Have you ever really wondered what Earth was like in ancient times before industry, pollution and the so-called progress of humankind? I imagine peace, beauty, freedom and serenity. Even though there may have been hostile elements in the way of animals, the weather, etc. I still get the impression of an incredibly serene existence -- the beauty of nature, the wonder and awe found in watching the animals in their natural habitat and the breathtaking miracles of Earth unfolding would have been a magnificent sight to behold. Of course, I'm referring to a time period long, long ago.

There are many environmental issues that plague our world these days. We face a diminished ozone, air and water pollution, natural disasters due to the depletion of our planet's natural resources, global warming, extinction of species and the list goes on. There are those who believe that the earth is a living, breathing organism; if there is any truth to that theory then I would have to say that in the wake of the natural disasters occurring in recent times such as tsunamis, earthquakes, etc., Earth must be pretty pissed off. The signs are all around us; all we need to do is open our eyes and look.

Recently, I was watching a documentary on television about cases that have occurred in California and other areas where mountain lions have come into populated areas, taking pets and even small children for food. This is a terrible scenario. I felt the tears well up in my own eyes as I listened to a father talk about the loss of his five year old daughter. Of course, we must blame the animals for the death of this innocent child and others like her. But who is to blame really? The animals are acting according to instinct -- their survival instinct. It is the greed of humankind that is truly to blame for circumstances such as these. Land development has all but forced wild animals out of their natural habitat. With less and less wilderness for these animals to live in, they must roam elsewhere -- into human habitat. This not only puts the animals at risk for extinction, it puts humans at an even greater risk, mostly human children.

No matter what the results, humankind steadily forges ahead depleting our planet of all her natural resources. When will we stop? When there is nothing left to take? When it is too late? How many lives must be lost? What will it take before we realize the disastrous results of our actions on a global level? How much devastation must happen before it finally sinks in to our profit oriented minds? Humankind does not seem to understand the concept of moderation. There is constant taking but no giving. Every idea is conceived and born with one goal in mind - profit. But what good will that profit do when there is nothing left, when our world has become nothing more than an empty shell?

Is progress worth the lives of our children? What else can we expect from a planet that has given everything to sustain us and our quality of life, yet we never have enough? Will we continue to demand more even when there is nothing left to be given? Our government worries about threats from space such as an asteroid or meteor striking the earth and causing mass devastation. While yes, this is a possibility and could be a real threat, there is yet a bigger threat that is much closer to home. In fact, it has been right here for quite some time. That threat is the population of intelligent life that calls this planet home. Humanity wields weapons of mass destruction and we've already been given glimpses of future results. We are like children playing with fire. The question is: How many times must we burn our fingers before we drop the matches and learn from our mistakes?

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and columnist for the print publication Moon Shadows Magazine. She is also the author of "Aftertaste: A Collection of Poems" and "The Choosing." Her work has been published extensively both online and in print. For more information visit her website at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com or contact Darlene at darzagata@yahoo.com