Nature Knows Best

Nature knows best.

This principle is the most basic and in fact encompasses all the others. Humans have to understand nature and have to abide by the rules nature dictates. In essence, one must not go against the natural processes if one would like to ensure a continuous and steady supply of resources.

One natural process that needs serious attention is nutrient cycling. In nature, nutrients pass from the environment to the organisms and back to the environment. Any disruption in the cycle can bring about imbalance.

For example, burning of farm wastes instead of allowing them to decompose naturally disrupts the cycle. In burning, most of the organic compounds are lost. The combustion products bring greater havoc as in the case of carbon dioxide build-up, which results in the warming-up of the earth, or the so-called "greenhouse" effect.

Nature has also its built-in mechanisms to maintain balance of homeostasis - the availability of nutrients, conduciveness of the environment for growth and reproduction, and the feeding relationships that exist between and among organisms which serve as population controls. For example, the rat population is controlled by the presence and number of its predators, e.g., snakes.

The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizer disrupts check and balance in the ecosystem. Pesticides can either kill vital organisms directly or induce genetic changes that result in resistant pests or organisms. Chemical fertilizers increase the acidity of the soil through time making a number of nutrients unavailable and thus, unfit for the survival of plants and other organisms.

History and our experiences are full of examples to prove the validity of this principle. In fact, this principle only surfaced when many of the detrimental effects of technology were recognized and coined thereon as "ecological backlash."

All forms of life are important

Each organism plays a fundamental role in nature. Since such occupational or functional...