Paradigm Shifting: The Move to a Common Ecological Language
There is a growing awareness in the world today that the combination of mounting environmental and social problems have come to a critical point requiring deep reflection, paradigm shifting and action. Some of the most critical issues facing us, the global community, are obvious to many; climate change, poverty and the attendant growing gap between the rich and poor, the degradation and destruction of ecosystems, the need for alternative renewable energy sources, global health issues, war and civil unrest to name a few. Some are less obvious such as the growing extinction of languages and indigenous culture, the need for environmental justice, the loss of productive arable soil and land, the drawing down of the world’s potable fresh drinking water supply and many others.
To bring into focus both the more commonly known environmental and social issues as well as the less known issues requires a realization that social and natural systems are deeply, inherently and interdependently connected. The time has come to view the issues facing us today through a whole systems lens. There is a need to move away from what has been the dominant Western worldview and approach. A rationalistic, mechanical compartmentalized approach no longer serves us well and is no longer appropriate in the global commons of information, culture and environment. In the words of one of the founders of general system theory, Ludwig Von Bertalanffy: “"There is this hope, I cannot promise you whether or when it will be realized - that the mechanistic paradigm, with all its implications in science as well as in society and our own private life, will be replaced by an organismic or systems paradigm that will offer new pathways for our presently schizophrenic and self-destructive civilization” (http://www.worldtrans.org/whole/wsquotes.html).
In order to begin finding solutions and ongoing evolutionary approaches we must consider three forms of capital: social, natural and economic. These three forms of capitol are the underpinnings of a healthy sustainable society and global community. The move to viewing these forms of capital in terms of interrelationships rather than isolated needs, functions and products is key to moving towards an ecological consciousness and subsequent realistic eco-systemic solutions to the problems facing us. It is also important to conserve and learn about biocultural diversity which exists at the nexus point between the three forms of capitol. Let us define and explore some of the terminology and components of an ecologically sustainable society (this refers to the italicized words used above):
· Paradigm Shifting ~ A paradigm is defined as a “set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them” (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=paradigm). Paradigm shifting refers to the need to move beyond the dominant Western capitalist paradigm that does not place equal value on ecosystems services and into a whole systems based ecologically conscious paradigm.
· Social and Natural Systems ~ A social system is an interconnected set of people and relationships formed around culture. For example a neighborhood community is a social system or a group of volunteers or the members of a church. A natural system is an interconnected set of relationships and functions that consists of biological species and processes as well as geochemical processes and functions. An example of a natural system is a wetland ecosystem or a watershed.
· Whole Systems ~ Systems thinking and/or whole systems design consists of:
“The concept that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts". Whole systems have emergent properties that can't be deduced by studying their components… Thinking about whole systems involves shifting our attention from the parts to the whole, from objects to relationships, from structures to processes, from hierarchies to networks. It also includes shifts of emphasis from the rational to the intuitive, from analysis to synthesis, from linear to non-linear thinking”
(http://members.iinet.net.au/~rstack1/hent/fundamental.htm).
· Global Commons ~ traditionally the commons referred to a piece of land held in common for the good of all, today the commons crosses national boundaries. In the interconnected smaller world of today the global commons consists of the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere as well as the shared intellectual commons of the internet, and culture. There is much disagreement as to the definition of the global commons, however for the purposes of this paper the above definition serves as a general starting point for understanding the concept.
· Evolutionary Approaches ~ An evolutionary approach is a flexible dynamic approach to and view of a ‘problem’ or issue that is not static and can continue to evolve as needed in respect to the given issue. It is based on the process of backcasting or looking at a solution to an issue from a future desired state where the solution leads to the fulfillment of basic systems conditions for sustainability and is simultaneously built on a flexible platform that is responsive to changes in technology, environment and stakeholder needs.
· Three Forms of Capital: Natural, Social and Economic ~ Natural capital is the services an ecosystem provides such as timber, water filtration, oxygen, food, etc., it is also the biological species contained therein. Social capital consists of social networks such as civic groups, volunteer organizations, and any form of social relationship, cultural capital such as the arts and education are also in this definition embedded in social capital. Economic capital is the services and products produced through the flow of the global economy.
· Healthy Sustainable Society ~ Broadly defined, a sustainable society is an equitable society that values and wisely uses all three forms of capital, (social, natural and economic) and can meets the needs of the world’s present population without compromising or diminishing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. By generations this is meant to include not only generations of human animals but non-human animals as well.
· Ecological Consciousness ~ having an ecological consciousness means that one has a holistic and systemic awareness of the natural world around them, their impact upon it and their relationship with it and that they make decisions accordingly and ethically.
Biocultural Diversity ~ is the collective cultural, linguistic and biological diversity of the planet. This is a different way to view biodiversity so as to include culture and language. This is done because throughout human history the natural environment, culture and language have been intricately linked and have affected and shaped one another.
The terms we have explored above showcase the tools, philosophies and systems that need to become part of a globally shared common language that is accessible and understood by all. In order for the global commons to be a healthy, inviting, accessible and sustainable arena this shared language needs to be taught through environmental whole systems based education starting from kindergarten and interweaving through an individual’s entire academic career. Environmental education goes hand in hand with the backcasting technique, it is no longer enough to do ‘just’ enough in the present to stem the flood of problems we face. We must shift ourselves towards an ecological consciousness and assure that future generations do not need to waste time relearning how to see things systemically. Rather we need to make sure they are already educated ecologically conscious global citizens ready to move forward into new frontiers defined not by the amount of problems we can overcome but by the amount of equity, peace and creativity that is possible in a sustainable society.
Sources Quoted:
“Fundamental Principles and Concepts of Holistic Education.” 17 December 2003.
Holistic Education Network of Tasmania, Australia. Retrieved May 1st, 2006
from http://members.iinet.net.au/~rstack1/hent/fundamental.htm.
“Paradigm.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language. 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Electronic. Retrieved May 1st, 2006 from http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=paradigm.
Von Bertalanffy, Ludwig. “Whole Systems Quotes”. Retrieved May1st, 2006 from
http://www.worldtrans.org/whole/wsquotes.html .
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