Editor: Jan Weaver 422 Tucker Hall, MU Campus
by Jan Weaver
These rules are fundamental explanations for how nature, individuals and societies operate. They apply in particular to environmental problems, and clarify why certain things keep happening over and over again. People who don't understand the rules, or who fail to apply them, tend to be surprised at outcomes, and usually not in a good way.
Energy disperses - Every time one form of energy is transformed or converted into another, some of the original energy is given off as heat (too dispersed to do work). Therefore, you can never have a 100% efficient machine. This energy law explains why there are more zebras than lions. It also means that the more meat in a society's diet, the more acreage is needed to feed it. By the same token, every time one kind of energy - coal, oil, electricity, nuclear, hydrothermal, wind, solar, biomass - is converted into another, some energy is lost. Conversions cost energy.
Matter cycles - Except for radionuclides, elements do not change. However, each element can combine with others into a large but limited set of molecules determined by their joint physical properties. The various molecules enable elements to cycle throughout the atmosphere, the earth, its waters and living organisms. We are adapted to and dependent upon the current rate of cycling of these elements - C, N, H, O, P and S. This dependence is not just as individuals but also as civilizations. Altering the rates of these cycles, as we are doing with C, N and P, or introducing new elements like Pb and Hg into the cycles, can have devastating consequences for the health of individuals and of civilizations.
Populations grow - All populations have an innate tendency to increase. As long as conditions permit, populations will increase in size until they are limited by food, water, shelter, increased wastes, and increased exposure to predators and parasites; in sum, by the destruction of the natural processes that supported the population in the first place. Humans evolved traits - innovation, adaptability and cultural transmission, that enabled them to avoid these limiting factors for longer than other species. However, history suggests that at a certain point, civilizations are no longer innovative or adaptable enough and are overwhelmed by destruction of the underlying processes that support them.
Life evolves - If a population varies in the traits needed to survive, and if this variability improves the chances of leaving offspring, and if this variability is inherited (speed, sense of smell, protective shell, resistance, etc.), then over time, a larger proportion of the offspring will possess the trait. All populations have the potential to adapt to changing conditions as long as the change does not occur too rapidly. When we try to control populations of living organisms - like bacteria or insect pests, the chemicals and drugs we use can select for more resistant individuals. Over time, these make up a larger proportion of the population so that chemicals effective in the past no longer work.
Perception is reality - What each of us believes to be "real" is a model of how the world works that springs from past experience and from the way our brains are wired. Our individual models vary tremendously in their alignment to the "real world" depending on how we define our self interest (usually concrete), the time frame we use for judging outcomes (usually short) and our basic understanding of things like these operating rules* (usually not very good). Most people are not able to follow cause and effect relationships back beyond immediate causes or through to ultimate effects. So addressing environmental problems involves understanding the model people are using and working within it (a short term strategy) or getting them to change it (a long term strategy).
Follow the money - Every organism, including humans, seeks its own advantage. In human societies, advantage is defined in terms of economic power. So, to get at root causes of environmental problems it is extremely important to figure out who benefits from a particular policy. This can sometimes be difficult as the advantage seeking agenda may be masked by noble sounding motives like "consumer choice". Seeking personal advantage is ok. But masking motives means the market no longer has perfect information, and over time this undermines economies and the environment.
It's not really about money - Although society defines advantage in terms of money, it is not the money we seek, but what we think the money can do for us - buy us happiness. In western societies, the confusion between money and happiness is so well recognized that it has a name - the rat race - peopled by individuals who continue to accumulate wealth at the expense of relationships or personal fulfillment, even though they are long past the point at which increased income generates more happiness. Enabling people to find happiness directly, benefits society and the environment.
Classes stratify - Humans are good at categorizing things, and this is a very useful trait. However a problem arises when we use the categories to assign costs and benefits of social decisions to different groups of humans when there is no just and logical reason to do so. The siting of hazardous dumps, waste transfer stations, unregulated industries, and other polluting activities is usually dictated by the income, education, and race of the affected populations, not by the potential for exposure or damage to their health relative to other populations.
