Love of Silkworm – Earth Day

This piece titled “Love of Silkworm” is created accidentally in honor of Earth Day, which was launched in 1969 to mourn the catastrophic deaths of many living things, whose life was ended by the blowout of the Santa Barbara oil platform in California. I was inspired to conceptualize this piece by a seemingly irrelevant incident. In order to improve the health condition of my pet lizard, I bought several mulberry silkworms, which are said to contain lots of beneficial calcium for reptiles. I’ve always viewed silkworms with favorable affection because they remind me of the science class in my childhood. However, between the wellbeing of my beloved lizard and the adorable silkworms, I naturally prioritize the former to the latter. I did have a mixed emotion at witnessing those worms bluntly consumed by my reptile. Later, I acquired a term called Peace Silk, initiated by environmental activists who claim the fabric consumption of silk in Asia to be immoral for putting the silkworms in a great amount of pain after the final harvest. I cannot help but wonder whether it is immoral for me to let my lizard consume the silkworms. On the other hand, if I allow my lizard’s health to deteriorate without any endeavor, that wouldn’t be right or moral, either. So what is it? I suppose the whole silkworm incident is a gesture of involuntary altruism, meaning you prioritize the interest of others to that of your own. That is exactly the meaning of the Earth Day. We exploit the “altruistic” nature of the Earth and push her to give more than what she is willing/able to give until she perishes, just like the mulberry silkworms. Thus, we must mourn for the many living things who die to make human civilization possible as we are all grateful for the love of silkworm.