The Niches We Want To Live In
Below are a few excerpts from a fascinating article about human niche construction, with notes by RDG co-founder Bas Gutwein.
An interesting formulation of the Everything Gardens concept can be found in the article Why is human niche construction reshaping planet Earth?, by Eric C. Ellis:
Organisms interact with their environments in a bidirectional manner: they adapt to their environment through natural selection but they can also modify their environment in a process known as niche construction.
I also like the positive potential of humanity:
This process (sociocultural niche construction) explains how and why the diverse and evolving societies of our ancestors have sustained themselves for thousands of years by transforming and managing Earth’s ecology. It also shifts the simplistic view of humans as environment destroyers, to that of humans as shapers and stewards of ecology on an increasingly used planet.
Plus, it is always nice to have an article end on a positive note:
As a consequence of sociocultural niche construction, humans have become a global force of nature – for better and for worse. It is only by embracing these sociocultural realities that we might shape better futures for both humans and non-human species alike.
You can find the full article here.
Related Posts
This Post Has 0 Comments