Negative Synergy: A Macro Perspective For Environmental Issues

Abstract

Synergistic conditions result in situations where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The corollary, negative synergy, exists whenever the reverse is true: the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Research here examines one such case—ecological negative synergy or overstress. Ecological negative synergy results from placing more demand on the environment than it can process within the capability of restorative powers. Ultimately, the negative synergistic effect results in less productive or a permanently unproductive environment. In reality, the effect is worse than that expected from the simple sum of these separate elements. Three ecological disasters are to be examined. The first looks at the Sudan where overgrazing, overpopulation, poor soil conditions, and drought result in a situation where the result is much worse than the sum of the individual crisises being experienced in the region. The second considers the work by Nobel Piece Prize recipient Wangari Maathai and her studies of farms and forests in Kenya. The third reviews the devastation in New Orleans caused by a combination of failed dikes, high winds, torrential rains, and damaged wetlands.