How Do We Live in an Anti-Ecological Environment … Four Differences and One Answer

 

How Do We Live in an Anti-Ecological Environment … Four Differences and One Answer  

Sooner or later, wittingly or unwittingly, we must pay for every intrusion on the natural environment.  Barry Commoner

 

If Ecology rules in a certain environment, where does Anti-Ecology rule? 

On one hand, the broad rule of Ecology oversees the integration of variable ecosystems to exist and survive together by maintaining discourse among all of them including human interactions. The guiding ecological principles are manifested to help every organism at whatever level to function better through diversity, make connections, manage feedback loops to improve, adapt to changes and promote co-operation and self-governance, without ego.

The general laws of Ecology imply that everything is connected to everything else, everything has a place and purpose, there is no final waste, where matter and energy are preserved and there is no free lunch…what goes up must come down...what goes round, keeps cycling.   

On the other hand, what does it mean to be in a place that can be called anti-ecological with counter-ecological behavior. 

The most obvious and critical difference would be found in a capitalist environment.

Capitalism can be defined as an “ economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit (rather than state). Private property and the recognition of property rights, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system and competitive markets are all features. Wikipedia

In other words, MONEY becomes the most meaningful connection between things whether social relationships and/or nature. It’s all about the marketplace and consumer communications that know best and want more not less. 

There are four basic differences between commercial capitalism 

and ecological partnerships.  

One:  All Nature’s integrated processes are disconnected and reduced to one common denominator … 

...a revenue process to make profits on the kind of products the marketplace demands via culture and media. Do we want organic coffee, farm-raised mink furs, genetically modified wheat, more plastic doo-dads or finding more finite sources of fossil fuels?

For example,  "In today’s parlance we call this new kind of agroecosystem a monoculture, meaning a part of nature that has been reconstituted to the point that it yields a single species, which is growing on the land only because somewhere there is a strong market demand for it.” Donald Worster

Two: Nature’s encoded programs run on circular systems or cycles 

...but economic production runs on  a linear assembly line where waste is common as long as capital is the main key to protect. Utilize a resource with “no deposit and no return.”

In fact, if pollution happens, treat it as an external side effect that is not part of the production quota. Just consider air pollution caused by a factory is not an internal cost of production but rather an external cost to be borne by nature and society. Its OK if other people or communities or nature itself bear the cost.

To try and recycle can become difficult because of the degree of division of nature.  For example, animals raised in feedlots have natural waste that becomes a serious form of pollution rather than normal fertilizer. Think about plastics that have replaced wood, steel and other products but are not biodegradable for centuries.  

Three: Nature organizes every community for each other’s benefits 

...food, shelter and protection. Businesses are only concerned about manipulating market shares for themselves rather than equity or quality for everyone.  

For example, food becomes more valuable if it  can earn more profits through bulk production with increased nitrogen fertilizers. It doesn’t matter if the mineral compositions of the soil are unbalanced which in turn affects the mineral content of the vegetable grown on it.  Why not use more pesticides to protect the appearance of the produce? Why not use GMO seeds that work in the laboratory composition but may have unknown long-term human side effects? 

In the end, the quality of food is debased, birds and other species are killed, and food chains even for humans are contaminated. What affects one, affects us all.

 Four: the real value of natural wealth is grounded on generating profits 

....with high energy technologies and less labor inputs if possible. Larger corporations, ever-merging, seem to make the major decisions about the technology based on their profitability with the inherent drive to continue to grow on an ever-increasing scale.  Motive is about “mini-cars make mini-profits… we make more money on big cars.”  Non-renewable resources are more quickly depleted, and more wastes dumped into the environment.

My ANSWER

Do we need to continue to believe these statements?

"Nature only exists  because there is a market?

               “Nature’s bounty is a free gift to the property owner to use to make money.”

Part of the answer, I believe, is making an individual choice to adapt to a radically different environment. Commercial capitalism is a closed loop between business and consumer. Only the consumer can manage some of those links, modify social media hype, and adapt to a simpler lifestyle and economy. 

When human contact can become infectious in a global community of 7.5 billion people because of an organic element that may be from nature, then we must become more environmentally conscious citizens and respect ecology’s principles and succession.  

 "We can’t have healthy people on an unhealthy planet. The COVID crisis has shown us that nature, health, inequality and the economy are all interrelated and people are at the center."

 Nature’s bounty and conservation are everyone’s business and we must stand side by side with Nature that it cannot be bought or abused. There must be a bigger call for collective action to reverse nature loss and prevent an array of ecological problems. There must be greater awareness that ecology connects us all as a Big Picture that tries to unify and  broaden participation for everyone and everything. 

Perhaps, in the manner of Nature's ecological succession, we can also learn more about facilitating our own social succession in such changing unprecedented times.

What is your favorite part of nature that has no commercial value?

Comments are always appreciated: 833 471 4661 (leave the best time to chat). 

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

..my pussy willows at the creek on the farm

How would you answer these 10 questions in a Podcast Interview? 2 Complete Answers Given

How would you answer these 10  questions on a Podcast Interview…two Answers given

Do you realize that only 40 per cent of surveyed people associate the benefits of biodiversity and nature with necessities of life such as food, water and fresh air? Time to change this.

Here is the background:

We have the moral responsibility to live in harmony with nature, but what exactly does nature give us? At their simplest, nature’s services are things people often take for granted:  the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat all ultimately rely on nature and biodiversity.

But other services are less obvious: nature is the bedrock for the production of the most common goods in our way of life which rely on bio-diverse environments. Oceans and coral reefs provide food and livelihoods to hundreds of millions of people. Forests clean the air, regulate the local climate and retain water for rivers. Healthy soils are essential to grow crops. Mountains and glaciers are key sources of water for major rivers. Increasingly, the fragility of ecosystems poses huge risks to societal and economic stability.

Quite simply, our natural balance is the foundation for a healthy society, fair economy for all, and global security.

I am looking for podcast hosts interested in discussing questions about ecology

Here are two questions answered:

1. What are the relationships between Earth’s biosphere, ecology, ecosystem and environment and us?

Biosphere is a global ecosystem which extends from a few kilometers into the atmosphere to at least 200 meters below the oceans based on water, air, minerals and all living organisms. 

Ecology is the study of relationships, competitions and interactions of all living organisms and fellow beings within its surrounding environment  

Note: Its etymology means study of the house, in this case, the planetary house.

.

Ecosystem is a more functional localized unit with its own energy cycle containing all of the living species and all non-living elements in any particular environment. This energy flows through four levels from the sun through plants, food producers, consumers like animals, and  microorganisms, which ends with decomposition in order to recycle the process again. This can be as simple as puddle, a single tree or a forest. 

Environment depends on sunlight, soil, topography, water, atmosphere which includes energy cycles like food chains, nutrient cycles and ecological succession. Plant and animal communities as well as micro organisms form their self-sustaining habitats.

So, how important is it to relate to the Big Picture? Of course, it helps to better visualize how you and I have an individual footprint in our own habitation which is connected to the entire biosphere. By polluting our home, we add distress to the ecosystem of every other organism extending into our biosphere. When we drink a glass of fresh water, that water is  interconnected to the Big Picture and needs to be protected from its base.

2. What is the relationship between a water molecule and a hydrocarbon character?

I must say that hydrocarbons were some of the most amazing research for this e-book…I had no idea how carbon is one of the  most important elements on Earth

The most common building block for all organic life on Earth is the carbon molecule.  It is found in the soil and sedimentary rocks as well as in the atmosphere where it's a part of carbon dioxide gas emitted when fossil fuels are burned or when living organisms breathe out. It is also found in the ocean sediments developed from decaying hard shells and body parts of marine organisms.

Carbon also comes from photosynthesis which is the light energy that transfers electrons from water (H2O) to carbon dioxide (CO2), to produce carbohydrates and release oxygen.

Carbohydrates  are molecular compounds made from just three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Smaller molecules are known as  glucose and  sucrose often called sugars. To make proteins, carbon will bind with hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (and sometimes sulfur).

Just think the food we eat is really a complex amalgamation of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Does it make you wonder how we can ever gain weight?

  

A Hydrocarbon only has the elements of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to form the framework of the compound, and the hydrogen atoms attach to them in many different configurations. Standard composition for petroleum is 85% carbon 12% hydrogen and maybe a little nitrogen / oxygen.

The water sprite (H2O) has a a natural affinity with a hydrocarbon because they contain hydrogen. 

However, molecular chemistry is not the theme of this story even if it's interesting how bonded we are with other life forms. Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. 

Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium.

Then you ask Google what is a tree composed of: almost 98% (by weight) of a tree is made up of six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. 

Because we are bonded together with such common elements, it is vital to respect all forms of life to maintain natural balance. It is not surprising that this unique water sprite with plant features is often amazed with his encounters with different characters, some imaginary, but in real settings; and how many life forms and systems are interdependent where one broken link can affect the whole system.

Other relevant ecological questions are:

• What are the 5 parts of the water cycle beyond evaporation and condensation?
• How is climate change affected by the water cycle and vice versa?
• Why is environmental sustainability based on biological diversity?
• What are some amazing Cyclical Truths discovered in a water cycle journey that may be less known?
• How is pollution related to all  5 parts of a water cycle?
• What Is the difference between a natural cycle and a human manufacturing process?
• How can our lifestyles help to protect our water resources?
• Why does the water sprite hero have roots … doesn’t that make him immobile?
• Can scientific facts be understood better through an imaginative creative license as a first person bonding experience?
• Can water teach us about morality?  Does ecology have an ethical base?

Many of these questions can be answered by a living, feeling, talking water sprite with roots  with affinity to all lifeforms as he narrates his discoveries about several important cycles to maintain a healthy ecosystem, a healthy biodiversity and a healthy humankind society.

His story definitely connects the dots between climate, food production and ecosystems, but most importantly, he becomes a friend to the readers to be respected and protected.

What are some questions you would like to know about ecology or environmental sustainability?

Questions and comments are always important ... this finite blue planet is all we have. 

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661 (leave message and best time to call back) 

Excerpt: The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots

 I wonder but I really don't know. I wonder if anybody knows, even humankinds who are probably too busy with no time to dig deeper into what the right connections can mean to us all. But I care. Is caring a cycle? If you care enough about something, is that caring returned to you? If responsibility is given or taken, is that responsibility respected and used well? Generally speaking, do humankinds believe in being responsible at least, if not appreciative, of how past, present and future actions are all connected?

...a friendly micro-organism found in fresh water ponds