Revision for the Introduction to Games We Play, a little heavily-illustrated book on applied ecology for kids from 12 to 120 years of age:
The basics of this little book are:
1.Through more than fifty illustrations herein we hope to elicit more movement toward communicating, researching, and critically thinking about living collectively as true lovers of all life.
2.We are emphasizing several scientific Truths concerning quality, healthful life for individuals and populations of humans and the ecosphere—
a. Disparity is prevalent in local and in the global human population. Change to realize an increase in equity is of utmost importance. In the current Anthropocene these efforts must be particularly dynamic, concerted, and energetic! We hope for open minds and open borders … and empathy, compassion, respect, solidarity, affirmative action, and reparations for the poor.
b. Limits must be recognized, and we must appropriately live as individuals, families, demes, populations, and ecological communities within these limits. Nevertheless, we have overshot as humans in the ecosphere because of rampant consumption, population increases, and use of inappropriate technologies and practices.
c. Since “Nature is not only more complex than we think but more complex than we can ever think” (Miller 1990 Resource Conservation and Management), every action by humans will have unintended consequences. Therefore, we must always be cautious and tentative in taking any actions (the Precautionary Principle). This is a closed-and-shut case in support of living the six S or for living Sabiamente (Wisely), Simply, Smally, Slowly, Sharingly, and Sustainably. (These six Ss will be stressed as of the utmost importance throughout this little book.) Moreover, the Precautionary Principle cries loudly for pacifism and gun/armament control, and for us all to be antiWar.
d. Learning needs to be comprehensive, profound, and holistic … and to slightly paraphrase David Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College, all education is ecological education. The first step toward ecological education might be some understanding of the Laws of Thermodynamics with a focus on the Second and First Laws. (One way of beginning to explain the Second Law is that as you transform energy, it tends toward uselessness and adds to entropy, randomness, “chaos” in the whole systems.)
Moreover, consideration of the Second Law of Thermodynamics particularly points out that artificial transformation of daily solar energy (vs. natural photosynthesis in Nature)—whether it be directly solar, or indirect such as wind and hydro–is costly energetically and ecologically. This and all so-called “renewable” energy are generally diffuse and of low quality.. To transform such low-quality energy and render it useful, it takes upfront energy inputs. Energy returns on investment (EROI) for this diffuse energy is not substantial in comparison to that from many reserves of fossil energy or materials for nuclear energy. Moreover, the bottom line is that rampant transformation of energy is not good period! because of chaos created in the biosphere and substantial rises in unintended consequences. This is a major reason we need to live humbly and poorly, by the six Ss, and in homeostasis with photosynthesis in Nature. Moreover, we need to practice sustainable agriculture, or appropriate applied agroecology. http://www.paulpeaceparables.com/2018/05/01/renewable-energy-as-the-key-asset-of-commonwealth-in-community-by-paul-bain-martin1/
http://www.paulpeaceparables.com/2018/06/01/little-book-on-applied-ecology-peace-appendix-i-sustainable-livelihoods/
Finally, a comprehensive knowledge of and abiding by the principles of ecology (i.e., Positively Ethical Applied Community Ecology or PEACE) is necessary for critical thinking and important for quality life, These principles and processes include in part: energetics and embodied Human Appropriated Net Primary Productivity/eHANPPP, connectivity, biochemical cycles, succession, territoriality, biome characteristics, and evapotranspiration rates. (We need to have positively ethical applied community ecology across curricula and campuses for all human organizational entities, i.e., businesses, government departments and bureaucracies, NGOs, health care entities, service organizations, clubs, and churches, families, and continuing education facilities … as well as traditional private and public schools.) http://bannedbookscafe.blogspot.com/2013/09/normal-0-false-false-false.html
e. The most important things we can do to realize regeneration and conservation of resilient, sustainable ecological communities are through policies and actions developed and realized at the local level. However, in this globally human-dominated world of the Anthropocene*, national and international policy and actions, and transnational corporations, detrimentally affect to a very large extent local behaviors and development of sustainable ecological community, and this must also be dealt with.
(*Environmentalist and journalist, 350.org leader, and Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College, Bill McKibben, has labeled the fix we are in as a species because of human population growth and spread, rampant consumption, and inappropriate technologies, … as Eaarth.) http://www.paulpeaceparables.com/2018/05/31/reminders-for-living-sustainably-for-inside-the-cover-of-the-little-book-on-applied-ecology-peace-games-we-play/
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In summary, the take-home message of this little heavily-illustrated book is that we need to practice more sufficiency versus rampant development of new technologies and artificial structures which are “efficient”. We need appropriate low-input, -throughput behaviors, practices, and systems rather than mislabeled “appropriate” high-input/-throughput technologies or the flourishing of inappropriate entrepreneurships. This little book is about:
- actions and an ethos of lowering consumption and rates of human and domesticated animal population increases, and
- of sharing power with Have-not humans and increasing habitat for other species.
It shouts out for ecology across curricula and campuses.
It attempts to illustrate us toward an ethos of Sabio, Simple, Small, Slow, Steadfastness, Sharing, Sustainability!