The more activity, the more energy (in the form of calories or fossil fuels, hydroelectricity, nuclear and so forth) and resources we have to extract and consume.
The more energy and resources we have to extract and consume, the more we damage nature.
Because we’ve overproduced so much, all human activity, no matter how seemingly innocuous, is harmful to nature.
That being said, I’m not advocating we just keel over and die, rather I’m advocating we only produce what we really need, and perhaps what we really, truly want, and nothing more.
We shouldn’t push ourselves to produce more than we feel like, to keep up with Joneses sort of speak, or because we think we need to when we don’t or whatever, because we’re under the false impression the more money or crap we cram into our lives, the better.
All human activity harms nature, but some much more so than others, materialism is the worst kind of excess, where as artistry, intellectuality and spirituality aren’t so bad, which’s why I’m encouraging them over materialism, especially if they’re utilized in the service of slowing the rat race down, than it’s actually good for nature, and for all of us.
Materiality gets overplayed in our culture, because, well, we’re a materialistic culture, that and you can make more money off of material, especially these days, art and literature are practically free thanks to the internet.
I’m surprised I’m one of the few people out there saying this, many people agree we ought to do more to help the environment, but few people realize it’s the doing, that’s the problem.
I think George Carlin said it best when he said something to the effect of: ‘nature doesn’t need our help, it just needs us to get the fuck out of the way’, but ultimately it doesn’t even need that.
‘The planet is fine, the people are fucked, it isn’t going anywhere, we are’.
If we don’t learn the lesson that we’ve got to live in harmony with nature the easy way, we’re going to learn it the hard way, the planet will shake us off like a bad cold, a flue, but not after we cause another mass extinction event first, where few macro-organisms will survive, us included.
And also, too much activity can harm us directly, not just indirectly by harming nature, too much physical and mental stress, or too much (pharmaceutical) drugs, junk food, ain’t good for your health, and the products we use are becoming too artificial, irradiated, toxic and unlivable.