University Business Academy in Novi Sad, European Faculty "Kallos" Belgrade
Discussion
Started 7 March 2025
Is "sustainability" an anthropocentric illusion in a fundamentally entropic universe?
I wonder whether what humans define as "sustainable systems" may be temporary states within longer cycles of resource abundance and scarcity.
Are our sustainability frameworks simply attempts to preserve human-favorable conditions within natural systems that are inherently prone to dramatic transitions?
How might we reconcile our pursuit of sustainability with the apparent tendency of natural systems, from bacterial colonies to forest ecosystems, to exploit available resources until reaching critical thresholds that trigger reorganization?
All replies (3)
The question you raised touches on a deep dilemma regarding the relationship between human activities and natural systems, as well as our understanding of sustainability. Here are a few key points that can provide an expert perspective on this topic:
- Natural Cycles and Sustainability: Natural systems, whether they are ecosystems, bacterial colonies, or forests, often function in cycles of abundance and scarcity, which are part of their dynamic balance. These cycles, which include phases of growth, decline, and regeneration, are not necessarily sustainable in the human sense of long-term stability but are inherently unstable and prone to dramatic changes. In this context, human attempts to create "sustainable systems" may, in essence, be attempts to stabilize and prolong the period during which human activities are in harmony with natural resources. However, this is often temporary, as nature itself is not static and often returns to phases of great variability.
- Critical Thresholds and Reorganization: Natural systems tend to exploit available resources until they reach critical points (thresholds), after which "reorganization" or drastic changes occur. This can manifest in ecological disasters, changes in biodiversity, or even ecosystem collapses. While this process is natural, it can be exacerbated by human influence (e.g., over-exploitation of resources, pollution, or climate change). Our pursuit of sustainability, therefore, is not only an attempt to preserve the current balance but also to predict, avoid, or mitigate these critical points and reorganizations that can have significant impacts on human social structures and economic systems.
- Sustainable Solutions and Their Limits: Our efforts to create sustainable systems often overlook the fact that nature does not aim for the kind of stability we envision. Natural ecosystems are resilient and can survive significant changes, but this does not mean that humans can adapt to all natural changes. Sustainable systems we develop must be flexible and capable of adapting to the inevitable changes in the natural environment. This includes finding a balance between resource conservation and adaptation to the cyclical nature of resources over larger timeframes.
- Efforts to Preserve Human-Favorable Conditions: The sustainable frameworks we develop often serve to preserve conditions that are favorable to human life, while overlooking the broader picture in which natural systems, even when under threat, are not necessarily "unsustainable." The attempt to preserve these "favorable" conditions always carries the risk of creating greater instability in the long run, as we often forget that natural systems operate in cycles, and those cycles sometimes involve radical changes.
In conclusion, sustainability should not only be seen as an attempt to preserve the current balance but also as an acknowledgment of natural cycles of change and the direction of our behavior toward adapting to them. It might be helpful to think of sustainability not just as preservation, but as a process of adaptation to the dynamics of natural systems that are prone to reorganization.
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Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Lorenzo Ricolfi "Are our sustainability frameworks simply attempts to preserve human-favorable conditions within natural systems that are inherently prone to dramatic transitions?"
Kind of. It seems that "sustainable" means for practical purposes "highly unlikely to collapse in short to medium term". ;)
"may be temporary states within longer cycles of resource abundance and scarcity"
I'm not sure whether you can really build here cycles. I mean in order to have some cycles, you need recurring pattern, while here we may be going through phases which we presumably experience only once irrespectively of ultimate trajectory. (unless we'd enter cycles of collapse and rebuild of civilization)
"How might we reconcile our pursuit of sustainability with the apparent tendency of natural systems, from bacterial colonies to forest ecosystems, to exploit available resources until reaching critical thresholds that trigger reorganization?"
We don't seem to follow that pattern recently, if anything one of major threat against functional society seems population aging/collapse due to socio-cultural factors.
Dear Lorenzo, this question already contains an obvious answer. This answer is formed from a simple rearrangement of the words in this question. Rearrange the words and we get the answer: in a fundamentally entropic universe, " sustainability" is an anthropocentric illusion.
An example of such a question might be the question: has this person already stopped drinking cognac in the morning? Rearrange the words and we get the answer: in the morning, this man did not stop drinking cognac.
These are the so-called questions that arose "from the middle of a certain context": the universe is fundamentally entropic from the beginning; man is a drunkard from the beginning. However, note that before forming these questions, no one asked the universe if it was fundamentally entropic. The man was not asked if he was a drunkard. If it turns out that the universe is orderly, and a person professes sobriety, then these questions turn into rhetorical questions.
In addition, it is not clear what role the term "sustainability" plays in this matter. This is "one of the development goals" or "the current parameter of such development."
Therefore, I think that before considering your subsequent arguments, you should determine the initial context.
Vladimir
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