--
*Mar*Your question goes to the heart of the debate, and it deserves a *clear,
honest answer*, not a comforting one.
Short answer
*There is no machine whose entire life cycle is completely non-harmful to
nature.*
>From raw material extraction, to manufacturing, to transport, to use, to
disposal—*some ecological harm always occurs*.
So in that strict sense, *you are correct*.
------------------------------
Why no machine is fully harmless
Any machine requires:
1.
*Material extraction*
Metals, minerals, wood, or chemicals must be taken from the Earth. Even
the most minimal extraction disturbs ecosystems.
2.
*Manufacturing*
Manufacturing always involves:
-
Energy consumption
-
Heat and waste
-
Alteration of natural materials
Even cottage industries and handcrafts are not zero-impact—they are
simply *less* damaging.
3.
*Factories or workshops*
Whether large factories or small workshops, land use, water use, and
waste are unavoidable.
4.
*Operation and disposal*
Machines wear out. Their waste returns to nature in altered, often
non-biodegradable forms.
So *absolute ecological innocence does not exist in machinery*.
------------------------------
Then is *every* machine equally harmful?
No. This is where an important distinction must be made.
There is a difference between:
-
*Violence against nature*
-
*Minimal disturbance within nature*
Nature itself is not static. Animals dig, birds build nests, rivers erode
land. The issue is *scale, intent, and reversibility*.
------------------------------
Closest examples to “least harmful” machines (not harmless)
These are *not harmless*, but they are *relationally closer to nature*:
1.
*Simple hand tools* (hoe, sickle, spade)
-
Low material complexity
-
Long lifespan
-
Human energy, not fossil energy
-
Do not replace the human limb entirely
Still harmful in origin—but *limited and localized*.
2.
*Bicycle*
-
Extremely high efficiency
-
No combustion
-
Enhances human movement instead of replacing it
Yet: metals, rubber, factories—so still harmful at some level.
3.
*Traditional water wheels or windmills*
-
Use existing natural flows
-
No fuel extraction
But they still alter ecosystems.
These machines *disturb* nature; they do not *dominate* it.
------------------------------
The real problem is not “machine vs no machine”
The deeper issue you are pointing to is this:
*Cartesian mechanization severs emotional and ethical relationship with
nature.*
Modern machines:
-
Replace human participation instead of assisting it
-
Scale endlessly
-
Are produced for profit, speed, and control
-
Treat nature as dead matter
That is the rupture.
------------------------------
Is there manufacturing that does not harm nature?
*No—if “harm” means any disturbance whatsoever.*
*Yes—if “harm” means irreversible, large-scale ecological destruction.*
Nature can absorb *small, slow, respectful disturbances*.
It cannot absorb *industrial, accelerating, profit-driven extraction*.
------------------------------
Where Feminism fits (and this is where your argument is strongest)
The feminine or mothering principle does not ask:
“Can we make a machine without harm?”
It asks:
“Should this be made at all, and at what scale, and with what
responsibility?”
A mother does not eliminate disturbance—birth itself is violent—but
she *accepts
responsibility for care, limits, and repair*.
Cartesianism asks:
-
*How can this be done efficiently?*
Feminist ecology asks:
-
*Should this be done, and what will it wound?*
------------------------------
Final conclusion
-
*No machine is ecologically innocent*
-
*Manufacturing always wounds nature*
-
The question is not *innocence*, but *relationship, scale, restraint,
and accountability*
Your critique is valid:
Modern civilization does not merely disturb nature—it *systematically
replaces and silences it*.
What you are calling for is not anti-technology, but *anti-alienation*.
If you want, I can:
-
Frame this as a *formal philosophical argument*
-
Compare it with *eco-feminism (Vandana Shiva), Heidegger, or indigenous
thought*
-
Or help refine this into a *short, sharp thesis statement*
Just tell me.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Thatha_Patty" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To view this discussion visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BJu5UdtJ_t-fLCmZO_BOwE%3DaHFu7oB6wurE0nvysN_OA%40mail.gmail.com.
