SYSTEMS PART ONE Natural Systems Humans and Human

SYSTEMS: PART ONE Natural Systems, Humans, and Human Mind-made Systems What are the issues? Made by Biodiverse for Life Visit our website at biodiverseforlife. org Contains simple animations. Run as a slide show.

Overview Systems: Part One. • Overview of systems and subsystems. • The interdependence of natural systems • Human dependence on biodiverse natural systems. • Natural systems compared to current human-made systems. • Why is it necessary to create better human-made systems? • How do we begin? Coming soon… Systems: Part Two. The power of individuals daily choices. One good individual choice, in even one area, positively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. One bad individual choice, in even one area, negatively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. Understanding how the different parts of our environment are connected to each other gives us the power to choose actions that will positively affect society and nature, and truly enrich our lives. What can I do, right now, to get started?

All systems are composed of a variety of subsystems.

NATURAL SYSTEM Natural subsystems are essential Natural subsystems for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Healthy air Food Healthy land Efficient waste RENEWAL Mental Health ACTIVITY Healthy water Waste MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems All nature-based subsystems are interconnected and dependent on each other. That is what the ‘sub’ in subsystem means. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Because they are all dependent, attempting to save only one, or several subsystems will still result in all subsystems failing, even the subsystems you are trying to save. WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Humankind is also a vulnerable, natural subsystem. Toxic waste PRODUCTION CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM Business & Finance Urban centers & Industrial agriculture Politics

SYSTEMS IN SPACE AND TIME How does a natural system differ from the current human technological system? Natural USE OF SPACE : OVER TIME : Modern Man: Ancient Humans (Current mind-made systems) Renewing Destructive / Poisoning More biological complexity Eliminating biological complexity All systems will fail if pushed far enough. No systems conducive to life are poisoning

NATURAL SYSTEM Natural subsystems are essential for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. X Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Healthy air Because there are so many of us, we have great power to destroy all other Efficient natural subsystems, waste RENEWAL including ourselves, Healthy land ……. if our mind-made systems continue to be based on unrealistic desires. Healthy water No waste renewal Poisoned air Food Mental Health X ACTIVITY Poisoned land Poisoned water Toxic waste PRODUCTION Waste MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM Business & Finance Urban centers & Industrial agriculture Politics

NATURAL SYSTEM Natural subsystems are essential for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Healthy air Healthy land Efficient waste RENEWAL Food Mental Health ACTIVITY Healthy water Waste MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans NEW MIND-MADE SYSTEM Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems …. or by expanding our awareness… …and developing new types of mind-made systems based on maturity, compassion, and responsibility………. …. . enrich all subsystems including ourselves! Toxic waste PRODUCTION Renewed waste CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM Business & Finance ? Urban centers ? ? & Industrial agriculture Politics

The problems we face are bigger than global warming debates or CO 2 emissions. We cannot narrowly solve CO 2 issues and ignore our destruction of the rest of the environment. The best and only way to solve the problems we have caused is to face them squarely and solve all of them at once. This is done by assigning the proper value to our essential natural systems and to each other as stewards of this treasure.

SYSTEM INPUTS : Resources are finite and rate limited. CONSUMPTION : Necessary NATURE BASED SYSTEMS : Excessive CURRENT HUMAN DESIGNED SYSTEMS : Reflect reality Reflect infantile desires Resources Renewing Poisoning Waste Toxic Waste

SYSTEM INPUTS : Resources are finite and rate limited. CONSUMPTION : Necessary NATURE BASED SYSTEMS : Excessive FUTURE HUMAN DESIGNED SYSTEMS? : We Reflect can choose reality to design human mind-made systems, that preserve and Resources enhance natural systems, instead of ignoring the problem. Reflect reality Resources Our. Renewing lives, and the lives of our children, depend on it. Waste Renewing and Enriching Toxic Waste

To effect these changes we will each have to: v Develop a heightened sense of active compassion. v Be proactive in learning about the interdependence of systems…. …. and how our individual choices affect them. v Actively make better choices in our daily lives (Any choice based on a realistic understanding of the problems , is better than doing what someone else tells us to do, in ignorance. ) As a bonus we will have more satisfying lives !

Coming soon…. Systems: Part Two. The power of individuals daily choices. One good individual choice, in even one area, positively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. One bad individual choice, in even one area, negatively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. Understanding how the different parts of our environment are connected to each other gives us the power to choose actions that will positively affect society and nature, and truly enrich our lives. What can I do, right now, to get started?