Ponies and nature- effects and implications

[ManaMinori 4,143]

From the very beginning of season 1, we see that ponies of all races are responsible for manipulating the earth- from fauna and weather to celestial orbit. They have to hold the wings, claws and paws of animals, finding their food, helping them migrate, teaching them to fly, etc., They have to make the weather, clean up the seasons, set the sun and moon in motion every day....and but is such involvement a detriment for the earth? With as many times as we've seen ponies utterly incapable of performing their magic, whether imprisoned by Chrysalis, having it sucked out of them by Tirek, or otherwise, I'm left to wonder- when pony magic is unable to perform these tasks, or if ponies were wiped out, would nature that relied so heavily on them perish as well? What of the other sentient species such as the Buffalo or Gryphons? They have no power to control the weather or celestial bodies, which would be at a standstill as it was during "Princess Twilight". They have no interest in feeding animals or cleaning their burrows, helping them migrate, etc.

Are ponies detrimental to the earth by their over-involvement?

[FluttersisBestPony 63]

Maybe the Earth just wouldn't even function without the ponies? 

[ManaMinori 4,143]

Maybe the Earth just wouldn't even function without the ponies?

i thought I said that. But yeah, i wonder if this will ever be addressed in the show?

[FluttersisBestPony 63]

What I meant was, something happened and if the ponies don't make the Earth function, it wouldn't.

[Memory Lane 131]

I think I agree with what @@FluttersisBestPony is saying. At least in Equestria, ponies do seem necessary to regulate nature. Something must have happened long ago to disrupt the natural cycle. After all, ponies couldn't have always been around to raise the sun and moon. It's actually quite alarming. The Equestrian Earth is in a position where all life would indeed perish if left alone for too long.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I think I agree with what @@FluttersisBestPony is saying. At least in Equestria, ponies do seem necessary to regulate nature. Something must have happened long ago to disrupt the natural cycle. After all, ponies couldn't have always been around to raise the sun and moon. It's actually quite alarming. The Equestrian Earth is in a position where all life would indeed perish if left alone for too long.

alaring indeed. And yes, you are right. They couldn't have always been there to work nature to their whim. I think it was a result of the Discord reign era. But do you think the writers will ever address this, in a satisfying way?

[Memory Lane 131]

 

 

alaring indeed. And yes, you are right. They couldn't have always been there to work nature to their whim. I think it was a result of the Discord reign era.

 

Actually, I believe Discord only arrived in Equestria after Princess Celestia and Luna were coronated. The only enemy described in pre-equestrian history was a Windigo. And according to Hearth's Warming Eve, Unicorns already had to raise the sun and moon by this time.

 

 

 

But do you think the writers will ever address this, in a satisfying way?

As far as explaining the origin of ponykind and their role in the world, I'm sadly doubtful. It'd be a fascinating topic for movie or a finale, but this seems like a cutie mark kind of mystery. You know what I mean?

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

There's no obvious form of rigor one can follow as we can with real world physics. When one tries to apply consistency or ontological inertia, one must remember that for Sonic Rainbooms sound travels faster than light, and that magic disobeys Newton's Third Law of Motion.

 

The MST3K mantra applies for whenever we think about how well animals get along without ponies, or if anyone in Equestria poops.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Blue

[Oleks 1,983]

I don’t know about all the nature, but the seasons are disrupted for sure. If I remember correctly, Jim Miller said that the seasonal change does not work in Equestria the same way it works here. All seasons are on schedule and regulated by ponies.
 

I also would like to know how raising the sun works in the other hemisphere of pony planet (I assume it’s like the Earth, because we’ve seen globes several times in MLP). Do ponies or whoever lives there even know about Celestia?
 

Finally, the Everfree Forest regulates itself and does not need ponies’ help. I also doubt that any other species interact with nature like ponies. So, it seems that the loss of pony magic will mostly affect Equestria, but the others will be fine.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

Realistically, it's a terrible idea. Cartoon wise, it's probably akin to the fairies from the Tinkerbell movies.

[Bit Boss 213]

Wouldn't the fact that ponies have to control the movement of the sun & moon and regulate the seasons mean that their planet isn't moving in space? I.e. it's not orbiting the sun or turning on its axis, creating day, night and seasons. 

 

So if the ponies stopped moving celestial bodies and changing the seasons, the sun would burn out one side of the planet and there'd be eternal winter on the other side. All other life-forms on the planet would be wiped out. 

 

I much rather think that the Everfree forest would just take over the planet; the seasons and sentient beings would start taking care of themselves, and it would become like our world.

[sweetolebob18 724]

Yes, it is like farms on Earth, perhaps even moreso.  If the Ponies vanished or were unable/unwilling to tend to them, then a LOT of animals would die & perhaps some species would go extinct.  The survivors would eventually fill in the gaps, like Darwin's Finches on Earth

[Leave a Whisper 703]

Wouldn't the fact that ponies have to control the movement of the sun & moon and regulate the seasons mean that their planet isn't moving in space? I.e. it's not orbiting the sun or turning on its axis, creating day, night and seasons. 

 

So if the ponies stopped moving celestial bodies and changing the seasons, the sun would burn out one side of the planet and there'd be eternal winter on the other side. All other life-forms on the planet would be wiped out. 

 

I much rather think that the Everfree forest would just take over the planet; the seasons and sentient beings would start taking care of themselves, and it would become like our world.

Makes sense. After all they presumably weren't always here so the land can take care of itself.

[SilverComet 169]

"All magic comes with a price" (no exceptions)

 

  In the case of Equestria, it was "time" (the natural cycles of the world, and everything going from it).

 

Ponies have magic inside of them from before they are born, they have a "noblesse obligue" with the rest of the creatures of the world to use some of that power to replace the component of nature its missing.

Maybe cutiemark magic is linked to this process, like an hereditary "curse" linked to the "equestrian magic" they carry from born; waiting until they reach maturity to make themselves assign a role in their always changing world.

[Fhaolan 4,468]

I've had this theory...

 

First, the ponies have extreme levels of control over the environment. They control day/night cycles, seasons, they manufacture weather like rain, snow, etc.

 

Second, it is explicitly mentioned that the ponies can only eat the food they themselves grow. As if naturally grown plants are not 'food'.

 

Third, the ponies don't just dislike the natural weather. In Season 1, as exemplified by the Everfree Forest, they are *afraid* of it. As if it is somehow inimical to the ponies.

 

Fourth, there are several species that seem to have a metabolism completely different from the ponies: Baslisks, Rockadiles, and Dragons, for example. Possibly the Gryphons as well? Maybe their focus on gold is due to their diet?

 

From this I wonder if what we're seeing is the end of a big terraforming exercise. The ponies are actively changing the environment from whatever it was originally to the current pony-supporting one. The sun and the moon are actually artificial satellites used to modify the day/night cycles and seasons, the Basilisks, Rockadiles, and Dragons are the original inhabitants, and 'natural' weather is in fact dangerous to ponykind.

 

However, the Buffalo and the Deer from the comics kinda put a hole in this theory. They don't fit the model. So i get stuck there.