Last drop of water is a tear -- A topic about water, forests, and people

Author: Dao Luo Zhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Every resource has sovereignty or property rights. A reasonable explanation of the self-logic of sovereignty and property rights requires boundaries. Unclear boundaries make responsibilities ambiguous and perspectives blurred. Einstein once explained to his son why he discovered the theory of relativity. He used the example of a beetle crawling on a basketball—it sees a flat world and thinks it is conquering the world. But a bee can see the basketball is round at a glance because it flies high and has a three-dimensional view. He used this three-dimensional vision to discover the theory of relativity. Adopting a three-dimensional vision to observe the essence of life and explore one's responsibilities is the foundation for growth, success, and achievement, and is key to possessing the qualities of fulfilling duties for society and the future. History exists quietly and silently, silently stating the intergenerational inheritance of boundaries. How should we use "three-dimensional vision" to make effective discoveries and respect them as responsibly as possible? If human "tears" really only have one left, it can only prove human shame and human guilt. The vast and abundant resources of the Earth are enough to nourish and sustain human civilization for generations. The measured use and control of resources reflect the modern civilized values of humanity. Taking national borders as sovereignty boundaries is a political principle and cultural belief passed down by our ancestors. No matter how great your wealth or power, boundaries protect the unshakable pride of national sovereignty from a perspective of responsibility and morality, while also limiting the blind abuse of power and the plunder of wealth, thus maintaining positive progress in human society within a framework of coexistence and order. Naturally, ancestors could not clearly define property rights for the resources they left behind. Throughout the process of human reproduction, no matter how much change occurs, it is actually a transformation of material resources. In other words, according to the law of "conservation of mass," any foundation and conditions we rely on, cherish, and enjoy today are at the cost of consuming certain resource costs. Many of the resources consumed, such as coal and oil, are non-renewable; even those renewable or recyclable resources, such as water and trees, require ample time and technological costs to restore their original state. Clearly, if the "boundary principle" is used to divide the "resource sovereignty" that each generation should enjoy, wealth growth would be more restrained, the use of power would be more reasonable, and civilized values would be passed down progressively, making history more orderly. Unfortunately, the lack of "resource sovereignty" and the ambiguity of the "boundary principle" have transformed our proud social prosperity and economic growth, from the perspective of excessive exploitation of resources, into a brutal infringement on the sovereignty of future generations and irresponsible plunder, completely contradicting the existing moral principles. A society that does not develop or develops slowly produces far fewer problems. The greater the intensity of phased reforms and development, the more problems arise—this seems to be an unavoidable "multiple effect." From a developmental perspective, the emergence of problems does not necessarily cause alarm. However, when the ability and means to solve problems cannot keep pace with the speed of reform and development, society can fall into a dilemma of being stuck between progress and retreat. Any artificially created difficulties can be mitigated or overcome through human and institutional constraints. As our society continues to thrive with development and brings us ever-changing life experiences, Dao Luo stands like the bee that flies away from the basketball, standing above the sovereignty of future generations, with a perspective that transcends the local, issuing a warning and call to modern people to respect the boundaries of resource sovereignty. This is a topic that is both heavy and moving. If we hope to avoid shame, if we hope never to reach the last drop of tears, if we hope to be called responsible by future generations, I believe that each of us can respond in different ways starting now.