Humans’ "Greedy" Use of Solar Energy

Humans are now being denigrated as “greedy” for taking the “lion’s share” of solar energy by converting more than our fair share of plant life to our own use. From the story:

HUMANS are just one of the millions of species on Earth, but we use up almost a quarter of the sun’s energy captured by plants - the most of any species. The human dominance of this natural resource is affecting other species, reducing the amount of energy available to them by almost 10 per cent, scientists report. Researchers said the findings showed humans were using “a remarkable share” of the earth’s plant productivity “to meet the needs and wants of one species”.

Hmmm. What do you suppose is the real purpose of the study? Some might say to promote better environmental practices. But I don’t think so. Rather, I see it as really being an attack against, and in ironic and unintended boost for, human exceptionalism.

First, the concern expressed by the authors of the report reflect our exceptionalism because we are the only species in the known history of the universe that would even care that we are “greedy” for allegedly consuming a disproportionate amount of the sun’s energy than to which we are entitled by our population. All other species merely consume anything and everything that they can find—regardless of its impact on the environment or co-species. And it would be silly to call any of them greedy, which is the expression of a moral judgment. Animals are beyond and beneath such judgments: They are just engaged in the Darwinian struggle for survival.

Second, albeit impliedly, the argument being made seems to be that other species are entitled to an equal proportion of resources because they and we are morally equivalent. Thus it is our duty to ensure egalitarian distribution of the sun’s energy and the earth’s plant resources. If I am right, and if we act according to our purported obligation, the harm caused to human populations could be significant.

We can thus see that denying the hierarchy of moral worth with humans at the pinnacle has the distinct potential of causing us to harm ourselves and our posterity by intentionally reducing human prosperity and interfering with our own thriving. But choosing to harm ourselves to benefit other species is a uniquely human option and an ironic proof of our own exceptional status.