claire_58 | Adaptation Is Our Superpower

The theme of this blog is that despite the 30-50 years of spinning our wheels waiting in vain for somebody big and powerful to do something about the multi-system crises, environmental, economic, and social, that are staring down at us, there are still things we can do as individuals, families and small groups to thrive while learning to live in ways that increase available resources and improve habitat for other species. There is an alternative to whatever flavour of dystopian future currently haunts your dreams. There are ways to become a regenerative presence in our own tiny spot on the earth and begin to co-create a future worth having.

In my previous post I have suggested that misunderstandings about who we are as a species and our place in the world have led to confused thinking and frustrations especially but not only around the ecological crises that plague us. This series will outline our strengths as a biological species and the survival traits that have stood us well throughout history. These have let us become a beneficial presence in our shared ecosystem in many time and places throughout history and around the world. They can serve us well here and now too.

The foundations of our crises are ecological not technological. Our technological pursuits have been very successful especially in the last 2 or 3 hundred years since we tapped into the planetary reserves of hydrocarbon fuels. They been fun and useful and I am in not in any way suggesting we should reject technology. But, unfortunately, advances in technology have too often come at the expense of both the environment and our communities. Both are suffering now. The true costs have been externalized for far too long. Our economic system is also teetering because there is one thing guaranteed about an unsustainable system: It Will Collapse.

So here we are.

We cannot stop the slow moving disaster the is the combined ecological crises of resource depletion and rising pollution levels. The challenge we face is not simply a problem, or even many problems, to be solved, but and complex emergent situation, an ongoing predicament that cannot be avoided or made to go away. Even if we were successful in resolving one or two or of the specific “problems” (choose your favourite) we still have a badly damaged planet with plenty of unsolvable “problems.”

We have survived 200,000 years as humans not because we had technology that gave us god-like powers to control or manage an entire planet but because we were able to adapt. We’ve been through numerous changes in climate; dramatic changes. It probably wasn’t pretty, but we survived because we adapted to what was. Spoiler: We still don’t have the technology to manage a planet. That’s pure hubris.

All we can do is adapt. And we will. There is no question about that because adaptation is our superpower. A superpower is something a species does effortlessly, unthinkingly, and invariably. A superpower is something that would be difficult to prevent a creature from doing. Beavers build dams and restore wetlands. Pigs root around with their strong snouts digging up deep roots and opening the ground so that new seeds can take root. Humans adapt to changing circumstances. We have an innate knack for “gaming the system;” turning things to our advantage; seizing the main chance.

We can use this power consciously to deliberately to create lives that allow us to thrive. We can use the traits that have allowed us to successfully inhabit every bioregion of the planet to become a force for good in the world. There are many proven biological “solutions” that benefit the whole ecosystem. Many ecologically sound restorative systems of production that could be pursued. Many ways to make a living while making a life.

We need a better story, a more accurate and more useful way of understanding our place in the world. A better understanding of ourselves as a species; better information about of our powers and superpowers and of the strategies (also superpowers) we have used to successfully connect ourselves to our local ecosystems in past. These superpowers can be used now, in the present, wherever you find yourself, as a foundation for building a tailor made life for yourself using your own talents skills and resources.

Next: Making the Connection