Things That Become Invisible Through Experience

I thought it was quite chilly for early summer, but then I heard that temperatures in Tokyo were exceeding 30 degrees Celsius; it's been a time of significant temperature fluctuations lately.

These weather conditions must be harsh for plants, but for humans too. Are you feeling under the weather at all?

Now, at the university where I study these plants, I have the students fill out a reflection sheet after each lecture.

The purpose is to use them as a reference for planning subsequent lectures, and to give students an opportunity to summarize what they have learned and express their own opinions.

It's not limited to students, but when interacting with young people, I am often taken aback by their insights.

For living organisms (and humans are living organisms, right?), the environment is very important. Nature, ecosystems, and biodiversity are important. Surely everyone, regardless of age, understands this as a matter of knowledge.

And yet, even though people should become wiser as they gain experience, why is it that gaining experience often seems to move us further and further away from improving things?

Looking at the harsh world and social conditions as they are now, I don't want to just dismiss it by saying, 'That's just how it is.'

Returning to the reflection sheets, I recently asked the students to think about the following theme.

What do you think about the proposal that 'large trees should be actively cut down because the risk of tree infectious diseases is high'?

Every answer that came back felt very reasonable to me.

Let me give you a few specific examples.

・Large trees have a unique, mystical beauty that takes decades or centuries to form, and they move people.

Furthermore, there are animals that make their homes in tree hollows, so they should be preserved. Diverse habitats lead to rich ecosystems.

・It depends on the time and situation. It depends on whether there is harm to people. It would also be interesting for the community, or for students and university students, to carry out pest control.

・I cannot agree with cutting them down just because they are susceptible to disease.

The reason is that it feels the same as removing a stomach because there is a possibility of getting stomach cancer while healthy. Rather than cutting, we should think about thorough prevention.

・It is not desirable to cut down large trees that are currently alive just because the risk is high. I believe that some risk is inherent in any tree, so I don't want them to cut down trees that aren't diseased (I thought, 'Humans are so greedy').

・I feel a resistance to planting trees for human convenience and cutting them down for human convenience. Carbon sequestration is not the only role of trees. Even if they must be cut, I would want it done reluctantly, not actively.

・I want to be cautious.
Susceptibility to illness varies depending on the environment, and large trees have cultural value from a human perspective, as well as connections to other living organisms.

This has become quite long, but this is the gist of it. What do you think?

Depending on the era in which you were born, the education you receive and the environment surrounding you will differ.

Even so, I feel that many of the young people around me, despite having less experience,
are aware of things that are essentially important (perhaps as a result of past experiences or education?).

Reading the essay written by a student today, I felt once again that I want to be a mentor who
supports such young people as they move toward a desirable direction, or at the very least, does not get in their way.
I felt this again today.

To that end, what can I do?
And what must I stop doing?