It seems to me that we might have a better chance of seriously addressing environmental problems-- especially climate change-- if we started thinking of this planet as a congeries of interlocking systems-- the climate system, the food system, the energy system, etc.
This would be a different approach than the 'Gaia Hypothesis,' which is a kind of romantic biological metaphor of
planet Earth as a living organism. Given that our species seems to have this technological bent, thinking of it as a kind of ubersystem might have more appeal.
We know that human activity takes place on such a scale now that it can have significant effect on these different systems. We affect the climate system by throwing all these greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere; we affect the food system by driving some fisheries-- cod, tuna-- to the brink of extinction; etc.
If we got into the habit of thinking all these related systems as part of an 'earth system,' then we could use systems analysis to 'tweak' it toward better 'performance.' This would become a habit of mind that would then drive public policy.
We know that human activity takes place on such a scale now that it can have significant effect on these different systems. We affect the climate system by throwing all these greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere; we affect the food system by driving some fisheries-- cod, tuna-- to the brink of extinction; etc.
If we got into the habit of thinking all these related systems as part of an 'earth system,' then we could use systems analysis to 'tweak' it toward better 'performance.' This would become a habit of mind that would then drive public policy.
