13.8 Socio-Ecological Finance System
281
13.8 Socio-Ecological Finance System
As we talk about ecosystems: have you ever wondered what makes them so surprisingly sustainable as compared to our own economy? After all, ecological systems
are based on an almost perfect “circular economy”:
45 there is basically no resource
that is not being recycled
46 and reused. This is partly due to the modular, organic
organization of nature. All elements are decomposable, and there is a shared genetic
code with the same basic components.
Companies, in contrast, don’t favor such compatibility of their products, and they
often do not pay attention to building easily decomposable and repairable products.
Legal regulations to promote recycling and a circular economy have been frustratingly inefficient so far. It’s about time for an alternative approach: empowerment
instead of regulation! What would this require?
I think, we would need a multi-dimensional real-time coordination system.
Why multi-dimensional? Because nature is not controlled by a one-dimensional
quantity such as money. Instead, the self-organization of an ecosystem (or of our
body) is based on multiple feedback loops regulating the use and distribution of
water, proteins, carbon, vitamins, minerals etc.
In many cases, there are symbiotic relationships.
47 For example, plants may
exchange nutrients with each other. The situation for our own body is even more
spectacular, because we are actually not an individual, but an ecosystem!
48 In our gut,
there are thousands of different kinds of bacteria. This is called the “microbiome”,
49
and it seems to contain more cells than our body! The bacteria in it are responsible
for the decomposition of the food we eat, i.e. the powering and regeneration of our
body. In addition, however, they are also an important part of our immune system.
50
All of this would not work, if there was not a symbiotic relationship and reasonable
balance in the microbiome.
What can we learn from this? How to build a bio-inspired economy!
51 I believe,
for this we would need multiple incentive systems, not just one kind of money.
Today’s economy is based on optimization
52 and utilitarian thinking,
53 while nature
is based on (co-)evolution.
54 Utilitarian thinking means that everything would be
compared (or made comparable) with each other, e.g. measured in money. This also
calls for a seamless convertibility of different kinds of currencies and values.
45 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_economy.
46 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling.
47 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis.
48 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem.
49 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiome.
50 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system.
51 Helbing et al. [6].
52 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_optimization.
53 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarismus.
54 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coevolution.
281
13.8 Socio-Ecological Finance System
As we talk about ecosystems: have you ever wondered what makes them so surprisingly sustainable as compared to our own economy? After all, ecological systems
are based on an almost perfect “circular economy”:
45 there is basically no resource
that is not being recycled
46 and reused. This is partly due to the modular, organic
organization of nature. All elements are decomposable, and there is a shared genetic
code with the same basic components.
Companies, in contrast, don’t favor such compatibility of their products, and they
often do not pay attention to building easily decomposable and repairable products.
Legal regulations to promote recycling and a circular economy have been frustratingly inefficient so far. It’s about time for an alternative approach: empowerment
instead of regulation! What would this require?
I think, we would need a multi-dimensional real-time coordination system.
Why multi-dimensional? Because nature is not controlled by a one-dimensional
quantity such as money. Instead, the self-organization of an ecosystem (or of our
body) is based on multiple feedback loops regulating the use and distribution of
water, proteins, carbon, vitamins, minerals etc.
In many cases, there are symbiotic relationships.
47 For example, plants may
exchange nutrients with each other. The situation for our own body is even more
spectacular, because we are actually not an individual, but an ecosystem!
48 In our gut,
there are thousands of different kinds of bacteria. This is called the “microbiome”,
49
and it seems to contain more cells than our body! The bacteria in it are responsible
for the decomposition of the food we eat, i.e. the powering and regeneration of our
body. In addition, however, they are also an important part of our immune system.
50
All of this would not work, if there was not a symbiotic relationship and reasonable
balance in the microbiome.
What can we learn from this? How to build a bio-inspired economy!
51 I believe,
for this we would need multiple incentive systems, not just one kind of money.
Today’s economy is based on optimization
52 and utilitarian thinking,
53 while nature
is based on (co-)evolution.
54 Utilitarian thinking means that everything would be
compared (or made comparable) with each other, e.g. measured in money. This also
calls for a seamless convertibility of different kinds of currencies and values.
45 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_economy.
46 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling.
47 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis.
48 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem.
49 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiome.
50 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system.
51 Helbing et al. [6].
52 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_optimization.
53 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarismus.
54 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coevolution.