Reductionism Holism and Systems Thinking Rethinking Food Gaia

Living Systems • Self-generative entities composed of dynamic symbiotic networks – Holism – Self-generating

Gaia Theory • Life itself alters a planet's geochemistry to favor its own continuation.

Human systems & Gaia • Cyclical processes in Gaia – Gaia knows nothing of

Learning from Gaia: The “Gift” of Photosynthesis • Earth's first 'environmental crisis' 3. 8

Food Webs: Green & Brown • Soil: the ground of agriculture • Mechanical system?

Vicious cycles: many small choices have large consequences Source: http: //www. theglobaleducationproje ct. org/earth/food-and-soil.

Toward a Gaian Food System • Thinking in circles – All “waste” is food

Colony Collapse Disorder: Multiple Stressors • Causes (61 documented) – Cell phone towers (?

A few simple ideas • Relocalizing food economies • But. . . • Ecological

Earth Systems Science Where are the people? Noosphere POL S 384 Lecture 2 15

Fungus, methyl bromide, strawberries, and stratospheric ozone 17

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Reductionism, Holism and Systems Thinking: Rethinking Food Gaia Theory Soil and dirt Bees Contemplating strawberries 1

Living Systems • Self-generative entities composed of dynamic symbiotic networks – Holism – Self-generating – Adaptive • Independence - a biological impossibility • Earth as living system • Human systems are living systems. 2

Gaia Theory • Life itself alters a planet's geochemistry to favor its own continuation. – Falsifiable scientific theory – Basis of Earth System Science • Earth: like an adaptive super-organism. • Emerges just as globalization & environmental destruction engender a planetary perspective. – From Holocene to Anthropocene 3

Human systems & Gaia • Cyclical processes in Gaia – Gaia knows nothing of waste – Industrial society & the “toilet assumption” – Environmentalism & the rise of “virtuous cycles” • Human function/purpose in the Earth system – What is the purpose of current global human systems? 4

Learning from Gaia: The “Gift” of Photosynthesis • Earth's first 'environmental crisis' 3. 8 billion years ago – Bacteria consumed CO 2, the greenhouse blanket • Photosynthesis: OXYGEN opened way for more complex organisms … which replenished the most important GHGs … and led to creation of ozone layer • People inducing a new kind of planetary crisis – What is the adaptive response? 5

Food Webs: Green & Brown • Soil: the ground of agriculture • Mechanical system? – Passive template for N, P, K • Or complex living system? – Bacteria, fungi, microfauna, worms, insects decompose “waste, ” mineralize nutrients • “Virtuous cycles” 6

Vicious cycles: many small choices have large consequences Source: http: //www. theglobaleducationproje ct. org/earth/food-and-soil. php 7

China’s “Fifth Season” 8

Toward a Gaian Food System • Thinking in circles – All “waste” is food (including dead things!) – Circular economy • Rebalancing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus & water cycles • World food system as subset of Earth system – Nested living systems – EX: Bees 11

Colony Collapse Disorder: Multiple Stressors • Causes (61 documented) – Cell phone towers (? ) – Varroa mite (and other pathogens) – Changing morphology – Neonicotinoids (and other pesticides) • US vs. EU policy – Climate change 12

A few simple ideas • Relocalizing food economies • But. . . • Ecological grazing & growing practices – Rotational planting & grazing • Mimic wild herds (Allan Savory) – Restoring soil fertility • Compost, vermicomposting • No-till & perennial agriculture • Carbon sequestration in soils • Internalize costs • But. . . 13

Earth Systems Science Where are the people? Noosphere POL S 384 Lecture 2 15

Fungus, methyl bromide, strawberries, and stratospheric ozone 17