Viruses are microscopic particles that infect the cells of a biological organism.1 Humans' effect on the earth is not much different; humans are an infection to the earth, a growth that is eating away its life. We have a natural instinct to live closely together, reproduce like crazy, and are finding the means to spread. What makes humans different from viruses is that we have the ability to think and feel emotion; we know better than what we instinctively do and feel guilty about it.

    Humans naturally live close to one another; we build up cities, pollute, and reproduce. We cluster together in tight living conditions until that place is completely dead, drained of its resources. Humans then leave that place and move on to another. Viruses infect a body clustered together, reproduce, and spread. Viruses do not know better than to destroy the organism they infect. As humans, we know we must preserve the earth, our host cell, because destroying it will only lead to our own destruction. To do this we know we must control population growth. We know we must stop butchering resources at such a dangerous speed. We know we must stop polluting. But we don't. If viruses knew that killing their host cell will only lead to their own destruction they might cut back on reproduction and let a body create some more healthy cells instead of devouring the life of each one as fast as possible. They also may not exercise this self-control if they could; humans know what is right and yet are giving no thought to the future. Humans are giving no heed to the future because humans do not have to right now. Humans can continue living wastefully without the quality of day-to-day life being compromised but only for so long. Similarly, humans and viruses live destructively until it is too late to make things better. Neither humans nor viruses exercise moderation; both will continue destroying until physically impossible. Humans do not act in lieu of the future, for most of us just want to make a lot of money right now. When a person has a lot of money, conservation is usually viewed as an option rather than a necessity. If a person has the money to drive an SUV or has the money to have many children, he or she feels entitled to do so if they he or she wants to. Humans and viruses work only for their own benefit. To humans, morals are a nice suggestion or an excuse for self-benefit. We are killing the earth faster than ever.

    Viruses cannot survive without a host cell, but they will eventually kill their host cell and in turn kill themselves. Humans are polluting and killing the earth; humans too will cause their own demise. Once enough humans have been infected, it can be considered an epidemic. Humans are getting closer and closer to being able to spread to different planets. By the time the earth is completely destroyed, we may have the technology to move to a new healthy planet. Fresh and untainted by the human race, this planet will suffice until it too can no longer survive the human infection

    They use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to produce multiple copies of themselves.

    It seems as though the earth's immune system is trying to rid itself of a deathly illness: humans. When humans get sick with a virus, our bodies heat up to kill the viruses. The fever in our body is not a natural occurrence that happens every so often for no reason at all; it is a direct physical reaction to the virus. Humans are becoming more and more aware of the danger of global warming. When humans were smaller in number, we were consuming less and polluting less and thus the earth was healthier and not so hot. Global warming is a direct response to its human infection. CO2 emissions from humans burning fossil fuels rise into the atmosphere and prevent heat from escaping into space at a normal rate. It works like a car left out in the sun with the windows rolled up: heat can enter but does not escape. The heat that is built up throws off a natural waxing and waning of sheet ice, so sheet ice is now waning and not re-solidifying. Sheet ice works as a natural shield for the earth from UV rays. These rays are reflected off the sheet ice and energy is sent back up into the atmosphere. With less sheet ice, solar rays are hitting the ocean transferring energy to the water. This is what is giving more energy to storms. In the gulf coast humans felt the wrath of the earth in Hurricane Katrina. Humans like viruses, evolve so that we can survive and continue to feed off our host cell. Humans built dams and levies in New Orleans to protect against hurricanes. As New Orleans rebuilds itself, the levies and dams will be built up bigger and stronger than ever. However, there is no denying that the next line of defense from the earth's immune system will come back at us stronger than ever.

    Humans have the ability to feel. We can hate and love others. Humans can feel so much hate towards one another that we will kill and kill and kill; viruses do not have this cannibalistic behavior, which is why viruses are more efficient in killing their host cell. If viruses could feel hate, the virus would have more time in a body because then viruses would be fighting a war on two fronts: the body and eachother.They reproduce and reproduce with no objection to what any other virus is doing. The feeling of hate that viruses don't have is, sadly, allowing the human race to live in our host cell longer, for it is a form of population control. Humans consistently do what feels good instead of doing what is right. We are hypocrites. It's hard to know if viruses would reproduce less if they knew it would be beneficial in the long run. When have humans ever done what is best in the long run? Humans can also love whereas viruses cannot. Love that we feel for the earth will call for an end to the human race. Love for the human race will cause the end of the earth. Having love for one another makes us want to keep more people alive and for longer. More people living longer means more resources will be used. The earth will be drained and dead sooner than it can even try to rebuild itself. Like viruses we cannot live either way. If the earth's immune system is capable of shedding itself of humans then we are gone. If the earth isn't capable of killing us off we, like viruses, will eventually kill our host cell causing our own demise.

    Viruses are not good for the human body. Viruses only make a body sick and then sicker. Viruses have done no good for mankind. If all viruses could be eliminated completely it would have already been done. Humans have done no good for the earth except for attempts made to heal the hurt other humans have caused. The earth would be healthier had humans never existed. Humans are similar to viruses. What makes humans different from viruses is that we have the ability to think and feel emotion; we know better than what we instinctively do and feel guilty about it. Knowing that humans have only caused hurt, I believe the most ethical thing we can do as humans is to stop reproducing.