parasite???
By riyasam
@riyasam (16556)
India
January 11, 2009 10:46am CST
i read somewhere that man is the the biggest parasite in the earth.i donot completly agree with this .do you???I agree that man is destructive and takes from the earth what he wants and seldom replaces any thing. There is a big move in the forestry to replant what they harvest with new plants. But most industries just strip the earth and leave nothing but holes and refuse behind. You need to read more nature journals. Why do the herds in Africa keep moving? Because they eat everything in site and have to move on to find more to eat. Sheep pull the plants out by the roots completely striping the land where the graze unless forced to move on. Cattle have completely changed the eco system of areas where they graze. So we are not the only destructive species on earth. Yes humans cause problem to the environment. But we are not the only creatures that do.
4 people like this
12 responses
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
12 Jan 09
When you take the many definitions of "parasite", then yes, there are unfortunately many human beings that exhibit traits that would earn them this definition. Survival of the fittest is a natural progression of all species and parasitic behaviours will often be a byproduct of people realizing this. Sad but true. 
1 person likes this
you know,when i squash(my favorite sport)like cockroaches,no blood comes out??why on earth,they are called bloody???
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
12 Jan 09
I do not think that we all are parasites. There may be a few who like to take incessantly and return less or nothing but that doesn't make all parasites, doe it? As a matter of fact, humans are the only rational species who are bestowed with the power of intelligence and are actually planning to reverse the effect of global warming by clever landscaping and and restoring eco system. Who else on earth have the ability to do that!
Nice discussion Riya!
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@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
11 Jan 09
Really? Man was placed on earth to be fruitful and multiply and be in charge of the Earth. You want to be associated with those environmentalists who want the animals to run amock and kill as many people as they can? Every person, every animal and every fish, and every bird has to eat and so they cut up the soil, etc. while doing so. And the plants have seeds that fall into the ground, and people do plant vegetables and care for the soil.
And even without man, there will still be destruction. Those horrible lions and tigers chasing antelopes and the bones of the later messing up the landscape. Terrible is it not?
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@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
12 Jan 09
Human beings are other animals all are 'dependent' on natural resources of the earth. We utilise many natural resources to survive. It is the quality of human mind which knows how to 'use' the resoruces and replenish it. For example, If we cut down forests to get timber, we plant more trees to replinish the forests. You can say that man is a parasite upto an extent.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
13 Jan 09
Those who do not care to repay, does not succeed in the long run and are not appreciated by the Society.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
12 Jan 09
A parasite is: a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others. You can say that about using the earth.
I agree with you we are not all parasites we do care about the earth and are trying to turn the damage around by going green.
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@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
12 Jan 09
that is the truth and there are some humans that are just parasites to society and the world but not all.
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@tryxiness (4544)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
I guess, I have to agree that Man is the biggest parasite in the earth.
The cattles learn to survive on their own before they were being domesticated and the reson they got domesticated is that Man keep them in a big land so that in the future man can use their meet to sell stuff.
In the end, Man are quite more intelligent than these animals, and with such intelligence they tend to manipulate the balance of the ecosystem. The example of the cattle is one of the many manipulations that change the balance of the ecosystem.
We can not blame the cattles for their brains are limited to think of the impacts they have -- we as humans can do something to prevent or to balance the ecosystem in a way that nothing is being abused. 
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
16 Jan 09
Man is the biggest parasite on earth because he does things deliberately. I do admire he Red Indians who respect nature and the environment. We should be more respectful towards the earth that we live in. We should replace trees that we cut down. Otherwise we are going to end with burren forests.
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@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
11 Jan 09
i guess well contribute to that factor wheter we mean to or not.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
12 Jan 09
I agree with you. Humans are not the only one causing problem here in our environment. Animals are so destructive as well.Industries! Well they are run by man as well so humans could be blamed for the pollution and destruction these industries are spreading around. The main problem with humans is that we were given the intellect to know what is right and what is wrong and yet many humans (though not all) despite knowing that some actions can harm the environment do not care! How sad, how this world is going to the worse because of this carefree attitude. This is our world, why can't we altogether join hands to save this.
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@savypat (20216)
• United States
15 Jan 09
read more, I think you will find that animals who are left to nature play their part in the continued good health of the earth. It's only when man interfears with
nature that trouble starts. Just take the herds in Africa as a case in point, if allowed to travel as nature intended without man's interfearance the areas eaten by them spring forth with strong new growth, the grasses are spread by the leavings of the animals in the form of poop and all the old growth is eaten away to allow for new. When man comes along and builds cities or just fences natures plan is interupted and changed. Cattle if ruled by nature would be controlled by the lack of feed and the wolves etc. Man has made them the destrictive force they are now. JUst my opion
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@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
12 Jan 09
I would have to say that we are the most parasitic species there is to our home the mother earth. We invented cars and aerosol cans and other harmful and damaging products to our environment. I would have to say that we are easily the biggest reason why earth's ecosystem is damaged because most animals just eat things from the wild and breath air. I don't see any animals putting off noxious gases with any of their factories because their factories don't exist. So yes I would have to say that us humans are parasites but every species does damage to something either way you slice it.
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@cramino2389 (18)
• Philippines
12 Jan 09
It'sssssssssssss true parasites needs prey also to support there self.
