Usufruct of Earth

After reading chapter one, “Man and Nature”, I began to wonder what is truly meant by “usufruct” and if it is even possible.  The definition of usufruct given by the book is to use the fruit of the Earth, not for consumption or waste.  Resources should remain for future generations.  Given the fact that the Earth is a balanced ecosystem and as the human population increases, the balance of the Earth becomes more and more off balance.  In order to fully become a usufruct society, humans would have to replace ever plant, animal, and living organism on the planet back to its original state after it was altered by the humans.

The quantity of matter on the planet is constant.  The matter is merely changing shape.  When humans cut down trees and burn the wood, the particles of matter and different elements are all still there just in different combinations.  The question then becomes, what is using the resource if the matter on Earth will not change.  Is cutting down and burning the tree changing the way it would have eventually happened in nature? For example, if the tree were to be struck by lighting and a forest fire burns the forest to the ground. Although humans play an important role in the destruction of nature resources, not all of the effects of man are unavoidable.

-September 5, 2014