DADvocate

Occassional commenter/harasser, Mark York, stated in a comment the other day in response to a discussion regarding predators.,

Fear of predators is an American staple. Polar bears wander into town when the ice melt doesn't allow them access. Do the math.

Now, I'm not sure what math I'm supposed to do. But polar bears will kill humans and, being the largest land predator in the world, about anything else it wishes. Two people have been killed in the last 5 years by black bears in Tennessee. It seems a healthy respect for or fear of large predators is a good thing.

But what is the big fear for the human race? Is it predators? Not really. Humans overwhelmingly handle predators quite effectively. Fear of natural disasters permeate mankind's history and cultures. Great Flood stories occur in many religions and cultures. Stories of destruction of cities through "natural" disasters, such as Sodom and Gomhora, Pompeii, Atlantis and many others, have passed down through the milleneums.

Even now, modern man with all his great knowledge and power trembles at the destructive power of nature. One of the popular series on The History Channel is Mega Disasters. Mega Disasters presents "could it happen" scenarios including Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Tsunami, Floods and more. Of course, the answer is always "Yes, it could happen and here's why and how." It's enough to make you wonder of we'll make it to the end of the year.

Discovery Channel carries a series called Perfect Disaster. Again, scenarios are presented in the manner of "This will happen. It's just a matter of when." These disasters often focus on a certain city or region as the focal point of the disaster with realistic enactments.

And what is currently the ultimate natural disaster to fear? Global warming. How much of our fear of global warming is based on hard scientific fact? How much of our fear of global warming is based on our fear interpreting information and creating "facts" that feed our fear? In the same manner that the paranoid man interprets events to support his paranoia can we be interpreting events to feed a fear deeply imbedded in our collective psyche for thousands of years?

I really don't know but it's a question worth pondering.