This blog deals with the lessons Nature teaches us when determining our strategies to save it. Nature has a strong ability to regenerate and is build on self supporting and self regulating cycles. The best way to save nature is to use the strength within it. Do not protect it like it is something we can actually handle, we cannot. Nature and its strengths are bigger than government regulation and its unintended consequences.
The reason to write the blog is the continuing debate between the believers in progress and the propagators of restraint and avarice.
On the 14th of May Trouw ( a Dutch Daily newspaper) published and article of Johan ten Hove. Ten Hove claimed in the article, like a true Malthusian, that we should not be happy with the (small) economic growth for Europe in 2012 as predicted by the European commission. As economic growth leads to extra pollution it would be better to have no growth or even a reduction of wealth. Amazing to all those who have followed the various doom-sayers over the years, Ten Hove received support from Han Horstink (Trouw 19 May 2012).
I have not yet come across the prophet of doom whose predictions has actually come true. Two lessons from Nature tell us why.
1. Nature works in cycles which automatically rebalance Nature. More CO2 means that trees can grow faster, increasing the ability of nature to take up more CO2. The problem is:
- that we take away more trees than is compensated for the quicker growth of the remaining trees.
- that the growth in CO2 emissions is a lot faster than trees can take it up by growing – it is a matter of timing.
A continued emission of great quantities of CO2 will in the end have disastrous consequences for a great part of humanity. But once human interference has gone and CO2 emissions are very low, nature will be able to slowly take up the CO2 from the air and rebuild an atmosphere in which human (and other life) can prosper once again.
If we do not want this natural process to happen we will have to reduce our CO2 emissions ourselves and build a bio based CO2 neutral economy. To do this innovation is essential.
2. Nature has a tremendous capacity too regenerate. Their is little left of the BP oil spill, not because volunteers cleared the beaches, but because bacteria in the sea eat the oil. More oil, more bacteria – here too it is a matter of timing, nature takes time, more time than it is given by our impatience.
In the knowledge that nature will restore order our policies should be aimed at supporting nature’s ability. We should not try and continue what we are doing but we should change what we are doing.
It is not a matter of less of the same , but a matter of more of something different.
Nature tells us that it can save itself but, if we want to support it, Nature suggests we find ways to grow (genetically modified) crops on arid land, drive our cars on bio-fuels (second and third generation), make plastic from grass (similar to the Coca cola plant bottle) etc. If we find ways to reduce our carbon footprint, nature will take care of the rest.
No need to promote a return to the 1950’s or earlier. Let’s embrace progress and let Nature do the rest.
Felix Gruijters
Sales, Sustainability, Energy and Politics 