The two most important priorities in the world today are: to understand and value the web of life and to act on this understanding.

Humans as well as all other living creatures rely on the web of life for their existence. The web of life is all the interconnections and relationships among all the plants, animals and parts of Earth. All Earthlife, air, water, rock, soil, fire, as well as the sun and moon, all affect Earthlife.

All of these interrelate, cooperate, depend and affect others.  It is these interrelations that make up the web of life. If any one is harmed or destroyed it affects the web of life which affects us all. If too much destruction is done the web will fail and our species as well as others will not be able to exist.

In our modern culture the web of life is invisible to most people, no value is placed on it. Our culture is built on separations. Separation between humans and Earth, between humans and the rest of Earthlife, between matter and spirit.

If any attention is paid it is through science, and science must be commended for that. But even science has a very limited view; the food chain, the carbon and nitrogen cycle, living systems, biodiversity, organisms social systems, ecosystems.

These are valuable but only a part of the picture. Science is valuable but for the main has a mechanistic view of life and views it only through the filter of observation and repeatable experiments. It can measure the effect of relationship but not the relationship itself. Some things are invisible and cannot be physically measured.

There is an incredible amount that we don’t even know exists. We are discovering new things every day. We also don’t know how all the ways that the life we do know about affects the web of life.

Humans sensory perceptions are limited, science is further limited when it considers things inert matter, and dismisses all phenomena they cannot measure.

It is in the interest of our economy to not value anything that cannot make profit as defined by our economy, even life. It is in the interest of some extreme belief systems to demean Earth and Earthlife and to actually want to see it/us all destroyed!

So unfortunately we have a cultural bias, for ignoring the web of life. Hopefully we can adjust our cultural bias against life (that we are apart of ) in time to reverse the greatest damage.

How can we better appreciate the web of life?

Learn what science has to tell us about it, but do not be limited to that. We cannot see touch or measure the web but It would be helpful to cultivate a holistic, experiential view.

If one walks in a forest, mountain, seashore, anywhere in pristine nature and opens oneself up to the experience without distraction, something can be sensed. There is a definite feeling that is different than our usual existence.

Can it be we sense things like the winds going to the forest to rest, the roots sharing information and nutrients, the totality of all the interactions of the millions of creatures in the soil to the various compatible plants to the myriad of insects, birds, mammals, fish all finding food, making their

home, reproducing, dying, recycling, interacting and interdependent in countless ways.

The forest itself interacts with the air, soil, sky, water, sun, moon, affecting each one of us. The forest is more than the sum of it’s parts. Are we sensing the web of life?

There is a tree which has green sour fruit, until one specific day every year when it pumps sugar into its fruit which then turns bright red. On that same day a flock of migrating birds flies over the tree and alights to feast on the red sweet fruit, before resuming their arduous journey. The communication and cooperation between the tree and the birds is part of the web.

The patterns of ice are changed by thoughts. Loving thoughts make a harmonious pattern destructive thoughts a chaotic one.

We are constantly interacting with the web. Everything we do, every breath we inhale or exhale, everything we choose to eat or drink, use or throw away, our sweat, shed skin, elimination, even thoughts all affects the web. We breathe the same air as the ancients breathed we drink the same water. The health of the web affects us, we affect the health of the web. All our choices matter. We are related to all.

If one can truly understand this and appreciate the preciousness of the web of life then one will instinctively know when something will destroy it. Genetic engineering, synthetic biology, nuclear power, use of toxic chemicals, pesticides, overuse of fossil fuels, are some of the things, that are destroying the web.

Earth is now experiencing unprecedented mass extinctions.

In a study of umbilical cords of newborn babies in the USA, a limited number of chemicals were tested: 287 were found. 180 were cancer causing, 217 were toxic to brain or nervous system and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development.

We are all connected.

The web of life should be the touchstone that we go to to base all our decisions on. Let us become aware of the most precious Web of Life which we are a part of. Let us enjoy it and protect it for all of Earthlife.