Thought for the Day
“The first law of ecology is that
everything is related to everything else.”
~ Barry Commoner
(1917 – 2012 )
Born: May 28, 1917
Died: September 30, 2012
Barry Commoner, known as the “Paul Revere of Ecology” was a pioneer in environmental activism. One of Commoner’s lasting legacies is his four laws of ecology, as written in The Closing Circle in 1971.
The four laws are:
- Everything is Connected to Everything Else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all.
- Everything Must Go Somewhere. There is no “waste” in nature and there is no “away” to which things can be thrown.
- Nature Knows Best. Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a natural system is, says Commoner, “likely to be detrimental to that system.”
- There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. Exploitation of nature will inevitably involve the conversion of resources from useful to useless forms.
*Source
Today in History:
- 1864 – The Indian city of Calcutta is almost totally destroyed by a cyclone; 60,000 die.
- 1944 – Suffrage is extended to women in France.
- 1962 – The Beatles first single, “Love Me Do” backed with “P.S. I Love You”, is released in the United Kingdom.
- 1970 – The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is founded.
- 1991 – The first official version of the Linux kernel, version 0.02, is released.
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Did You Know?
In 1962, Decca Records rejected the Beatles, saying, “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” Source
Happy Birthday:
- 1919 – Donald Pleasence, English actor (d. 1995)
- 1925 – Gail Davis, American actress (d. 1997)
- 1930 – Pavel Popovich, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 2009)
- 1943 – Steve Miller, American musician (Steve Miller Band)
- 1951 – Bob Geldof, Irish singer (The Boomtown Rats) and activist
- 1957 – Bernie Mac, American actor and comedian (d. 2008)
Holidays and Observances:
- Do Something Nice Day
- World Teachers Day
- Noisy Munching Day.
Today is the 278th day of the year 87 days remain.