Let’s reclaim the rules of Nature

Let’s reclaim the rules of Nature

As Aristotle stated “Nature never does anything useless”; it is enough to start from this assumption to understand that if humanity wants to achieve real progress and well-being it must do so exclusively within the rules and codes contained therein.
Rules and codes that often, even today, are not perfectly clear and known to most people.
Obviously, without having the presumption of noting the entire complexity of the laws of nature in a publication of just a few lines, it is clear that this is based on mandatory codes, against which nothing and no one is allowed to go against.
The laws of physics (Newtonian and quantum) are cornerstones to which we all must respond, including economic, ecological and social systems. Every incorrect application of these laws involves feedback, implemented by natural systems, which tends to restore or correct a “procedural” defect.
In short, if we implement economic, ecological and social systems, not structured on the laws of nature (which are nothing more than a matrix of physical and mathematical algorithms) the “System” tends to reset the interfering factors.
Put like this it seems simple; in fact, in simple terms, it means that whatever action we take not following the rules of nature, this tends to reset the very one (or those) who contrast it.
The not insignificant issue is that nature’s resources are not infinite; it is, as mentioned, a complex matrix (hence the idea of ​​the 1999 film The Matrix) which is structured on four space-time dimensions (the three dimensions of space and that of time).
Quantum physics, affirming what was already predicted by the theory of Relativity, tells us that the temporal dimension is generated by how we articulate the movements and connections within the three dimensions. To put it briefly, any action or reaction that occurs within our universe (and therefore on earth) generates a rate of entropy, a function from which the dimension of time and its direction arises.
Obviously these are not simple topics and a minimum amount of preparation in thermodynamics and quantum mechanics is needed. However, with the development of ecological sciences, and with the ever-increasing understanding that these are based on very complex matrices, it has been understood that ecosystems are dissipative systems, that is, thermodynamically open structures that work in a state far from equilibrium, exchanging with environment information, energy and matter, generating entropy.
In short, in Nature the three forms of reality (an increasingly evident principle in quantum mechanics): information, energy and matter are constantly exchanged, through the great planetary engine that is the sun (which alone generates 95% of the necessary energy to life), generating a portion that can no longer be recovered, which is entropy (from which time is generated).
But Nature does something exceptional, which still needs to be assimilated into social and economic systems; follows a very clear logic to make this system as efficient as possible (precisely “it never does anything useless”), through principles that we can summarize as follows:
1. assumes, where possible, greater complexity in order to best dissipate the energy available to share it under the three different forms of information, energy and matter;
2. organizes itself, where possible, with greater diversification, fragmentation and sharing;
In this way it tends to perpetuate itself for as long as possible, precisely because it tends to generate lower rates of entropy and, therefore, that quantity that gives the direction and arrow of time.
All this gives systems greater stability, well-being and sharing: a truly democratic matrix.
The moral of the matter, as was once used in the fairy tales they told us, is that to ensure greater well-being for our society we must, without ifs or buts, change our lifestyles, our social and economic rules, everything that falls under the sky of relationships between humanity and the planet that hosts us.
Easy to say but more difficult to do, because after centuries of ideologies of the impossible (such as economic theories on indefinite growth, assumptions about production models in total conflict with ecological ones, social systems disconnected from ecological ones, etc.) to reverse the route is a very complex thing.
However, the first signs of the reversal are all present and, even if conflicting, with those who have an interest in maintaining the status quo, it is clear that there is no other path.
The way is not that sustainability which has become a term used, abused and often empty of meaning. The way is those codes of nature which, through the complexity of systems and their diversification, fragmentation and sharing, are the only ones to ensure a history of concrete well-being for humanity and the planet.
For example, in the agricultural field, for too long the interests of multinationals and some economic systems stated that in order to feed the planet’s population, increasingly specialized agriculture was needed, conducted with large quantities of external inputs (machinery, fertilizers, herbicides , etc.) and with large commercial organizations.
Agroecology (an increasingly studied and proven science) shows us how these statements, in addition to having no scientific basis, are distorted and specious; through agroecological systems, for example, the planetary population can be fed better and more, without polluting (or at least doing so as natural systems do) and with healthier and more democratic ecological and social systems.
The same thing can be stated in the laws of economics, to which great scholars have dedicated themselves in recent decades (let us remember the work of Ernst Friedrich Schumacher, published in 1973, entitled Small is Beautiful) and other economists who have confirmed how the laws valid for ecology are identical for the economy: diversification, fragmentation and sharing, within complex and more stable systems, socially and politically.
All this foreshadows a great period of changes (it is not known at what cost) at the end of which the world, as we know it today, will be differently structured, organized and connected.
To make this transition, as often said, an ecological conversion is needed which generates a new ideology that distances itself from positivism and those lines of thought from which modern civilization was born.
On the other hand, analyzes of the advantages of an economy based on ecology tell us the following:
– Savings on energy costs: the adoption of renewable energy sources reduces dependence on fossil fuels, leading to a decrease in costs for importing oil, gas and coal. For example, solar and wind energy have become increasingly competitive in terms of cost per kilowatt hour.
– Employment growth: sectors related to renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management offer numerous job opportunities. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the renewable energy sector has created millions of jobs globally.
– Increased efficiency: the adoption of ecological practices leads to greater efficiency in the use of resources. For example, implementing energy efficiency technologies in industries can reduce operating costs and increase productivity.
– Reduction of health costs: the reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions leads to an improvement in public health, reducing health costs linked to respiratory, cardiovascular and other pollution-related diseases.
– Enhancement of natural capital: the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity generate economic benefits, such as soil stabilization, climate regulation and the availability of natural resources for tourism and sustainable agriculture. These benefits are often quantifiable in terms of ecosystem services.
– Innovation and technological development: investments in green technologies stimulate innovation and the development of new products and services, creating new markets and economic opportunities.
These advantages (which can be translated into an increase in GDP) demonstrate that an ecological economy not only contributes to a healthier and more sustainable environment, but also brings concrete and measurable economic benefits.
Suffice it to say that the restoration of biodiversity alone has a significant impact on global GDP.
Indeed, biodiversity contributes to ecosystem services that are crucial to the global economy. These include crop pollination, climate regulation, water purification, flood prevention and soil conservation. A 2014 report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimated the annual global value of ecosystem services at between $125 and $140 trillion, about double the world’s GDP that year.
A study published in the journal “Nature” estimated that the cost of doing nothing to prevent biodiversity loss could reduce global GDP by 7% by 2050.
The European Commission has estimated that the value of ecosystem services provided by protected areas in the European Union amounts to approximately 200-300 billion euros per year.
Finally, according to a 2020 World Economic Forum report, more than half of the world’s GDP (about $44 trillion) depends moderately or heavily on nature and its services.
All this makes us understand that the time has come for humanity to leave the path of presumption and take the reins of history by following the rules and codes of nature.
In this way, even the old distinctions between right and left in politics will take on new identities, much clearer and more evident.

Guido Bissanti