By Agba Jalingo.
“If all the worms on this planet die, in about 12 to 18 months, all life on this planet will cease. Suppose all the insects die, in two and a half to four years time, all life will cease. But if all the human beings die, the planet will flourish….so who the hell is telling you that you are the most significant life?
“This idea that the cosmos is human-centric is a stupid idea.”
– Sadhguru
Arguably, without the dirty but crucial work of earthworms in our soils, life could vanish pretty quickly. We would have less food, more pollution, and more flooding. Earthworms are recyclers. They play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter and fertilizing the soil. Earthworms are great soil engineers. As they move through the soil, they loosen and mix it up, helping to aerate and drain it. This brings nutrients to the surface, making the soil more fertile, and helps prevent flooding and erosion.
Earthworms are barometers of soil health and toxicity. They’re very sensitive to soil pollutants such as pesticide residues or unwanted heavy metals. The health of worms is a useful tool to assess the impact of different land pollutants. Juicy earthworms are an important protein-rich food source for a number of animals. Earthworms can help repair damaged soil.
For the insects; over half of all known species on Earth are insects. So if they all suddenly vanished, it’s likely that civilization and ecosystems would be in serious trouble. Nitrogen-rich feces would potentially build up, choking plant life and preventing new growth. There will be no more summers of singing cicadas and flickering fireflies. No bees to pollinate. None to make honey. A world without insects means a world with empty grocery-store shelves.
But planet Earth without humans will only be replete with residential neighborhoods that would become green forests within 500 years, and radioactive waste, bronze statues, plastics among the longest-lasting evidence of human presence on Earth. When COVID 19 drove humans into their homes for months, we all saw how other creatures were already taking charge of the empty spaces.
So whoever told us that this Earth was created for man or with man sitting atop or created and handed to man, did not tell us the whole truth. The person did not tell us that every creature was created with a uniquely commensurate value. The person did not also tell us that in the end, the claim of the homo sapiens was and still is a mere claim by an ego-full creature.
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