SYSTEMS: PART ONE Natural Systems, Humans, and Human Mind-made Systems What are the issues? Made by Biodiverse for Life Visit our website at biodiverseforlife.orgbiodiverseforlife.org Contains simple animations. Run as a slide show.

Overview Systems: Part One. Overview of systems and subsystems. The interdependence of natural systems Human dependence on biodiverse natural systems. Natural systems compared to current human-made systems. Why is it necessary to create better human-made systems? How do we begin? Coming soon… Systems: Part Two. The power of individuals daily choices. One good individual choice, in even one area, positively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. One bad individual choice, in even one area, negatively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. Understanding how the different parts of our environment are connected to each other gives us the power to choose actions that will positively affect society and nature, and truly enrich our lives. What can I do, right now, to get started?

All systems are composed of a variety of subsystems.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Business & Finance Politics Urban centers & Industrial agriculture Healthy air Healthy land Healthy water Natural subsystems are essential for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems Toxic waste PRODUCTION Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Efficient waste RENEWAL Food Waste ACTIVITY Mental Health MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans NATURAL SYSTEM CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM All nature-based subsystems are interconnected and dependent on each other. That is what the ‘sub’ in subsystem means. Because they are all dependent, attempting to save only one, or several subsystems will still result in all subsystems failing, even the subsystems you are trying to save. Humankind is also a vulnerable, natural subsystem. Natural subsystems

SYSTEMS IN SPACE AND TIME Natural Modern Man: (Current mind-made systems) More biological complexity More biological complexity Eliminating biological complexity All systems will fail if pushed far enough. No systems conducive to life are poisoning Ancient Humans USE OF SPACE : OVER TIME : How does a natural system differ from the current human technological system? Renewing Destructive / Poisoning

Business & Finance Politics Urban centers & Industrial agriculture Healthy air Healthy land Healthy water Natural subsystems are essential for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Efficient waste RENEWAL Food Waste ACTIVITY Mental Health MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans NATURAL SYSTEM CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM Toxic waste PRODUCTION No waste renewal Poisoned air Poisoned land Poisoned water X X Because there are so many of us, we have great power to destroy all other natural subsystems, including ourselves, …….if our mind-made systems continue to be based on unrealistic desires.

Business & Finance Politics Urban centers & Industrial agriculture Healthy air Healthy land Healthy water Natural subsystems are essential for food, air, and water; for human and all other life. Deleting these would not destroy the natural systems Highly biodiverse set of living organisms Efficient waste RENEWAL Food Waste ACTIVITY Mental Health MIND-MADE SYSTEM : Subsystems designed by humans NATURAL SYSTEM CURRENT MIND-MADE SYSTEM Toxic waste PRODUCTION ….or by expanding our awareness… …and developing new types of mind-made systems based on maturity, compassion, and responsibility………. Renewed waste NEW MIND-MADE SYSTEM …..enrich all subsystems including ourselves! ? ? ?

The problems we face are bigger than global warming debates or CO 2 emissions. We cannot narrowly solve CO 2 issues and ignore our destruction of the rest of the environment. The best and only way to solve the problems we have caused is to face them squarely and solve all of them at once. This is done by assigning the proper value to our essential natural systems and to each other as stewards of this treasure.

NATURE BASED SYSTEMS :CURRENT HUMAN DESIGNED SYSTEMS : CONSUMPTION : Necessary Excessive SYSTEM INPUTS : Resources are finite and rate limited. Reflect realityReflect infantile desires Toxic Waste Resources Toxic Waste Poisoning Resources Waste Renewing

NATURE BASED SYSTEMS :FUTURE HUMAN DESIGNED SYSTEMS? : CONSUMPTION : Necessary Excessive SYSTEM INPUTS : Resources are finite and rate limited. Reflect reality Toxic Waste Resources Waste Renewing and Enriching Resources Waste Renewing We can choose to design human mind-made systems, that preserve and enhance natural systems, instead of ignoring the problem. Our lives, and the lives of our children, depend on it.

To effect these changes we will each have to:  Develop a heightened sense of active compassion.  Be proactive in learning about the interdependence of systems…. ….and how our individual choices affect them.  Actively make better choices in our daily lives (Any choice based on a realistic understanding of the problems, is better than doing what someone else tells us to do, in ignorance.) As a bonus we will have more satisfying lives !

Systems: Part Two. The power of individuals daily choices. One good individual choice, in even one area, positively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. One bad individual choice, in even one area, negatively impacts at least 10 other problem areas. Understanding how the different parts of our environment are connected to each other gives us the power to choose actions that will positively affect society and nature, and truly enrich our lives. What can I do, right now, to get started? Coming soon….