Jeff wrote:
> As we become more specialized
> we create more places where problems can hit us. A small diversified
> farm, town, community would not have most of these problems.
Eric:
"Biological evolution could be defined as one long series of
specializations... The list is endless. Each creature was a tiny fraction
of the life force; the greater portion had died with the environments that
created them. Others had continued to evolve, but always their
transformation seemed to present a more skilled adaptation to an
increasingly narrow corridor of existence. Success too frequently meant
specialization, and specialization, ironically, was the beginning of the
road to extinction." Loren Eiseley in "The Invisible Pyramid"
> Two partial answers to these problems are bioregionalism and
> diversity.
Bioregionalism allows for a scale of activity that can be comprhended by
humans, allowing for better monitoring and adaptation. It is a more vital
system and, as far as I can see, the only sustainable possibility. The
lack of diversity is a betrayal of scientific thinking. Specialization and
distinction do not train us to perceive the vast complexity of Nature.
> I now read with more frequency the statement that a crisis is what
> we need to wake up the human race. Some are saying we should join
> the greed-and-exploit group to help create this crisis. They would
> look at these reports and call it good news. Not me, that type of
> thinking scares me.
I have thought that it might require a crisis for humans to react, but I
never thought of creating one or encouraging one. That is scary!
> A small difference in philosophy can make a big difference in
> daily life.
I am enjoying the process of discovering those "small differences in
philosophy" that will make a big difference.
Eric:
