- There have been times in the Earth's past when different forms of life appear to have dominated our planet.

There was the age of the fishes when this was a prolific life form.

There was a time when ferns and the coal forests filled the swamps of our planet.

There was a time when huge reptiles seemed to have dominated the earth, but then came the mammals eventually larger, more intelligent mammals.

At some point there came a mammal that would become the most recent species to seemingly dominate the earth.

That mammal is man.

The human species is different in many ways from the others.

While some organisms may cultivate their own food supply.

For approximately 8,000 years, man has carefully planted crops, deciding what to grow, where and when.

With anticipated yields.

Once the agricultural revolution began, the human species often lived near the source of the food supply near the crops under cultivation.

Only about 200 years ago, a major portion of humans lived on farms.

It was a way of life, but with this species intelligence, it soon found ways where huge numbers of people could leave the farm and yet have access to the food supply and other necessities.

The move to the cities came relatively quickly.

The movement began in the 18 hundreds.

People flocking to the cities with fewer farmers cultivating crops for more people living in dense population centers, suburbs came into existence and the expressways, the pathways to and from the cities with large numbers of people crowded closely together, signs often communicate regulations and directions.

Today, the human species often lives and works in tall buildings, closely spaced together.

Other signs of congestion are traffic jams and the crowds.

They indicate a thriving population of humans, and the environment reflects human ability to change the landscape.

With an increasing number of people comes an increasing amount of garbage and trash.

As with any prolific species, waste from a large number of organisms affects the environment and ultimately the organisms that produce it.

Large numbers of humans means more resources are necessary to sustain them, and should the population continue to increase, so will their needs.

There are a number of organisms that live together in nature and population density affects each of them in many of the same ways that a large human population is affected.

While the human species might consider itself the dominating life form today, humans are but one of approximately 2 million different species alive on the earth.

Each is unique in its own way.

Although these organisms share many similarities, let's examine the human organism.

As far as physical ability to run.

The human being seems swift is able to run a mile in less than four minutes, but humans do not compare favorably with a number of organisms that can run much faster.

Yet using intelligence, humans have trained some of those faster organisms to carry humans on their backs.

Applying even greater intelligence.

Humans created machines that make them the swiftest organism on the planet.

Humans can lift hundreds of pounds using powerful muscles.

Surely human strength is impressive, especially in those individuals in the species with enormous ability to lift heavy weights.

Yet with all this strength, humans do not compare well to ants, far smaller in size, which easily carry many times their own weight.

But human intelligence has once again created machines that not only make up for human physical limitations, but enable man to move tons of materials with relative ease while birds can fly.

Human intelligence has created machines that take man far higher and faster than any bird on earth lifting us off the ground in a variety of ways.

Using intelligence, man is now at home in a wide range of environments.

Human inventions enable this species to visit aquatic life beneath the waters.

In recent times, human intelligence has made increasing numbers of technological breakthroughs.

Computers solve problems now more quickly than the creature that created them.

It is the intelligence of this species and its machines that hold enormous possibilities for the future of the planet.

Yet there are problems to be solved.

This species must find additional ways to secure important natural resources, such as drinking water, which could be a critical future need of the human population.

The human species must find additional energy sources.

Fossil fuels will not be available to man forever while still available.

However, such materials can be burned to generate steam and ultimately produce electricity, which powers the human community.

In seeking answers to alternate energy sources, wind and solar possibilities are being explored.

Humans are designing homes differently and energy that was once untapped is heating water and providing electricity.

Mixing traditional and potential alternate sources.

The human species must seek ways to solve its energy problems while avoiding options that result in environmental mishaps for the human species in its search for solutions has joined together chemicals that have greatly benefited mankind.

Yet man has created dangerous wastes that are hazardous to all life on earth, polluting air, water, and land.

Human garbage and trash.

Present another problem this species must overcome in the future, humans must find ways to recover these valuable resources that currently are often simply dumped and buried in enormous quantities.

This species must carefully handle chemicals in the future, putting away the most hazardous to the environment.

Chemicals must be carefully stored until needed.

Illegal toxic waste dump sites must be cleaned up, and chemical tragedies must be avoided.

If this species is to continue to flourish, it must seek ways to steadily increase the amount of food available.

Genetic improvements must continue with better technology and techniques to increase yields and amounts harvested.

This remarkable species has the capability to solve its problems and to continue to thrive and dominate the planet.

It controls the future of the environment and the human community.