Perspective, n. - the angle or direction in which a person looks at an object.

To understand who we are and where we stand in this world it's important to look around for input from our environment. Forging an identity within our surroundings for the commonwealth. What better place to start than the perspective directly underneath our feet!

Plants are the most dominant form of life on Earth. A paper published in PNAS brought new light to where humans rank in the kingdoms of life. A 3 year census may bring a new perspective to the ground underneath us. How much mass do humans embody? Out of the estimated 550 gigatons of carbon on this planet, humans occupy 0.06 Gt c. Plants charging in at the number one spot at 450 Gt c.

Humans are outweighed by bacteria (70), fungi (12), Arthropods/insects (1) and all the livestock (0.1). We are even outweighed by clams or mollusks at (0.2). It's important to keep in mind plants were double their number prior to human civilization. In addition, millions of acres are taken over by humans every year. We are grossly insignificant yet vastly altering the terrain.

"A fair and equal ecological relationship will require a new perspective."

As humans we want to know our importance. At the same time knowing our insignificance can be hard to accept. An assumption that we collectively communicate far more superior than any other means of life certainly feeds our swaggering ego. A silent sense of pity; if only the rest of life could speak and communicate like us. Our accomplished ways must be far too superior. We design and build complex structures. We methodically create masterful symphonies. Our appreciation for insightful beauty forms strong connections between artists and beneficiaries. Individual good deeds are plentiful. Humans have earned a place at the table. However, all the seats are full and perhaps we should stand in humility redefining our perspective on biodiversity.

"Unintentionally understanding ourselves on such a deep level has left us vulnerable to misunderstanding the vast scope of the environment all around us."

We have this human primacy or perceived power to take our entire landscape and humanize it. There is an abundance of life all around us uniformly evolving. Though we tend to see life through glasses that cast a humanistic focal-point. Our language, mathematics, technology, handwriting and complex reasoning skills are somehow superpowers. While living among us are trees surviving thousands of years with unexplainable growth systems. Century after century leaf patterns improve, photosynthetic abilities become more efficient and seed qualities remain intact. Trees growing healthier for unimaginable periods of time. Biological immortal organisms capable of dying, but only from predators or drought. They are capable of defying old age. A perspective worthy of total respect.

Humans are just 1 of 8.7 million species that live here on Earth; 6.5 million on land and 2.2 in the oceans announced by the Census of Marine Life. We have similarities to nature, as we should. It would be very astonishing if we did not have any similarities. That would be quite strange! Each species remarkable in their own right. We are part of an entire community of living beings with common features. Our co-existence and destiny should include more of an attitude and ethics of appreciation. A greater understanding and inclusion of nature I strongly feel would enrich our environmental behavior. Quietly there seems to be a wall separating humans from all the other species. A worldwide dominance over nature.

For a brief moment

My life was mine

To share a space

To experience a time

For a brief moment

I held a life

It softened my soul

It fed my mind

For a brief moment

I intertwined

I sat in diversity

To identify

For a brief moment

My life will be bigger than me

After my moment

My body will feed new seeds

I challenge those who believe the land underneath their feet will not fascinate them. A basic introduction to a geology/biology 1 class will blow your mind. For instance, rock layers have embedded magnetic orientations. Geological communications the Earths North & South poles have switched dozens of times. Did you know Australia is wider than the moon. A 2500 sq. foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four each day. Our Earth is the ultimate storyteller that will take you anywhere you want to go. Let’s take a look at how similar we all are to the environment in which we share.

"Key moments in evolution may be written in actual stone."

Nothing appears to be more lifeless than a rock. They are everywhere! Yet they are seemingly taken for “granite”. :~) Let’s look at rocks with a new perspective for a moment. Rocks may contain a secret link to human life. A view that seems pretty incredible in comparison to their dismissal. In a recent study, scientists combined basic gases of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and sulfur compounds, heated to high temperatures within high pressure and nothing too exciting happened. Interestingly, there are additives that trigger a stir in the chemistry. Those additives are rocks and minerals. Once added, truly amazing changes begin to occur. Atoms reform into new organic molecules which include amino acids. Amino acids are essential for all living things. They're needed for vital processes like the building of proteins and synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters.

"Rocks provide the minerals and surfaces where vital chemical reactions take place."

Stromatolites are sedimentary rocks on the ocean floor that continue to grow layer by layer evolving about 1 mm per year. The builders are microbes, single-celled life that build the rock outward. By capturing minerals and sand in the water, the top layer continues to grow and harden into stone. Eventually crabs figured out this same form of expansion. Their shells are made of calcium carbonate. The identical mineral found in limestone as in the Egyptian Pyramids. Life began to take advantage of this concept and that idea very aggressively took off.

This is how rocks and humans overlap, essentially building, designing, co-evolving and both experiencing the possibility of consciousness. Life makes minerals and minerals lead to new life forms.

"The history of Earth written in rocks."

Digging deep into communication. Discovering an exclusive language, quietly lurking deep below our feet. The door to discovery is open to billion year old scripts. Rocks not only hold physical weight, but the heaviness of our identity. Your life story, ancestry, family history and spirituality all suspended in the palm of your hands. Rocks send messages, but in a different language. A language that not only links us to rocks, but links us to the universe. It is a form of communication that allows the receiver to understand the past, present and possibly the future of the our home. Perhaps this exchange follows the transmission model of communication. The rocks may not know if we received this one-way form of information, but I believe the messages are constant and far reaching.

