Only On The Walters Post

You know, we humans like to think we’re running the show. We fuss, we panic, we talk about saving the planet like it’s some helpless kid we’ve got to watch over. But the truth is, Earth’s been through worse than what we’re doing now, far worse, and she’s still here. It’s kind of humbling when you think about it.

Interestingly enough, scientists have been digging into how the planet regulates itself, and they found something they’re calling a “supercharged thermostat.” Sounds fancy, right? But it’s not a gadget, it’s not a computer program. It’s just the way Earth sorts herself out over long stretches of time. Pump enough carbon into the air, warm things up a bit, and eventually she starts cleaning up, on her own stubborn schedule, not ours.

Here’s how it goes. Rain hits the rocks when it warms up. I suppose that’s something most folks don’t think about unless you’ve been staring at wet stones on the side of a trail somewhere. That rain grabs carbon from the air, washes it down to the oceans. Out there, tiny plants called phytoplankton feast on it. When they die, they sink to the bottom, taking that carbon with them. Layer after layer, century after century, the planet tucks it away, quietly cleaning up after us.

What’s wild is how it feeds on itself. The warmer things get, the more these little plants grow. And the more they grow, the more carbon ends up on the seafloor. It’s not like flipping a switch mind ya, as it takes tens of thousands of years. But over that stretch, Earth hits her own reset button. She doesn’t care what we think. She just balances things out.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea as we’re still going to have heatwaves, storms, droughts, all the chaos we’ve stirred up. This doesn’t let us off the hook. But in the long haul, she’ll find her footing again. She doesn’t do it for us. She does it because that’s what life does… it adjusts, it keeps going, it endures.

I suppose me telling you all that doesn’t mean much, but I kind of figure it’s worth mentioning. So next time you feel like we’ve broken the planet beyond repair, remember: we’ve only shaken the branches. The roots are still holding fast. And somehow, that’s enough to sit with for a while.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW