What would nature do? : a guide for our uncertain times / Ruth DeFries.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

DeFries, Ruth S., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Resilience (Ecology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 250 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2021]

Summary:

Not long ago, the future seemed predictable. Now, certainty about the course of civilization has given way to fear and doubt. Raging fires, ravaging storms, political upheavals, financial collapse, and deadly pandemics lie ahead—or are already here. The world feels less comprehensible and more dangerous, and no one, from individuals to businesses and governments, knows how to navigate the path forward.Ruth DeFries argues that a surprising set of time-tested strategies from the natural world can help humanity weather these crises. Through trial and error over the eons, life has evolved astonishing and counterintuitive tricks in order to survive. DeFries details how a handful of fundamental strategies—investments in diversity, redundancy over efficiency, self-correcting feedbacks, and decisions based on bottom-up knowledge—enable life to persist through unpredictable, sudden shocks. Lessons for supply chains from a leaf’s intricate network of veins and stock market-saving “circuit breakers” patterned on planetary cycles reveal the power of these approaches for modern times. With humility and willingness to apply nature’s experience to our human-constructed world, DeFries demonstrates, we can withstand uncertain and perilous times. Exploring the lessons that life on Earth can teach us about coping with complexity, What Would Nature Do? offers timely options for civilization to reorganize for a safe and prosperous future.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Prologue

1 The Dragons Are Back

2 Recovery from a Crash

3 Hedges for Bets

4 Mind the Net

5 One Size Fits No One

6 Cycles of Renewal

Acknowledgments

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780231553100

0231553102

OCLC:

1159849782