On Monday, February 8th 2010, I bought National Geographic Indonesia magazine. The reason why I took the magazine is the main topic that is given. It is about thousand forms of life inside a one cube foot.

How many living things have existed inside the cube? E O Wilson and Liittschwager worked together in a bid to answer the question. They put a green metal frame, a 12-inch cube in several places such as the sea-floor, the land as well as the river. Their purpose is representing the creatures that lived in or moved through that space. And the answer is more than a thousand. Probably even more than a million if the researchers are counting the unnamed kind of species as well. These organisms (ants, fishes, fungus,bacterias, and many others) have worked together as the representation of natural balance. If this natural balance is interrupted, in example, the existence of one of the organism is gone or all of the organism inside the cube are vanished, the consequence would be dramatic. The molecules within the land or the river-floor will be smaller and simpler. Next, the ratio of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases in the air will be changing. Finally, another new physical balance is formed entirely so that the world inside the one cube foot is similar with the environment in an uncivilized planet far far away. Those facts have shown that all forms of everything in this planet are connected to each other. It means, everything does matter.

In a separate side, there are so many nuisances which have neglected the natural balance in this world that are made by the human. The devastation of ecosystem in mining areas in Indonesia would be a great example. So many articles have informed about it. I will agree with the reason of economic development that is derived from these activities. Unfortunately, the benefit is able to be enjoyed in short-term but not in the long-term as well (I will not write a lot about the meaning of short-term and long-term here since the information about it is existed everywhere. The internet is a great place to find numerous information about it). Animals lost their natural habitat and degradation of life quality in many forms only two examples of the negative effects from neglecting the sustainable development. How does it feel when ourselves, the human, experienced it?

At what time will all of us, the human, do the activities that emphasize on sustainable issue? A deed which is taking heed on natural balance of all forms of life? When all the people have done the activity, I believe a sustainable life is created as the example of Wilson and Liittschwarger’s study. I do not know when my dream will be fulfilled. One thing that I know is, I am aspiring to be part of the big team that lead into the direction, and I am going to start it from myself.