A Portrait of Progress

My body winds itself through acres of barren, arid forest, under roadway bridges, and along banks of soil ravaged by contamination. I have existed here for millions of years, shaping the land with which I wind and providing balance to an ecosystem that has shifted considerably over my lifetime. As my murky waters cascade over muted rocks, I let out a harrowing cry; a cry that longs for my lost purity; a purity that has been extinguished by centuries of struggle with an ever-expanding cancer of progress and development. In the center of the devoid forest, I hear ancient friends wail in agony as their charred trunks struggle to fight for life under the increasing heat of the Sun. I was once able to care for the forest, and the forest was once able to care for me. We lived in a symbiotic balance. For millions of years, I was prosperous in my ability to sustain life – not only for the inhabitants that called my vibrant waters home, but also for the neighboring terrestrial populations that were nourished by my life-giving food and restoring water. The forest, as well, provided shelter, food, and a home for a countless number of Mother Nature’s creations. We were the protectors of so many of Mother Nature’s children – forest and stream, together, working dutifully to care for this precious habitat. I am now barren, devoid of life, and infertile in my ability to sustain any existence for my aquatic residents or land-dwelling neighbors of the forest. The forest hasn’t managed any better; its scorched understory and empty canopy is unable to provide any homes or shelters for its former inhabitants.

The change was rapid. Milenia had elapsed seamlessly as my spring-fed waters and the lush forest dutifully provided balance, nourishment, and safety to all in its vicinity. I watched in anticipation as my bipedal, land-dwelling neighbors started to advance their civilizations. Throughout my time, I have seen countless advancements among so many species around me; the forest would sprout trees near me that could survive when I overflowed my banks; fish living in my waters developed more efficient ways to feast on insects and other marine residents. Through all these advancements, the balance remained and ecosystems thrived. I knew my bipedal neighbors were different from the rest, though, at first, I was worshipped and respected as a deity. They gave thanks for my life-giving food and nourishing water. They ensured I stayed healthy because they understood my role in the environment, much as they did the role of the forest.

These developments were exciting to watch, and the forest and I gleefully watched in anticipation of what these new creatures could come up with next. Perhaps I was naïve. Perhaps I had never had a chance to think anything bad about these advancements because they had always been used for good throughout millions of years. I thought I understood the humans. I thought they would eternally worship and respect me. I never anticipated the pain and agony they would inflict on the forest and me.

It started when they cut down parts of the forest. The screams of the trees as the humans’ sharp, gleaming axes cut through their dark, elderly bark still haunts me. It was agonizing. Hordes of forest creatures scurried away as they saw their homes eviscerated. My waters were plundered as fish were ripped from the safety of their homes in astounding numbers. The fish tried desperately to keep up and repopulate, but they never could. Creatures of every shape and size were torn from their homes, disemboweled, and their populations plummeted.

This continued for decades until a massive swath of the forest was cleared and a large structure was built near my bank. I could not tell you what this structure was for as I had never seen one so massive in my entire existence. The humans ran a pipe to my waters. The liquid that spewed from that pipe was hot, acrid, and harsh. I coughed breathlessly as thousands of gallons of it poured into me. I was of no protection to the remaining inhabitants of my waters. I couldn’t breathe, and I knew they couldn’t either. I was drowning under the toxicity of whatever was flowing incessantly into me. My spring-fed headwaters tried to keep up to replenish my dying body, but there was never enough restoring water to regain the balance. I fought like hell to stay alive, to provide a livable place for the species who had relied on me for all their lives. But I couldn’t. I succumbed to the toxins. I became barren and unsuitable for life. Lifeless bodies decomposed throughout my length. Some became prey to the forest creatures who then became prey to the toxins encapsulated in the lifeless corpses. I clung to my own life dearly, but there was nothing in millions of years of existence that could prepare me for this.

The forest, too, fought for its life, but the humans were relentless. Machinery began rolling in to murder the trees at a ruthless and unprecedented pace. I saw the lifeless bodies of my tree friends being used to construct structures where the lush forest once thrived. Where the humans spared some of the trees, they dumped garbage and synthetic products that the forest could not break down. I watched as the forest’s passion to sustain life left just as mine had. We were now desolate beings in a world of progress and development.

Even today, the advancements are not stopping. More structures built of the unconscious bodies of the forest arise. My water is still toxic. I am still barren of life as is the forest. The days grow hotter each year, and I wonder how much longer humans can continue their developments without killing themselves as they have the forest and me.

Even as human advancements continue, the forest and I continue our eternal fight to return to life and sustainability. We have no other choice because it is what we are designed to do. The Earth remembers what humans forget. Humans of today forget the tranquility, balance, and respect with which we cohabited this Earth with ancient humans and before them. Nature exists in a give and take relationship, one that thrives on harmony and an understanding that we are all part of this global environment. Mother Nature has taken the forest and me in her care just as much as she has humans.

Mother Nature has also entrusted us with humans that want to help. Though I cry out frighteningly for my lost purity, I believe in the advancement of humans to help the forest and me. Perhaps I’m naïve. Perhaps I choose to believe that if humans can do this much damage to us, they can also do just as much good. The humans have removed the toxic pipe that spewed acrid liquid into my waters. Though I am still devoid of much life, I am healing. The humans that want to help understand the balance they live in with nature. Humans cannot survive without food, water, and shelter; I cannot survive with toxic waste being dumped into my body; humans cannot survive without me. The forest is crucial to humans for construction and development. However, when not done sustainably, the forest dies off and humans cannot build and progress.

As I think about the future, humans will continue to advance and develop; their sustainability depends on it. I believe they have started to learn of the balance they need to have with nature, at least some of them. I am proud of the humans that yearn to return to the ways of the ancient civilizations, promoting sustainability and harmony with the forest and me and all of nature. There’s a growing understanding that overfishing my brother and sister waters makes their food sources unsustainable; that overdrawing water from us dries us up without any source of replenishment; that deforestation leads to unsustainable building practices and eliminates a sink for the carbon dioxide they spew from their factories. I believe as they have watched us suffer at their hands, they have grown appreciative of the amenities we provide them. We do not forget what we provide for the Earth and its residents. Although humans have, at times, forgotten what we provide, I hope they continue to learn and appreciate us for our role in this terrestrial and global ecosystem. We are one common ecosystem, comingled and interdependent on each other for survival and sustainability. Humans can achieve great things, and I believe they can achieve a balance with nature that had been present for millions of years. Perhaps I am naïve. But I believe they can do this. As I look into the fire-ravaged forest that surrounds my banks, I see sprouts of scrub oaks, raspberry bushes, ferns, and mosses. The forest is healing, adapting to its new environment, ready to live in harmony with humans. We never forget our duty to all creatures of this Earth. I hope that humans continue to fight for us.