For many years scientists, and people in general, have subscribed to the notion that we drill down to the most minute detail to such an extent that we loss sight of the whole, of which that tiny detail is a part.  We have shifted from being generalists to specialists. Examples include specialist medicos, specialist engineers, specialist business managers, each carving out a niche and trying to convince themselves and the rest of us, that the world revolves around this or that particular field of interest. There are great examples of this in the building and construction industries especially at the fit out stage, when every aspect is featured in and of itself, as if we are to pay attention to the colour of each light shade and each powerpoint and each door handle, benchtop and so  on it goes. It becomes an obsession and seems to take a higher priority than the need to ensure that function is actually more important than fashion. This becomes apparent when the gold outer coating fades and cracks and the each component becomes ‘dated’ and therefore in need of replacement regardless of the fact it/they still work as designed. There’s a lot to be said for the colour choice that Henry Ford gave his customers – black. White and other primary colours are mainstays that endure, while all the pastel shades come and go. 

This hopefully sets the scene for this story which asks that we consider our relationship with the earth – as a whole:

• to ensure that we take a holistic approach
• to ensure that economics and the trivial does not overwhelm and consume its host parent, the earth
• to enable a true common wealth to flourish for the benefit of both human society and the earth’s non-human beings.

Context is important and must not be overlooked. Just as we’ve had general practitioners in the medical field for years, we need general practitioners in the field of ecology and earth science.  Drill down to the minute, but always be mindful of where we are positioned within the whole.  It’s called nested ecology. It’s called right relationships in a community of mutual understanding and respect, placing the earth and our ancestral beings higher up the order than we have been doing for the past 250 years.

Economics is such a focal point of our current social arrangements, it can’t be ignored by ecologists as perhaps it has been in the past.

Read the full story here: Human and nature: the right relationship