Natural Intelligence Worldwide

Nature Fuels our Economy; So There is No Dichotomy Between Ecology and Economy

Enric Sala

Resident and Explorer at the National Geographic

The perception that we have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy ecosystem is a false dichotomy. According to Enric Sala, Resident and Explorer at the National Geographic Society, unless we take care of the life support of our planet, there will be no raw resources for companies to create, market, and sell products. The economy is a subset of the environment. We are a part of the natural world. We depend on  other species, plants, and earth systems to breath, eat, drink, and survive. EO Wilson and other prominent ecologists claim that we need 50% of the planet to persist in a sustainable healthy state for us to thrive. Yet, some business leaders are still motivated by quarterly returns and short term profit. They continue to externalize the real costs of destruction of natural capital to achieve unenlightened business goals. It’s insane. Why not now look to nature for solutions to drawing down carbon, for example? There is no better carbon vacuum than a tree its roots and ecosystem of soil. Nature is a treasure trove of naturally intelligent solutions to our unsustainable lifestyle challenges. Time to tune into nature.