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  • From: "robscott@freeshell.org" <robscott@freeshell.org>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Emelia Hazelip Quote re entropy
  • Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 17:29:27 +0000 (UTC)


Though I've appreciated the stories about Emelia Hazelip, I have not seen much response to the initial quote regarding entropy. I've seen connections, but no one has addressed it specifically.

I say:
Thermodynamic Law 1 (in closed system, entropy always increases) doesn't hold for living systems because they aren't closed -- they are open to solar radiation (ie photosynthetic cells) or other energy source inputs (consuming plant tissue for instance).

There is a colloquial usage of "entropy" to mean "a bloody mess" that perhaps Emelia was using in her quote... as in, a non-equilibrium system that could undermine the conditions for human life. But if life continues without humans, the biosphere will not be "entropic" in the strict sense mentioned above.

-Rob Scott




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