December 19, 2014 - 10:48
Attempting to Unravel Ecological Intelligence
As species, humans have reached a point of comfort at a superficial level. We’ve essentially driven biogeochemical systems to sustain global life to our comfort, which was a unfortunate path to follow due to our current crisis of dealing with global warming. However, we’ve now reached a point where humans are moving forward with generations without making any significant progress towards changing onto a different route. Remaining on the same route has ultimately disconnected humans to our own roots of origins. Therefore, we need to develop something new and innovative to get us, as a specie, to progress.
Attempting to even grasp the concept of an origin would be a turn into a new direction. The most provocative issue today is that generations are still being educated in a western style educational institutions. Western styles has become the new traditional way of thinking and communicating. Having western thinkers led is a concern because there is a prejudice toward original cultures who’ve developed ecological intelligence, instead of trying to grasp their ideas and build on them. Ecological intelligence, not only allows us to comprehend complex systems, but it also helps us, as individuals, to learn about the relationship between humans and nature. “Ecological intelligence takes into account the interacting patterns, ranging from how behaviors ripple through the field of social relationships in ways that introduce changes that are ignored by non ecological thinking, to how an individual’s actions introduce changes in the energy flows and alter the patterns of interdependence within natural systems.” (Bowers, 46) Bowers expresses that initiating change essential. The outcome of change will be by developing a new language because it would help significantly towards individuals thinking. But, more importantly, it will cause people to think in terms ecologically.
As humans, we’ve developed a cultural tradition that evolved through a body of words. The system of cultural tradition is described as a language, although, based on geographical area, the language in which people communicate may differ. However, most ideas and concepts that were birthed in the United States can be founded in places as far as China and India, which is known to be the act of Westernization. Due to Western style influences, people have been taught to think and communicate in a language that was based on previous leaders who were ignorant to the importance of nature and its limits, thus constraining any further progress for a more efficient environment.
Thinking the same way as someone else can be positive, however having the concept of westernized way of thinking is deskilling ecological intelligence altogether. It doesn’t solve anything at all. Instead, it just hinders divergent thoughts from ever being liberated. The progress in which ecological intelligence can change with language will cause a radical change. A new mind can provide a fresh view to enlighten the situation that is presented. (We’ve been taught by history that we do not learn from history. For example, the reoccurring battle for Russia. In June of 1812, Napoleon marched his troops to invade Russia and most of his troops died of starvation, frostbite and hypothermia because of his logistics and ethics. Yet, in 1941, Hitler invaded Russia in the same manner. I provided an example that was a bit on a tangent but, it is crucial for the readers’ to understand. Other events that reoccur throughout history are genocides (but, that’s another paper). On that account, the same mindset that caused the problem cannot possibly be able to even fathom the thought of a solution.
The mind is so astonishing. However, trying to only justify what constitutes ecological intelligence isn’t enough because there should be an evaluation of specifically what intelligences we need in order to think ecologically. In hopes, this will create a new language. This is such a complex matter that requires not only one mind to unravel. One mind can’t even comprehend it. As Van Jones says, "This could really be something that brings people together, across the lines of class and color.” (Kolbert, 2) Maybe using his mechanism of “Greening the Ghetto” is vital. There’s an optimistic approach that could solve a lot of what’s going wrong in the world today. The theory is to help everyone use the power of exponential growth so that nobody gets left out. It begins with a single person who helps three people. Then each of those three people, will help an additional nine individuals.
One person helps 3 people.
Those 3 people help 9 others,
and those 9 people help 27 others,
and those 27 people help 81 others,
and those 81 people help 243 others,
When people pay it forward, we’d end up living in an world where everyone helps each other out and we are able to learn from each other. This creates a stronger movement between the people, which will be for the people because everyone will be one. It starts off very small, so its possible for people in any class to begin the movement. Van Jone would be a proud advocator to the Pay-it-Forward theory because his thoughts for his personal theory, “Greening the Ghetto” has the same intentions. He shares his thoughts briefly yet explicitly by saying,
"Your goal has to be to get the greenest solutions to the poorest people," Jones told me. "That's the only goal that's morally compelling enough to generate enough energy to pull this transition off. The challenge is making this an everybody movement…” (Kolbert, 2)
Therefore, we need to be able to do it together as a species. To really be able to use this intelligence we need to do it together as an entire species and to question what puts humans separately from nature. Everyday, humans are in contact with nature, even if that human being doesn’t particularly enjoy being out in nature. Our lives literally depend on nature, which makes us embroiled in ecological systems. Consequently, for better or for worse, we need to become more intimate and sensitive towards nature by developing a new language.