;

Natural selection has no foresight whatsoever.

"In natural systems, diffrent species live in apparent harmony" is NOT a total accident, nor is it any form of 'design' either. It is just dynamic equilibrium in action.

[WoWo]

There was a similar question and resulting discussion some time ago (about a year) or so. I agreed with pretty much what your saying which is basically man has via natural selection got himself in to a position which seems to be damaging the environment in a negative way (which he is) but equilibrium will be restored at some point. All it would take would be for another animal to get a similar foot hold in evolution to have done the same thing.

It's important to note that during the earths evolution that there are likley to have been periods where some species have evolved in similar ways leading to the destruction of their environment and ultimatley themselves. Take for example super mamals, giant tigers, elephants and horses they seem to have evolved to the point the eco system couldn't support them and died out.