Clean Air

... imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in - an interesting hole I find myself in - fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. Douglas Adams

Reference:

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/scientists-capture-pristine-air-particles-untouched-industry-deep-rainforest 

It is a common misconception that as humans, we have inherited the Earth.  Unfortunately for us, this planet has been here long before us and will remain long after we are gone (provided we don't blow it up).  This article by popular science describes efforts undertaken by scientists to sample air of a quality that existed before the Industrial Revolution.  It's remarkable that we have to travel to one of the most remote rainforests on the planet and climb high above the canopy to even get a tiny sample of uncontaminated air.  Hopefully as a people we will endeavor to clean up the environment and help preserve this planet.  After all, we only have one!