"Toni" wrote in message arthlink.net...
" wrote in message
Folks are very quick to humanize a critter, but plants? It's about
respecting life. Where do you draw the line of imposing on another
lifeform or establishing some sort of human value system on nature?

Is a weed any worst than a pest, be it vermin or bug?
Is killing algae "bad"?

Bioethics has many questions folks can wrestle with, many of them
difficult to answer.

How do we view plants vs critters?


I'm an avid gardener.
I truly try to use my time outdoors as an opportunity to get in tune with my
garden. Any exotics I bring in are provided with the best conditions
possible or I don't buy them. I put a fair amount of time and effort into
both researching and providing proper conditions for the life I care for.

As for the weeds? I pull 'em by the buttload- I'll have half filled the back
of a pick-up by the time you read this.
I won't insult you by suggesting that I apologize to each and every piece of
purslane, but I do try and keep a good frame of mind as I work. Thanks to
the big giant sky for the sun, regret for those who must be removed, and
sometimes a gentle chiding for growing in the wrong place to begin with. All
is taken to a giant compost heap and recycled.

In my mind it's about karma.
As long as I do more good than evil I believe my plant karma is fine.

It is about avoiding a cavalier attitude towards life, that's all.

I applaud the dexterity of mind required for such selective solemnity,
but it does demonstrate that excessive reverence can be debilitating.
Worse is the seemingly compensatory enthusiasm for protecting "nature"
from human impact. Yes we need to concern ourselves with the
environment in general and things like releasing invasive species in
particular, but the facts are that man's participation in nature
through technology (e.g., genetically modified crops, modern
fertalizers, and yes, even DDT) have been net gains for us as a
species. Nature in reality is an unchartable process, red of tooth
and claw but forgiving and infinitely suprising; even the most
karmically-balanced of us can get hosed and the most learned of us can
wind up asking "What the hell is this?"
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ile_science_dc

Relax. Kill a few mosquitos without apologizing.