Don't leave unnecessary marks or debris

What makes a child break his newly opened Christmas toy for discovering what’s inside is the same spirited urge that pushed Columbus, Magellan, Scott, Amundsen, Livingstone, Armstrong and so many other explorers. That’s who we also are as a species, although the majority of us will stop at less. We have those among us that will always go far, given half a chance, the bold or crazy ones that become the unforgettable ones. Our explorers leave legacies of opening more land, sky, sea (and more) for us to occupy and benefit from, as our numbers and abilities grow. 

Leaving a mess behind wherever we go is, however, a habit that includes greater numbers of us than our explorers. Messing on the moon, Mars and in space count among the most despicable negative monuments to human habits and doings. We crave pristine nature, seek it wherever possible and then, almost without fail, leave our messy marks there and everywhere, as if the earth and its surroundings are infinite. This happens in spite of having attained the concepts of cleanliness and order, teaching them to our kids and the compounding effects of endless protestations and insults from those that subscribe to conservation.

"But there are so many of us in so limited space, the costs of waste management are so high, we have to consume packaged stuff, we can’t kill unwanted people, we need energy, and everyone must live somewhere with decent rights and privileges!" 

"At the same time, our environment is increasingly messed up, warmed up and worn out! What legacy are we leaving?"

What people are aware of and care about they campaign about. They are known to painstakingly plan and build support for good causes, make sure the pennies drop, respond to at requisite levels to challenges and often, sometimes eventually, fix things.

We’re not here to leave a legacy of a world free from problems for our children, merely to solve as many of the problems of our generation so that future generations will be free to solve theirs. It’s how the world has always worked, and it won’t change. But if we are too weak, stupid or lazy to contribute our bit to the best of our abilities, our species will suffer and eventually disappear. The date represented by the "eventually" is all we can influence, using our brains. 

So, wherever we see the human mark on any bit of landscape or seascape, ask whether it is good, warranted or what we are going to do about it.