Injustice breeds violence - As soon as people perceive that they bear the costs of polluting activities, while others reap the benefits, their faith in a just society begins to deteriorate. If there is no legal means of redress, words give way to violent protests, which can give way to direct action against property and individuals.
Commons are abused - Individuals who own a resource in common will always seek their own advantage in using the resource because they understand that is what every one else will do. Eventually the common resource will be used up or become so degraded it is useless. Any attempt by one individual at voluntary stewardship will be undercut by the behavior of others who do not share the same ethic. So to protect a commons, it is necessary to codify and enforce rules governing its use. These are some of the things that cannot be privately owned - air, water, wild species, low antibiotic or pesticide resistance levels - so these commons have to be protected by enforceable laws (or market mechanisms).
The Devil is in the details - The name of a policy or law does not always tell you what it will do. You have to read the fine print. Unfortunately few of us have the time or expertise to do this, so we have to pick our interpreters carefully.
*Yes - these rules are themselves a model of how the world operates - but they are well supported by empirical evidence. While individuals may be guided by personal experience and revelation in constructing their models, emprical evidence is the best that societies can do in constructing models that have to be shared among competing perceptions.
BioRegional Quiz - How much old growth forest remains in Missouri?
Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks
VOLUNTEER PARK AIDE TRAINING FOR ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: Tuesdays March 7, 14, 21, 4:30 - 8:30 pm. Registration required - 573-449-7402. Aides are expected to serve 40 hours per year, assisting with interpretation, service and maintenance activities
MU GREEN GROUP MEETING: Friday March 10 - call 882-3925 or email mannc@missouri.edu for more information
TUG-A-SUCKLE: Saturday March 18, 1 - 3 pm, Devil's Icebox Parking Lot, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Help tug out invasive plant species and encourage the restoration of native plant species. Register at 573-874-0171
COLUMBIA FARMER'S MARKET OPENS: Saturday March 18, 8 am - noon, 1701 West Ash
RENEWABLES CONFERENCE: Wednesday March 29, 9 am to 5 pm, Anheuser Busch Natural Resources Building, MU. Science, feasibility and economics of wind, biodiesel and other alternatives. $25 includes lunch and conference packet. Register at http://weather.missouri.edu/webs/index.html, or 7:30 to 9 am at conference.
BOONE CO. FARMER'S MARKET OPENS: Saturday April 2, 9 am - 1 pm, 110 Business Loop 70 West
RAIN GARDEN CONSTRUCTION: Saturday April 8, 10 am , check http://wildones.missouri.org/calendar.html
EARTH DAY: Sunday April 23 (rain date April 30), noon to 7 pm, Peace Park , MU. Street fair registration forms at Peace Nook, 804 C E Broadway ($10 nonprofits not selling, $20 nonprofits selling, $30 artisans, $50 businesses)
ALBRECHT LECTURE: Monday April 25, 3:30 pm, Conservation Hall, (ABNR - MU). Balancing perspectives in soil and environmental management. Dr. Bob Sojka, ARS.
FLAT BRANCH BIOBLITZ: Friday April 28 through Saturday April 29. Help identify and record every species you see in the Flat Branch watershed. go to http://bioblitz.missouri.edu for information on participating.
MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS: http://www.missouri.edu/~jesse105/committees/pages/environmental.htm
RECYCLING COMMITTEE: 882-3091
SUSTAIN MIZZOU: http://students.missouri.edu/~sustainmizzou/
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW
CITIZENS WATERSHED COMMITTEE: (573) 526-8916, Third Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Daniel Boone Bldg
COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
GREENBELT COALITION: 442-4789, gbelt@coin.org or http://greenbelt.missouri.org
MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY: npshawth@hotmail.com, http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org, 2nd Mondays in Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov at 7:00 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd, Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org
PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.
Answer to BioRegional Quiz - If you define old growth forest as having trees at least 100 years old, Missouri has 62, 000 acres of trees with specimens at least 130 years old. However if you are looking for really excellent examples, there are only 800 acres, less than 0.05% of Missouri's 14 million acres of forest. For more information, visit http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2000/09/4.htm
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.