Nikhil -- Leaving aside details of hierarchical structure, I point out,
concerning economics:
It seems that you have in mind a global economic system in your planning.
Is that so? I think that the current global capitalist system would need to
be eschewed.
Then, this also would seem to involve a world government, placing the types
of agriculture in their optimal regions, etc.
Alternative;y, perhaps your system might function on an island like
Australia?
STAN
On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 3:52 AM, Nikhil Joshi
wrote:
> Dear All,
> The research presented here is focused on gleaning insights leading to new
> solutions to the economics vs ecosystem conflict. The roots of many of
> our problems in ecological sustainability lie in the fact that our
> socio-economic systems are largely focused on fulfilling only human needs
> and the needs of human organizations. In doing so, as pointed out by Pedro,
> Bob, Francesco and others in this group our economics largely ignores the
> productive value of our ecosystems and the true costs of our development on
> our life supporting living systems.
>
> I term such a society as a “shallow society”, a society that is focused on
> the development of a single species and largely ignores the value of its
> own life-supporting living systems. With global population predicted to
> grow to 9 billion people, the next level of human development requires a
> transition of human society from being a “shallow society” that is only
> focused on only human needs to what I call a “deep society”. A deep
> society is a society that includes all living systems in its development.
>
> In this view, a deep society is not only focused on needs of human beings
> and their organizations but its development models also include development
> of the entire gamut of life-supporting living systems. Such a society
> grows not by exploiting the resources of a living planet, but also it
> possesses the capability to nurture, grow and actively manage a “living
> planet” (and perhaps seed life on other planets as well). Human
> development in the future will require the creation of new capabilities to
> develop models leading to a deep society. The question then is- can we
> develop systems that will enable a fair-value reciprocity and exchange
> between living ecosystems and economic systems?
>
>
> While, the notion that economics does not adequately value natural
> systems has been highlighted by many researchers in the field of ecological
> economics. Ideas on how natural systems can be understood, valued and
> integrated into economics have remained elusive. A multilevel view (like
> the one presented here) allows one to compare socio-economic
> organizations with natural organizations and could also provide new
> insights into how the dynamics of natural ecosystems could be synergised
> with economic systems.
>
> The model presented in the kick-off session shows two levels of
> energetically and materially coupled exchange networks in ecosystems. At
> the first level of exchange networks geochemical molecules are organized
> into different autotrophic species, and modulated by Mycorrhiza (level 1).
> Different autotrophic species then become food for the different
> heterotrophic species hence giving rise to the next higher level of
> exchange networks in ecosystems, modulated by gut bacterial networks (Level
> 2). The question then is- how does nature organize to build-in synergies
> between these two levels?
>
> At level 1, Mycorrhiza networks are known to modulate growth rates across
> different autotrophic species by providing phosphorous to different
> autotrophic species in quantitative exchange for carbohydrates. Autotrophic
> species (or groups of autotrophic species) that provide more carbohydrate
> hence get more phosphorous. Hence carbohydrates play a role in influencing
> phosphorous allocation across different autotrophic species connected to a
> Mycorrhiza network. At the next higher level in the exchange networks
> between different autotrophic species and different heterotrophic species
> gut bacteria use carbohydrates to modulate growth rates in heterotrophic
> species. Hence carbohydrates seem to play a role both in influencing
> dynamics in exchange networks at level 1, as well as in influencing
> dynamics in exchange networks at level 2.
>
> *Could such an organization where carbohydrates are a common influencing
> factor in exchanges at both levels serve to align both levels towards
> increasing overall carbohydrate production in ecosystems (hence increasing
> the overall primary production in ecosystems) by synergizing dynamics
> across both levels (and two different modulator networks)?*
>
> *Could this two-level role of carbohydrates provide new insights on
> aligning the third level of exchange networks (and our financial investment
> networks) with underling ecosystem exchange networks at level 1 and 2? *
> At this stage, these and other ideas presented here require much fu
