Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: maceng2 who wrote (7926)	11/5/2006 6:46:51 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 36917

Nine 'Laws' of Ecological Bloodymindedness A. Duncan Brown, Feed or Feedback (book) BartB on Wednesday November 01, 2006 at 6:52 AM PDT wrote in a comment on The Oil Drum: I like to share with you the Nine 'Laws' of Ecological Bloodymindedness form the work of A. Duncan Brown. In his book Feed or Feedback he shows our failure to understand those laws. He is especially concerned about phosphorus cycle with our current agricultural practices. We, humans, have to find behaviour that comply with these ecological laws. A paradigma shift is needed. This will be the challenge for this century so we can deal with PO and GW. Bart ---- The First Law For every action on a complex, interactive, dynamic system, there are unintended and unexpected consequences. In general, the unintended consequences are recognised later than those that are intended. The Second Law Any system in a state of positive feedback will destroy itself unless a limit is placed on the flow of energy through that system. The Third Law Any sedentary community, by virtue of its sedentism, will encounter problems of sanitation. The manner in which sanitation is managed will affect the manner in which supporting agriculture is managed. The Fourth Law For every increment in the agricultural surplus there is a corresponding increment in the volume of urban sewage. The Fifth Law Stability or resilience in ecosystems requires that all essential reactions within the system function within ranges of rates that are mutually compatible The Sixth Law The long-term survival of any species of organism requires that all processes essential for the viability of that species function at rates that are compatible with the overall functioning of the ecosystem of which that species is a part. The Seventh Law If any species of animal should develop the mental and physical capacity consciously to manage the ecosystem of which it is a part, and proceeds to do so, then the long-term survival of that species will require, as a minimum, that it understands the rate limits of all processes essential to the functioning of that ecosystem and that it operates within those limit. The Eighth Law Long-term stability or 'sustainability' in ecosystems (including agricultural systems) is dependent in part upon the recycling of nutrient elements wholly within the system or upon their replenishment from a renewable source, provided such replenishment is not itself dependent upon a finite source of energy. The Ninth Law If a population continues to grow exponentially it will eventually consume essential resources faster than they can be replenished. The provision of or access to additional resources will extend the 'life' of such resources, and hence the duration of growth of the population, only to a very small extent. (1 Nov 2006) Why haven't we heard more about A. Duncan Brown's 2004 book: "Feed or Feedback Agriculture, Population Dynamics and the State of the Planet"? The original item at the publishers has more on the book and writer, but on the rest of the Web, very little. One exception: a Review in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy -BA antenna.nl