One need only look at the vast architectural accomplishments that have survived for hundreds and thousands of years to see that culture and nature can indeed work together in harmony. Baraka also shows us that, for many world religions, honoring nature by working to preserve it is a key part of existence. The relationship between culture and nature is not always harmonious, however. The footage of loggers cutting down trees that have stood for thousands of years, effectively destroying the rainforest and disrupting the biodiversity of these terrains, is extremely difficult for more sensitive souls to watch. But one must face up to the fact that such events occur on a daily basis on our planet.

What Baraka...

After all, our very existence as a culture is contingent on nature; should we work to destroy our natural surroundings, we are only working to destroy ourselves.
Despite its non-narrative structure, Baraka manages to convey a lot about the most pertinent geographical issues of our time - namely the effects of globalization on the planet, and the dichotomy of nature vs. culture. Both issues, the film suggests, need to be addressed by our civilization - but it is not something that can be addressed by politicians and policymakers. Rather, they are issues that need to be addressed by each and every one of us.