Definition of EcologyThe Study of ConsequencesAccording to Dictionary.com a definition of ecology is “The study of living things, their environment, and the relation between the two.” The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition The Etymology of Ecology: 1873, coined by Ger. zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) as Okologie, from Gk. oikos "house, dwelling place, habitation" (see villa) + -logia "study of." Ecosystem is from 1935. Ecosphere (1953) is the region around a star where conditions allow life-bearing planets to exist. Interesting to note that the word economy has the same root meaning as the word ecology from the Greek word oikos= house. The definition of ecology that got my attention was the one by Frank Herbert, author of the science fiction novel, Dune. I confess I have not read this book, but because of being introduced to his definition of ecology I now have Dune placed on my must buy and read list. Frank Herbert’s definition of ecology is “The study of consequence.” When I heard this definition I went into immediate and deep introspection. I developed a deep respect for the word ecology. From one of the highest altitude views I am capable of, I see our current tumultuous times as being the Universes way of saying that we must, as an imperative, look at consequences in all that we do. Or as Buckminster Fuller would say, we simply must start with the Universe first. Listening to a recording of the brilliant David E. Martin today, he mentioned this exact same principle, which he calls the “all in consequence” of our actions and choices. For example, he talked about the mining of gold, which in times of crisis people buy and horde because they think it will offer them security. Yet from the very best gold mines on earth, 6 ounces of gold is recovered for every 1 ton of material. That is an awful lot of energy wasted in extraction, as well as the environmental damage for 6 ounces of yellow metal that we value highly. Further, he mentioned the conditions of the workers in some of the gold mines where they are are extracting only 2 ounces in every 20 tons! Abject poverty, disgraceful living conditions.... This view of gold as a valuable and desired asset put’s that nice piece of gold jewelry into a different light? As it does the ingot you have in some vault ensuring your security. For what price? If Frank Herbert’s definition of ecology is on the money, then it brings ecology into everything that we do. Everything. It is the principle of Cradle to Cradle , the consideration of the whole cycle of goods and services, from dust to dust. Who is involved, for what cost, how much energy is spent, at what price, financially, emotionally, spiritually, ethically..? To really take responsibility for our actions we all must pull our heads out of the sand, and be aware of the consequences of our micro world-our thoughts, actions, buying choices, living choices on our macro world. Take for example our “throw away society”. If you look at the simple graphic below, you will see that there is no away to throw to.....When we start with the Universe first, we are simply throwing away into another part of our world. It might be out of sight out of mind, AND it is still going to have a consequence. Someone, somewhere will suffer, if not today, then tomorrow.
Pollution, as Buckminster Fuller said, is simply “stuff out of place.” The opposite of pollution is Integrity. Everything has a right place and a right action, or an intrinsic wholeness to it. The definition of ecology as the study of consequence takes all of these factors into account. Ecology is a way of being. At the level of Universe, Ecology is ultimate awareness and deep respect for our interrelationships and connectedness. Thank you Mr Herbert. I look forward to going on a Dune journey. To Return from the Definition of Ecology to Cosmic Accounting
| ||
