Energy, Ecosystem Development and Environmental Risk

Abstract

Public concerns about environment, fuel shortages, pollution, crime and other social disorders are, as viewed by the ecologist, symptoms of the basic developmental problem that has plagued society on a micro or local scale in the past, but which now must be coped with on a macro scale, that is, on a state, national and global level. Simply stated, the problem is how to make an orderly transition from pioneer, rapid-growth civilizations to mature civilizations, as is dictated by the natural limitations of the earth, and the rapidly rising expectations of even larger numbers of people. In term of cybernetics principles (the science of controls) the problem is how to move from the positive transient state where positive feedback promotes growth to the steady-state or to at least a low-growth state where negative feedback promotes balanced inputs and outputs, and guards against excesses that could destroy the system. The term feedback refers to that part of the output (energy or money, for example) fed back into the system to accelerate (positive) or decelerate (negative) a rate function. Positive feedback that accelerates growth is necessary and desirable in a society that has not yet fully utilized its available resources, but to maintain control, energy and money have to be diverted from growth to maintenance. The process is painful in a