Category: Research Project

It is debated when our proposed epoch, the Anthropocene, being the current geological age in which human activity has been the dominant influence on the climate and environment, was set into motion. Quantitative observations of trends following the agricultural or industrial revolution, can be used to determine so, as well as qualitative criterion (events), examples being the introduction of non-native materials to the environment such as radionuclides and numerous synthetic fertilisers.

The ‘frog in hot water’ analogy, is one that Andrew Fellows uses to demonstrate that, as a race, we are much better at recognising events than trends. This is implicit in Rachel Carson’s critique of the widespread use of newly developed pesticides in the U.S. (Specifically DDT), that supposedly catalysed the emergence of today’s environmental movement. However an over-reliance on events, simplified, speaks to me as an ‘act after its too late’ mentality. In one of the IGBP’s (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme) publications, Global Change and the Earth System: A Planet Under Pressure (Steffan et al., 2004), “strong evidence that the rate of quantitative anthropogenic impacts has accelerated massively since the 20th Century” (Fellows, A…) is provided. By looking at the total Earth system, as opposed to isolated events, trends in human activity show how anthropogenic impacts cascade though the earth system in complex ways, creating positive feedback loops that bring us dangerously closer to irreversible tipping points; The sudden release of methane due to thawing of tundra permafrost, the reduction of Earth’s albedo (reflectivity) and resulting solar heat absorption as a consequence of large scale loss of sea ice, and the shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (global oceanic thermohaline circulation) are some examples. The qualities of these irredeemable events will be outlived by the trends that precede them, as we continue to hurtle towards a state known as ‘Hothouse Earth.” Unless we change how action is catalysed.

I started writing this blog as an exercise to help me comprehend some of the more complex theories I have come across recently in regards to systems dynamics. As I type this however, I wonder how systems thinking, popularised by Donella H. Meadows, can help us develop an ecological ethic.

How to relate the above to systems theories?

Systems thinking

Systems Dynamics: This is a method used to understand the behavior of complex systems over time. It involves modeling feedback loops, stocks, flows, and time delays to simulate how systems evolve. System dynamics focuses on understanding cause-and-effect relationships and the structure of the system that drives behavior.

Teleology: Teleology refers to the explanation of phenomena in terms of their purposes or goals. It implies that systems or behaviors have an end goal or are driven toward a specific purpose.

Is Systems Dynamics Teleological?

• Not inherently: At its core, systems dynamics is about understanding how systems work and what outcomes they produce based on the interactions and feedback loops within the system. It does not inherently assume that systems have a purpose or goal; it is more focused on causality rather than purpose.
• Teleological Interpretations: Systems dynamics models can be interpreted or designed in a way that appears teleological if the model is built around an objective or goal. For example, if a system dynamics model is designed to show how a company’s strategy leads to profit maximization, the model might appear teleological because it is oriented toward a specific outcome.
• Open vs. Closed Systems: In open systems (systems influenced by external factors and not necessarily progressing toward a single outcome), systems dynamics is less likely to be teleological. However, in closed systems (where the structure is designed to achieve a specific goal or purpose), the model could take on a teleological perspective.

So, while systems dynamics can be used in a teleological context, it is not inherently teleological; it is fundamentally a tool for understanding system behavior based on structure and causality rather than purpose.

In o

Real life systems have a circular causality

circular causality = feedback

Systems are non linear : changes in input and output are not necessarily proportional to each other

Systems are both deterministic and unpredictable

There is an idea called “irreducible complexity” which basically means we can only break living organisms down so far before we have to conclude that they were designed.

The teleological argument as a means of proving the existence of god – intelligent design…

‘systems, even when they appear to be teleological, are invariably causal mechanistic phenomena’ (p.36)

according to donella meadows a system may exhibit adaptive, dynamic, goal seeking, self preserving, and sometimes evolutionary behaviour

collective patterns of dependence

systems – causality vs teleology…?

Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of systems, control, and communication in animals, machines, and organizations. It explores how systems use feedback, information processing, and regulation to achieve stability, adapt to changes, or pursue specific goals.

In order to take feedback as

preceded and outlived

the ontological basis of how we view earth…

how to get across trends

The former half of this title is taken from an article by environmental sound artist, Jo Kennedy, that explores how pro-environmental behaviour arises within an individual through the lens of social science and psychology. His resulting hypotheses, that identifies connectedness, knowledge and structural support as essential building blocks of ecological behavioural change, works as a model within which ecological sound art might stand a better chance at initiating said change.

