From: "robscott@freeshell.org" <robscott@freeshell.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Emelia Hazelip Quote re entropy
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.60.0409221717200.14194@sdf.lonestar.org>
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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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