Stories in stone vanished in time. Lost oceans, ancient continents or even newly formed lakes all have something to say. Silently these chapters lie deep within layers of stone. Mysteries that force people to think outside the box. Information suspended on surfaces helping to unravel ancient secrets. Conversations that allow us to understand what drives Earth to continue to be a giving planet. Clues on how to improve the soil, wildlife, medicine, faith and means of energy. Answers may be waiting on mountain tops that were once ocean floors. A perspective linking us to one long important chain of life.

Rocks don’t have voices, but undoubtedly rocks speak a language. Conversations and stories embedded in the stone. The smallest building blocks of the human language are letters. In geology it would be the chemical elements of minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium. Humans put letters together to form words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. Rocks put elements together to form minerals. All those different elements form an extensive word bank or a wealth of mineral script. Chapters written within the horizontal bands or zones of rocks. Words sit patient through elements, minerals and chemistry. A collection of conversations on standby waiting to be read piece by piece, chapter by chapter, rock layer by rock layer.

"Redefining our perspective; one grass blade at a time"

Simple blades of grass stand quietly supportive. Another wonderfully inconspicuous piece of the puzzle underneath our feet. We step on it, cut it and even purposely try to kill it. It’s just grass, right? About 30% of the Earth’s land area is covered in grass. That’s a lot of grass compared to ocean coverage. It’s no longer a debate whether grass can sense another’s biochemical message. Through numerous studies it’s been shown that grass defends and shares information while communicating with nearby recipients. It transmits information using electrical pulses and a voltage-based signaling system; similar to an animal's nervous system. If it lives in a safe zone the warnings only go out to close relatives. If it lives in immediate danger zones it will share information about that danger between species. Interestingly, grass can live in competing neighborhoods, but if the situation is right all grasses will feel inclined to network together. Proposing the idea of socializing and language.

"The Smell Of Distress"

Freshly cut grass has a distinct smell. Is it the smell of summertime or .. trauma? Scientists are learning that grass can experience stress. Freshly cut grass screams when under attack releasing compounds into the air. Other blades will pick up on the sign of threat and begin to try and defend themselves. Chemicals rush to save the blades of by releasing green leaf volatiles. These compounds are released causing that green grassy odor. They are precursors to ozone formation and significantly contribute to photochemical smog. That brown haze in urban cities.

Perspective is a word that will always show you how small you are. It quietly demonstrates there is always another side to the story. Perspective at times may seem opposite, confusing, but hopefully enlightening. I’ve come to believe everything around us in some way is communicating invaluable information. I'm personally betting on that possibility. Perplexity to our boring surroundings does not justify human ennoblement. Whether or not we understand the complex purposes or processes of life's existence, each species has a different starting point, strength, journey and reason. Protecting all life for the common good is essential for all walks of spiritual faith. Let the sounds of your footsteps be a reminder that you are not supporting yourself. Beneath you are rocks, grass, essentially life intertwining over and under you, holding you, supporting your existence. A single blade of grass or a boring rock may not grab your attention. Yet it does set the groundwork for your tenacious journey through earth's open meadows. It has provided you a location and address to place your footsteps within deep rooted values and patience.

Work Cited:

Acharya, Upamanyu. “Why Does Fresh Cut Grass Smell?” Science ABC, 6 Aug. 2020, www.scienceabc.com/nature/what-causes-the-fresh-cut-grass-smell.html.

Bar-On, Yinon M., et al. “The Biomass Distribution on Earth.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 19 June 2018, www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506.

Barras, Colin. “Earth - the Animals and Plants That Can Live Forever.” BBC, BBC, 19 June 2015, www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150622-can-anything-live-forever.

Census of Marine Life. "How many species on Earth? About 8.7 million, new estimate says." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 August 2011. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180459.htm.

Edwards, Charlotte. “The Smell of Your Freshly Cut Lawn Is Grass 'Screaming' to Warn Other Plants They're under Attack.” The Sun, The Sun, 4 Oct. 2019, www.thesun.co.uk/tech/10066571/plants-scream-warning-chemical-signal/.

Garver, Geoffrey, and Peter Brown. “Humans and Nature: The Right Relationship.” Center for Humans & Nature, 2009, www.humansandnature.org/humans-nature-the-right-relationship.

Malsbury, Erin. “How the Ginkgo Biloba Achieves near-Immortality.” Science, 17 Jan. 2020, www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/how-ginkgo-biloba-achieves-near-immortality.

McGowan, Kat. “How Plants Secretly Talk to Each Other.” Wired, Conde Nast, 20 Dec. 2013, www.wired.com/2013/12/secret-language-of-plants/.

NOVA, Documentary. “Life's Rocky Start - NOVA.” Youtube, Youtube, 16 Jan. 2017.

Peppe, Daniel. “Dating Rocks and Fossils Using Geologic Methods.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 2013, www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/dating-rocks-and-fossils-using-geologic-methods-107924044/.

Phillips, Stacey. “How to Read a Rock.” OpenLearn, The Open University, 11 May 2018, www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/geology/how-read-rock.

Resnick, Brian, and Javier Zarracina. “All Life on Earth, in One STAGGERING CHART.” Vox, Vox, 29 May 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/5/29/17386112/all-life-on-earth-chart-weight-plants-animals-pnas.

Trimmer, Stephanie. “Benefits of Turf-grass: 11 Fun Facts.” Pro Grounds, 29 Aug. 2018, www.progrounds.com/blog/benefits-turfgrass-11-fun-facts/.

Wehner, Mike. “This Is How Much All Life on Earth Weighs.” New York Post, New York Post, 23 May 2018, nypost.com/2018/05/23/this-is-how-much-all-life-on-earth-weighs/.

Wei-Haas, Maya. “Life and Rocks May Have CO-EVOLVED on Earth.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 13 Jan. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/life-and-rocks-may-have-co-evolved-on-earth-180957807/.