The second half of this title however, is more of a personal examination into my own motivations. For long I have struggled to articulate my impulses, favouring instinct and feeling as opposed to logic and reasoning. My biases, derived from comfortability, resulted in a disdain for clear articulation and concrete conceptualisation of my innermost motivations. A quote by the American psychologist and philosopher, William James, that reads: “The unreasoned and immediate assurance is the deep thing in us, the reasoned argument is but a surface exhibition. Instinct leads, intelligence does but follow” (James, 1902/ 1905: 74), on one hand satisfies my thoughts on the importance of instinct, but on the other hand demonstrates value regarding clear formulation of one’s drives that I was perhaps unwilling to acknowledge. Self-containment can be a trap, creating a cosy enough space to cocoon and protect our ideas from opposition and the, at times, intense process of reflection and introspection that allow thoughts to flourish into other intriguing and valid forms. Projection of my ideas onto the works of others, I think prevented me in the past from drawing value when outside insights did not align with my own. I think realising the absurdity of this self-importance has led me much further away from my creative compulsions than I was ever willing to go, but doing so has helped me arrive at a more expanded view of reality. Grappling with creativity and learning to channel it healthily has been, unexpectedly so, a lesson in humility. A process of letting go that can transform insularity into inclusivity.

When asked ‘why?’ in relation to my growing interest in ecological sound art, I have often found myself stumbling over words (which is potentially what motivated me to make this my first blog post of the year). There was no ‘aha! moment of clarity that set me on my current path, but more of a yearning to relate to the world around me, without the mirror of self conception. Without doubt, I am still finding my way, but I believe that as our perceptions of the world become a practice in compassion instead of a reflecting surface, our ideas become entrenched in a sort of mycorrhizal root system of subjectivities that can ultimately benefit every individual within the collective. Relational at heart, my evolving outlook is about seeing through the lens of others, and how that can inadvertently bring people closer to their true nature. I’m beginning to understand that this is why I have been drawn towards ecological texts and practices over the last year or so. A quick google search tells us that the definition of an ecosystem “is a system that environments and their organisms form through their interaction,” (Wiki…) with the earth’s surface being a series of connected ecosystems. Considering the vast diversity of creatures, human and non-human, and their ability to thrive within these systems, it seems that interactivity and connection are pillars of self gain. This notion transforms the conception of self interest into one that holds the “world as self” (Joanna Macey), as opposed to the ego as self. Attempting to comprehend the experience of the ‘other’ makes us aware of our misconceptions and sensory limitations, and in turn, one hopes, to help clear the foggy territory of self-understanding that political and corporate structures guard with consumerist temptations at every corner of the industrial world.

Thus, a long held belief of mine that I am finally able to put into words, somewhat, is that a changed relationship to our natural environment can act as a powerful vehicle for individuation, and the ‘metanoia’ that arises from this will ultimately seep into our relations with all things, familiar and unfamiliar, organic and inorganic, mental and physical, self and other. Jungian Analyst and Scientist, Andrew Fellows, in his book ‘Gaia, Psyche and Deep Ecology: Navigating Climate Change in the Anthropocene’, proposes a world-view that has animated my own. By drawing parallels between analytical psychology, a school of psychotherapy that focuses on the individual psyche and the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind, the Gaia hypothesis, an ecological theory that proposes that the Earth and its life forms are a single, self-regulating system, and Deep Ecology, an environmental philosophy that states all living beings have inherent worth, regardless of their usefulness to humans, he attempts to dismantle the hubris of current wide-scale anthropogenic values, challenging our preconceptions while maintaining psychological implications as the common root between environmental, social, political and economic downfall. Fellows argues that ‘heroic development’, understood archetypally, is attributable to our reasonings, or self assurances, in regards to our dominion over other things. And yet, it becomes evermore apparent that the ‘hero’s cleaving sword’, borne from patriarchal culture, is leading us to our demise.

Some time ago, a friend of mine offered an alternative theory to mine regarding climate activism, surmising that those among us who support the preservation of earth only do so out of the selfish need to preserve themselves. I would argue now that his theory only holds value when using society’s traditional definition of an ego-based self, and falls apart with the acknowledgement of the holism and interdependency inherent in this form of self preservation. It is neither selfish, nor sacrificial and through it we can assume that when one thing thrives, everything benefits, whether the nature of these benefits elude us at the time. I believe the embodied experience of ecological activism can bring about the necessary behavioural change to reap these benefits. Intrinsic change however, is also a pre-requisite to external action. So what comes first? Chickens and eggs come to mind. And this is where I believe ecological sound art might play a role. By identifying the key components of stimulating behavioural ecological change, I wish to explore how sound art can evoke our collective imagination, propelling us into an internal dialogue that considers the similarities between our notions of ‘self’ and the unified. Although situated within the domain of Eco-psychology, Theodore Rozsaks assertion that “the psyche is rooted inside a greater intelligence once known as the anima mundi, the psyche of the earth herself” (Roszak, 1995: 16), I feel is one that lies at the core of my evolving thoughts.