A storm exposed the Neolithic village of Scara Brae. It is the most perfect Neolithic village ever discovered. Walking around it one can imagine the life of the people who inhabited these houses. Their lives were simpler than ours yet quite sophisticated.
They lived off this landscape – grew their crops, gathered, hunted and fished. These were the people who created the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness.
The Orkneys are covered with amazing Neolithic sites. The Standing Stones of Stenness was one of our first stops.
These large stones were all unique. Running your hands over them was like connecting yourself to the past. Looking out over the landscape with its delicate colours one could imagine those eyes from the past gazing over those same vistas.
The ferry across to the Orkneys was interesting. The sea was quite calm and we went by the Old Man of Hoy. There were plenty of sea birds. Then the Town came in sight.
The sun was shining. We were full of anticipation. The Orkneys was a major Neolithic site. It was like the centre of Europe – a metropolis of ancient commerce and religion. We wanted to see the sights and the sites.
At present we are busy destroying our remaining rainforest, hunting wildlife to the edge of extinction, overfishing the oceans, devastating delicate habitats and ruining the planet.
The decline in the world’s animals is unprecedented.
If this goes on much longer we will have destroyed it all. That surely is not good?
The only answer that I can see is to create many more national parks. If we made 50% of the planet national parks and prevented hunting and fishing in those areas we would provide havens for the remaining wildlife.
Humans could live happily in the other half and our grandchildren would be able to have the wonder of seeing elephants, gorillas, chimps, rhinos and whales living free; to see rainforest, desert, tundra, savannah and plains alive with wildlife.
Surely there is room for us all?
