Man v. Nature: the Winner?

The Oscar Night is tomorrow. Let's see who is the winner, man versus nature?

The human history, in essence, has been a history of struggle, struggle against natural elements, and struggle for survival and comfort. Through some 40,000 years of effort, we Homo sapiens sapiens seem to have nearly succeeded in insulating ourselves from natural elements by creating increasingly artificial environs.

Then, 1962 sounded the deafening alarm by Rachel Carson's “Silent Spring." So came the shocking realization that the artificial environs are mere bubbles that can be readily punctured if we do not heed nature.

We can build houses as shelter by cutting down forests, but deforestation may cause soil erosion, avalanches and flooding that can ruin the houses.

We can boost grain production for food by applying fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides, but the chemicals may poison the food chains.

We can manufacture any number of products (textiles, appliances, amenities, etc.) for creature comforts, but the manufacturing and use of the products may lead to water, air and soil pollution that can incur much suffering in human health and in the health of the earth at large.

In short, we are like the proverbial Monkey King, finding ourselves inescapable from the palm of Buddha the nature in spite of all that we can muster.

The envelop please...