Whats nature ever done for us?

[Jez]

Well for starters if it wasn't for Eels, we wouldn't have the Wheel, and if it wasn't for the Electric Eel we wouldn't have the Nation Grid! I jest do I not but which animals have really helped paved the way for us Brits?? Quills from birds feathers have stylized the way we write today, charcoal goes back further and going back to our bird friends again we can see her form in the shape of the no longer but prestige Concorde plane. Any others that spring (see what I did there ) to mind please add (but not er)!

[Beekeeper]

If it wasn't for beatles, none of the music would ever have been heard and caterpillers have produced wonderful Bulldozers, if it wasn't for ants half our relatives wouldn't exist Medieval battles would have been lost without the help of the Swordfish.

Ian

[Harold Smith]

Now there’s a question! My first reaction is ‘Nothing’! After all nature is something that happens. If it was for our benefit then it suggests there is some sort of planning which I find extremely difficult to believe. There are many things that animals and ‘humans’ have taken advantage of in the natural world in order to survive. Did nature plan it that way? I doubt it! After all, life on this planet has existed for millions of years which would make it one hell of plan! If you think of the non-stick pan, you could say if was a benefit from the NASA space program. However, I am pretty certain the non-stick pan was the last thing on NASA’s mind when trying to put rocket into space. It was something someone took advantage because they saw an opportunity unrelated to the space program.

Anyway, never mind the hyperbole, I looked up the word nature in The Concise Oxford Dictionary. What a mistake! There were nine explanations for nature. Very few relating to what I think most of us think nature means. How about these; “Resin or sap in wood”, or “Naturalness or fidelity in art”. The nearest I could find “practical study of plant & animal life, physical phenomena etc”. No doubt other dictionaries will have similar and other explanations.

In my opinion we do benefit from nature because we take advantage of the opportunities that are there, not because nature says 'here's something that will benifit you'!

Harold.

[SheffieldLass]

It made us and allows us to survive. Our food, our shelter, oxygen, all our resources ... everything. And we are part of it.

[posie]

Originally Posted by Jez

!but which animals have really helped paved the way for us Brits?? Quills from birds feathers have stylized the way we write today, charcoal goes back further and going back to our bird friends again we can see her form in the shape of the no longer but prestige Concorde plane. Any others that spring (see what I did there ) to mind please add (but not er)!

....I wonder if bats and birds avoiding obstacles when flying gave somebody the idea of Radar.And tickleing Trout could have been copied from an animal predator like a cat, not that cats 'tickle' the goldfish in the garden pond, they just hook them out with their paws.......Posie..

[SusieBee]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

It made us and allows us to survive. Our food, our shelter, oxygen, all our resources ... everything. And we are part of it.

Just about to say Everything but you beat me to it!

[davecatt]

Quite so!

But getting back to jez's point (I think)

Wind powered dinamoes create free and clean EELectricity and Jaguars make nice cars.

[Jez]

The quill we picked up and used to write with, what else has nature 'in loose terms' done for us? taking the thread lightly even through I appreciate where all members are coming from, "I'm with you there bro/ sis"! "Ants definitely as they have been such a staple diet for us from chimps to men", but anything you can think of.... We have taken like the quill to write with, so things along those lines to keep the thread on in tow, is muchly appreciated! Cheers

[JoulesH]

Ever read / heard the fantastic poem / book Whale Nation (Heathcote Williams)? That tells you what whales have done for us - whole economies were derived from trade in whale products and Britain was among them.

[loripo]

Well on a cold night like tonight I'm very grateful for a feather pillow and a woolly blankie