Ecology Biology IV (Building Location)

IVa: Environment and location of a dwelling

>„ The illnesses strike us not out of a clear sky, but develop from daily, small sins against the nature. If these have piled up, they break out apparently all at once “.

(Hippokrates 460-377 B.C.)

The ecology examines the living conditions of living beings and the interrelations which exist between the living beings and their environment. In this ecological system counts the natural law of cause and effect. We can adapt ourselves to nature, which is always right(Goethe), only carefully.

It is an arrogance to want to correct her; however, we do this in increasing measures since centuries in this civilised and mechanised, from the nature going away age.
It is not any more only spreading of ” small sins “, like at times of from Hippokrates, but from big ones.

Since in such an industrial society and mass society the negative possibilities increased themselves so immensely that the whole nature could be lifted out of balance. The dangers of the world destruction – whether during the war or in the peace – are extensive! In the growing environmental disaster and life disaster one can only hope that the “point of no return” is not reached yet.

A confrontation of essential factors of the environmental destruction as a cause and the illnesses resulting from it as an effect makes the tragedy of a life-hostile world clear and reminds us of the way, which O.Spengler in ” decline of the occident “ has said.

On the basis of important, well-chosen data (they can be extended endlessly) should be made clear, why and in which dimensions the existing environmental situation has become dangerous for life and health on the earth.
The nature as a complicated organism is ill by manifold interventions (disturbance and destruction) in the ecological system climate – water – ground – plant – animal – human being; like an individual organism falls ill.
These disturbances of equilibrium stepped and appear always and everywhere where was intervened by concentration of the population and Industrialization in the ecological circulation of the nature. The heaviest interventions always came out of the overexploitation in the forests. Since millenniums huge earth surfaces were thereby transformed into steppes and deserts.
However, also small-flatly the natural long-term relationships were completely destroyed everywhere on the earth – increasingly with the population explosion in the 19th and 20-th century – in the areas of concentration.

IV b)

The ideal would be garden sceneries, about the whole scattered ecological villages, in which the human being is in a harmonic community with nature. This would be the condition for healthy ecological systems as well as for long-term relationships. However, we are removed from it further than ever. See a small exampel with my Bioproject The Young Village

As reasons for this disastrous (because misanthropic) development are mentioned:

1. protection of nourishment
2. lack of land
3. scenery destruction by settlement
4. preservation of the forest and the agriculture surfaces with their higher functions

non of the four arguments withstand critical consideration

to 1 .) by intensive small-extensive, gardening management{cultivation} as sample as in ecological villages, higher yields are reached than by extensive, wide cultivation.

to 2 .) half of all agricultural operations have been given up since 1950. Only one fraction of the land mainly leased by them would manage – approx. 2 – 3% of the used agricultural surface – to provide enough land for building constructions and on preventing irresponsible land real estate speculation at the same time. We have to do it, with agrarian policy, settlement policy and economic policy which was social by no means.

to 3 .) from the breaking out of satellite cities and satellite villages in the areas of concentration scenery is destroyed to a great extent. By grown natural based houses appropriate for scenery and settlements a cultivation of the land has been necessary for ages.

to 4 .) the supposedly higher functions of the scenery and forestry (with regard to food, climate, water household and vacation) could be better fulfilled if original nature, including the integration of the human being, became restored. This was proved even academically. The ecological valency green settlements lie around the way higher than the monocultures of the agriculture and can excel even most forest surfaces.

Gardens, garden sceneries, ecological settlements can fulfill a long-term relationships – above all, with regard to Education, Health, Community, Humanity, Entirety and unity of life.

The cause, why it could come to this development, is obvious: Economic growth (great technology), economic power, profit as a decisive factor also for political developments, impairment and exploitation of the nature, the person and the future generations, lacking ecological consciousness, inhumane irresponsible behaviour.
The more humanity becomes conscious itself of this failure, the more hope exists for a humane solution of the problems.

Your friend for Why GO Green
Erwin
German architect, Buildingbiologist
and Advocate for Go Green