The solution concepts developed by the ZEIS Institute for Ecological Education for an orderly reversal of the civilizational system in the current situation of an evolutionary dead end are subject to constant adjustments. In the meantime, however, key points have been consolidated, partly thanks to some good suggestions made within the framework of the ZEIS funding program. The following is a brief summary of the three concrete main steps of an organised “emergency brake” identified on this basis. This is followed by a reflection on the foreseeable effects of these three steps. Everything is outlined as an ideal form in order to establish that, at least in theory, it would still be possible to defuse the advanced situation quickly and in an orderly manner. Whether the chances of adequate implementation are perhaps only very slim, or whether such implementation could even become realistic only after a partial collapse of the civilizational system, is not taken into account here. Finally, there are a few important comments.
So here are the main steps, each in their ideal form:
1. Comprehensive restructuring and reorientation of the academic natural sciences. Inclusion of the previously ignored physical laws of nature in ecological structures as a new center of empirical physics. This applies in particular to the natural law of free evolution and the regular degrees of freedom in ecological structures. These must be moved to the center of academic physics as new main fields and treated there with the highest priority. Today’s main topics, such as particle physics, should now be given a lower priority. Since they have no existential significance, a large part of their financial resources must be redirected to the newly established center. The previous exclusion of living matter from physics (from “physis” = the study of nature) made no logical sense from the outset. Today’s disciplines of biology are not sufficiently suitable due to historically developed restrictions. Since they were kept out of the “premier league” of empirical natural sciences, no sufficient tradition of empirical methodology and systematic consideration of the big picture of living matter has developed. In addition, large parts of academic biology today are strongly influenced by the agricultural industry.
2. Identification and dismantling of the currently most harmful effects of agricultural methodology as a pattern that runs counter to the physical laws of nature in ecosystems. Since sufficient empirical studies are already available on this subject, animal husbandry and the animal husbandry industry can be recognized as by far the greatest harmful factor in agriculture and even in the entire civilizational system.[2] Rapid dismantling would not lead to undersupply or nutrient deficiencies, especially in industrialized countries, so this is the logical starting point for an orderly reversal of the evolutionary dead end. Extensive steps must be taken in parallel to systematically defuse the problems surrounding “crop plants” and to gradually stabilize them as the essential food source for humanity.
3. Systematic education of new generations about the previously repressed physical relationships and laws of ecological structures from the first year of life. The priority is initially on teaching this using the example of vertebrates. This makes the subject particularly easy to understand and, at the same time, animal husbandry is the biggest factor in causing damage. Both freedom as a physical regularity in ecological structures and the unnatural subjugation of “farm animals” that runs counter to this must be explained in an age-appropriate, realistic, and intensive manner. From the first year of life onwards, this can be done using picture books and storytelling, for example. Subsequent curricula must be continuously and with the highest priority (“core subjects”) geared towards progressive education on the physical orders in ecological structures and the effects of agricultural methods that run counter to them. With increasing age, this must also include the foreseeable highly complex challenges surrounding “crop plants.”
And now a summary of the expected effects:
Re 1: The restructuring and reorientation of academic natural sciences with a new focus on the previously ignored physical laws of nature within ecological structures will bring about a profound change on several levels. This applies to the identification of concrete solutions to many problems that have arisen as a result of previous ignorance and extends to the shaping of the general public’s worldview. The realization for the first time that the regular degrees of freedom in ecological structures and the laws of free evolution are crucial parts of reality will greatly broaden and deepen people’s worldview. This will have a far-reaching impact not only on the priorities set in schools and universities, but also on people’s individual behavior.
Re 2: A rapid dismantling of animal food production will immediately bring about far-reaching relief for the Earth’s ecosystem. Currently, both the majority of global agricultural land and the largest quantities of pesticides used (feed production) are allocated to animal husbandry. [1][2] The collapse of insect populations, for example, which are the largest fraction of the Earth’s animal kingdom, could thus be slowed down or even halted. In addition, the reduction of agricultural animal husbandry would reduce the harmful consequences of psychological repression processes, freeing up intellectual and other mental capacities that were previously tied up in this area.
Re 3: Ecological enlightenment that focuses primarily or even exclusively on adults is unlikely to be sufficiently effective because the components of their worldviews that have already become firmly established through the processes of repression – similar to the ingredients of a cake that has already been baked – are very difficult to correct. If, on the other hand, children are educated realistically and with high priority about the interrelationships of ecological structures from the first year of life, a realistic worldview will develop from the ground up. Already in the first years of life, strong tendencies to reject food from animals held captive will automatically develop. In addition, a variety of other positive behavioral changes will occur. All of this will be transferred in a lever-like manner to the adult level through emotional mechanisms (protective instinct). This phenomenon has been observed and empirically described as intergenerational reverse transfer from children to adults, based on the student movement “Fridays for Future.”
[3]
And here, in conclusion, a few final remarks:
It would be very important for the process step under point 3 that it is not influenced by adults with their view of the subject matter. If, for example, attempts were made to overlay the beginning ecological education process of new generations with religious or ethical concepts or to influence it with dietary philosophies such as veganism, this would inevitably distract from the understanding of the physical laws surrounding the regular degrees of freedom in ecological structures and free evolution. The new generations will automatically develop a stable and positive worldview through sober and realistic education about the physical relationships of ecological structures. Their understanding of many worldly contexts will expand and deepen far beyond that of unenlightened adults even during childhood. They will then automatically make their own stable and positive decisions, for example, with regard to their consumer behavior. To do so, they do not need to be influenced or even indoctrinated beyond realistic education.
[1] https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/479/publikationen/globale_landflaechen_biomasse_bf_klein.pdf
[2] https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Internationales/Thema/landwirtschaft-fischerei/tierhaltung-fleischkonsum/_inhalt.html
[3] ifo Institut. https://www.ifo.de/DocDL/sd-2022-05-andres-etal-fridays-for-furture.pdf