On 27/03/13 12:22, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:52:44 GMT, Bob Martin wrote:

We are the only species on the planet that needs an infra-structure to
survive.

As a species we don't, we can be hunter gatherers as indeed some isolated
tribes still are. Unless you class building a shelter "infrastructure"
but even then they don't *need* it, it just makes life more comfortable
when there aren't any handy caves.


and of course his statement is ******** anyway. LOTS of species - all
species in fact 'need an infrastructure' and some - beavers and termites
- make it. nearly every other species in some way creates a niche
environments well. Birds their nests, rabbits their burrows, why even
humble fungi will process organic materials and return the nutrients
back to the soil so that more trees will grow etc etc.

We may be the only species that is aware that its doing it, however.
That much I will give you.

As a civilisation or society we *need* it's associated infrastructure.

As a species I think are here to stay, we can eat almost anything, we can
build our own shelter, we have control of fire, we can tolerate a huge
range of enviroments, we can use make and use tools, we can adapt those
tools to other tasks or improve them, we communicate very effectively.

Civilisations and societies will come and go but as a species we will
remain, we are just so resilient, it would take something pretty
catastrophic to the whole world to wipe us out as a species. I suspect we
would survive even a Yucatan sized meteor impact.


well yes, the hunter gatherers are well equipped to survive just about
any global catastrophe far better than the bloke sitting in suburbia
with a couple of solar panels on his roof dependent on imported brown
rice , an I-phone and a bicycle. That is just pure silly affectation.

we are just another species exploiting niches to breed greater numbers.

If and when the niche runs out, we will find a new one or die back. Or
die out.

Our only difference is we are dimly aware of doing it.

--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.