Monday, May 26, 2008

The First Law: Everything is related to everything else

I stumbled upon four laws of ecology while searching for more information re the author of a thought-provoking quote by Barry Commoner in The Little Green Handbook.

As recorded @ Wikipedia, they are as follows:

1. The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all.


[These two are definitely related!]

2. Everything Must Go Somewhere. There is no "waste" in nature and there is no “away” to which things can be thrown.

3. Nature Knows Best. Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a natural system is, says Commoner, “likely to be detrimental to that system.”

4. There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. In nature, both sides of the equation must balance, for every gain there is a cost, and all debts are eventually paid.

Read more about Barry Commoner, the man who developed the four laws of ecology.

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