I developed the Laws of Natural Development to assist everyday people
in understanding sustainable development from a perspective of one who will
benefit from it. They are the creed our farm was created to share. They are
simple, direct, and easy to understand. These laws are the simple grains of
truth all of sustainable development is built upon. It is these truths, and the
manifestation of these truths when applied to actual projects, which we wish to
share with locals, university students, eco-tourists, and the world. To those
with ears to hear, eyes to see, and hands to work, the STAND Center speaks,
shows, and teaches, in ways books can not. The following are the Laws of
Natural Development and it is to these principles that all activities and
programs will adhere;
1. There is no waste. In nature, one birds waste is another worm’s lunch.
Without exception, natural organic compounds from flower petals to bone
shards are recycled into the endlessly churning cycle of life. Nothing is ever
truly wasted but we can utilize our wastes inefficiently or not at all, and this
affects the sustainable viability of the entire system. When any project is
undertaken, not only the end product, but efficient use of the wastes also must
be considered if the project is to be truly sustainable.
2. Cooperation is selfish. That is to say, it is in one’s own long-term best
interest. This one is difficult for most people to wrap their minds around and
for the most complete definition; we always refer people to Richard Dawkins’
The Selfish Gene. Essentially nature had evolved to create more and more
comprehensive systems of cooperation or “survival machines” proving
irrefutably that the best way to get by in life is by working together.
Consideration too is selfish (it is in the long-term best interests of the
individual) because it allows us to work together more efficiently. So by
considering and cooperating with all of our environment when planning or
implementing any form of development we can create the most sustainable
system that benefits us the most in the long run.
3. Always look ahead. Whether evolving a better ‘survival machine’ or
planning a better library, the ability to look ahead and consider not only how
future circumstances may affect our development but also how our
development will affect future circumstances, is an invaluable tool. While some
may argue that nature has no ability to ‘look ahead’ certainly, we as humans
possess this attribute, and we should always apply it as exhaustively as is
feasible when planning any development. As Carl Sagan and Ann Druyvan
point out in Shadows of our Forgotten Ancestors, our degree of mastery over
the ability to look ahead and respond not only defensively but preemptively to
future situations is one, or possibly the only ‘distinction’ between humans and
other animals.
4. It is not about what you have –it’s about how wisely you use it. A system
that produces fewer products, but does so with proportionally less input than
an inefficient mass production system, will be more productive in the long run.
This is one of the basic reasons why organic fertilizers will outlast synthetically
produced high yield alternatives. It is also why renewable energies will
inevitably replace traditional finite sources such as coal or oil. In effect, a
system can be measured in terms of its sustainable viability, and thus chances
at long term success, by looking not at its net output or ‘export’ but at its
import stretching ratio. For the most complete definition we refer people to an
eloquently written book, Jane Jacobs’ The Nature of Economies.
5. Protect your assets. This law arises as a natural conclusion of the first and
fourth laws. Before beginning any project, the resources or assets available for
use must be considered and protected. An example of this would be removing
the top soil from a site before building on it so that the soil can be utilized for
agricultural purposes. Diverting runoff from a cement project so that it is
filtered before reaching the watershed and polluting it would be another
example. By taking care not to misuse or neglect any possible asset before and
during the project, less waste is produced, which is integral to complying with
the first law of Natural Development.
6. Never be afraid to try something new, but never forget to learn from what
has been done. If nature was afraid of failure we would not be here. In fact, as
any parent knows, risk and failure are inevitable in the process of
experimentation and learning. While certain logical conclusions can be drawn
about the possible outcomes based on past experiments, the value of
sometimes going out on a limb to discover possible solutions can not be
underestimated. If an idea or technique is truly new there may be little
information available as to the possible outcomes…and it is true that they may
be dissatisfactory, but how will we know if we never try? But once we try, and
see results we must take responsibility for the outcomes we create.
7. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Here we come to nature’s finest
example of evolutionary insurance. Through biodiversity and slight variation
within similar specimens the sixth law of Natural Development can be tested
with the benefit of insurance. If a mutation doesn’t work out it will be selected
against, that is to say, it won't continue it's genetic line. Whether in an orchard
or a human community the more biodiversity there is, the higher the chance
that something will survive and succeed even if others fail.
in understanding sustainable development from a perspective of one who will
benefit from it. They are the creed our farm was created to share. They are
simple, direct, and easy to understand. These laws are the simple grains of
truth all of sustainable development is built upon. It is these truths, and the
manifestation of these truths when applied to actual projects, which we wish to
share with locals, university students, eco-tourists, and the world. To those
with ears to hear, eyes to see, and hands to work, the STAND Center speaks,
shows, and teaches, in ways books can not. The following are the Laws of
Natural Development and it is to these principles that all activities and
programs will adhere;
1. There is no waste. In nature, one birds waste is another worm’s lunch.
Without exception, natural organic compounds from flower petals to bone
shards are recycled into the endlessly churning cycle of life. Nothing is ever
truly wasted but we can utilize our wastes inefficiently or not at all, and this
affects the sustainable viability of the entire system. When any project is
undertaken, not only the end product, but efficient use of the wastes also must
be considered if the project is to be truly sustainable.
2. Cooperation is selfish. That is to say, it is in one’s own long-term best
interest. This one is difficult for most people to wrap their minds around and
for the most complete definition; we always refer people to Richard Dawkins’
The Selfish Gene. Essentially nature had evolved to create more and more
comprehensive systems of cooperation or “survival machines” proving
irrefutably that the best way to get by in life is by working together.
Consideration too is selfish (it is in the long-term best interests of the
individual) because it allows us to work together more efficiently. So by
considering and cooperating with all of our environment when planning or
implementing any form of development we can create the most sustainable
system that benefits us the most in the long run.
3. Always look ahead. Whether evolving a better ‘survival machine’ or
planning a better library, the ability to look ahead and consider not only how
future circumstances may affect our development but also how our
development will affect future circumstances, is an invaluable tool. While some
may argue that nature has no ability to ‘look ahead’ certainly, we as humans
possess this attribute, and we should always apply it as exhaustively as is
feasible when planning any development. As Carl Sagan and Ann Druyvan
point out in Shadows of our Forgotten Ancestors, our degree of mastery over
the ability to look ahead and respond not only defensively but preemptively to
future situations is one, or possibly the only ‘distinction’ between humans and
other animals.
4. It is not about what you have –it’s about how wisely you use it. A system
that produces fewer products, but does so with proportionally less input than
an inefficient mass production system, will be more productive in the long run.
This is one of the basic reasons why organic fertilizers will outlast synthetically
produced high yield alternatives. It is also why renewable energies will
inevitably replace traditional finite sources such as coal or oil. In effect, a
system can be measured in terms of its sustainable viability, and thus chances
at long term success, by looking not at its net output or ‘export’ but at its
import stretching ratio. For the most complete definition we refer people to an
eloquently written book, Jane Jacobs’ The Nature of Economies.
5. Protect your assets. This law arises as a natural conclusion of the first and
fourth laws. Before beginning any project, the resources or assets available for
use must be considered and protected. An example of this would be removing
the top soil from a site before building on it so that the soil can be utilized for
agricultural purposes. Diverting runoff from a cement project so that it is
filtered before reaching the watershed and polluting it would be another
example. By taking care not to misuse or neglect any possible asset before and
during the project, less waste is produced, which is integral to complying with
the first law of Natural Development.
6. Never be afraid to try something new, but never forget to learn from what
has been done. If nature was afraid of failure we would not be here. In fact, as
any parent knows, risk and failure are inevitable in the process of
experimentation and learning. While certain logical conclusions can be drawn
about the possible outcomes based on past experiments, the value of
sometimes going out on a limb to discover possible solutions can not be
underestimated. If an idea or technique is truly new there may be little
information available as to the possible outcomes…and it is true that they may
be dissatisfactory, but how will we know if we never try? But once we try, and
see results we must take responsibility for the outcomes we create.
7. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Here we come to nature’s finest
example of evolutionary insurance. Through biodiversity and slight variation
within similar specimens the sixth law of Natural Development can be tested
with the benefit of insurance. If a mutation doesn’t work out it will be selected
against, that is to say, it won't continue it's genetic line. Whether in an orchard
or a human community the more biodiversity there is, the higher the chance
that something will survive and succeed even if others fail.
| The Laws of Natural Development |
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