A World of Interconnections
(Section Summary)

“ Life on our planet depends on an interpenetrating web of natural systems. No part of the natural world is independent of the others” (Mason, 2006). All that we do and expect in our world is predicated on the idea that everything is interconnected – the Earth, planets, wind, water, seeds, insects, even rocks, human beings, and all other creatures of Earth. Thus, in considering the idea of creating a sustainable world, the following basic assumptions warrant consideration:

1. everything, including humans and non-humans, is interconnected, interdependent, and interactive;
2. the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; and
3. nature determines the limitations of human endeavors.

Achieving a sustainable world depends on a full understanding of the connections between ecosystems and human well-being, as well as the drivers and responders to change (Carpenter, et al., 2006). For example, Darwin was a guy who asked lots of questions and looked intently at the kingdoms around him. Long ago he hypothesized that English cat lovers might unwittingly be setting off an ecological domino chain effect that led to prettier gardens. Cats eat mice that normally pillage the nests of bumblebees, so Darwin reasoned that more cats would mean more bees – and more of the red clover and purple-and-gold pansies that bees pollinate – thus, the more cats, the prettier the gardens in a district.

Nature and people are endlessly and inescapably under the influence of one another through connecting relationships. Working within the framework of these interconnections is the essence of sustainability. And this awareness must extend to the living and working conditions of workers and their families, the needs of our communities, and the need to be a good neighbor in the global community. Establishing limits based upon awareness for interconnections and understanding the effectiveness of these limits constitutes the true practice of sustainable lifestyle. .......... read more!

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