is an avalache evil?

is a mudslide evil?

is a tsunami evil?

is a tree falling evil?

is a pile of humus (or a lightning strike) - creating a fire which burns down a forest evil?

or more to the point - is the shifting of tectonic plates in someway important to the earth and its existence?

the tectonic plates in the lithoshpere shift and collide (working to form and renew the earth's crust and mantle). if the earth's surface was not capable of such motion - the pressure from within the core would blow up the planet like a balloon and destroy the whole planet.

a picture of the three top layers: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/interior/earths_crust.html

one can see the relation of the outer crust - the tectonic plates (which are part crust and part mantle) the lithosphere rides upon the back of the asthenosphere.

from third grade science: "The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere interact with each other to make our planet liveable. Without any one of them, we could not survive as a planet."

the lithosphere: Lithosphere a 50-100 km outer mantle and the surface crust containing soil that supports life. It also contains the natural waters, streams, Rivers, lakes, ground water and subsurface aquifers.

Minerals required for life support of plants, animals and some bacteria

Water is involved with soil conversion and mineral formation also

Soil, the substrate for continental plant, growth and ultimately the recipient of energy input from the Sun.

Support for much of the animal life since plants are the start of the food chain for much of the biosphere. http://www.science.duq.edu/esm/Course_Material/ESM552/Notes/Chapter1/chapter1.html

there is a critical balance between the spheres of the earth and the ability of the earth to support life.

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without the possibility for earthquakes (in the world as we know it)

a) the earth as we know it would not exist (but would have blown up due to internal pressure).

b) life on this planet would not be sustainable (due to a host of factors - one of which would be the existence of available elements in compound cystilline form - aka minerals).

so, is the shifting of tectonic plates in someway important to the earth and its existence?

the answer would have to be, "yes."

could we call that a good?

i think so - do you?

c) without the existence of large bodies of water on this planet (70% of the surface) could life be sustained on planet earth? no. is that all to the matter? no, but this is round one.