An Ecological “Landscape” Approach to the Noosphere

Abstract

In 1986, one of the authors published a “comprehensive proposal for an integrated national information system for resource planning, design, and management, using landscape and ecology as the integrators in a holistic approach to database management”. Since then, much water has flowed under the bridge, and the time has come to actualize this pioneer and visionary scientific undertaking, and to robustly integrate it with the notions of Noosphere, Meaning and Values. This work comes at a time of great need to overcome humanity’s existential risks, like climate change, nuclear wars, destructive artificial intelligence and terrorism, amongst other challenges. The authors are convinced that the harmonization of environmental, philosophical, theological, scientific, cognitive, psychophysiological and particularly, Economic, Ecologic and Ethical (the three Es) dimensions of life, is crucial to find solutions for better scenarios to overcome risk extinction, while raising human living and health standards, and general wellbeing. Equally important is the landscape in defining management policy and educating the public, from bottom up, from early childhood development; in the pursuit of “the good, the useful and the beautiful”. This comes as an antidote to despair, cynicism, and a lack of ‘vibrancy’, or the proper ‘vibe of the thing’, to breathe hope, fun, raise resilience and powerfully address the task at hand.