Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Lewis Thomas

1978

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

“The Good Life” or El Buen Vivir: A North-South Binary of Sustainability and Conservation.

Larry M Frolich, Ph.D.

Miami Dade College

Wolfson Campus, Natural Sciences

Fulbright Scholar, Ecuador, 2011

www.LarryFrolich.com

Esmeralda Guevara, Ph.D.

PUCE-SI

Ibarra-Ecuador

www.esmeche.com

PRESENTATION VENUE:Earth Ethics Institute Council

http://www.earthethicsinstitute.org/index.asp

Sponsored by:

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”

0 1

binaries

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

El Buen Vivir“The Good Life”

The Transfer of Ideas

Technology and

ValuesInternational Futures Forum

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

What sustains us?

• El Buen Vivir• Eduardo Gudynas, Alberto Acosta:

Sumak Kawsay--A relation with Pachamama

• Max-Neef—nine basic human needs

How do we sustain the earth?

• not with “The Good Life”• Reduce,Reuse,Recycle• Herman Daly—the Earth

is a limiting factor

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”

SUSTAINABILITY

subsistenceprotection

affectionunderstanding

participationleisure

creationIdentity

freedom

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Criar = nourish Raise or bring up = levantar

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”

CHILD-RAISINGWhat is more fundamental to sustainability (and the future) than how we raise our children?

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Energy and Birth Rates: A biological principle

(Melanie Moses & James Brown, 2000)

Nat

ality

/Birt

h R

ate

(BR

)

Primates

Size of individual/Energy Use

monkey

humanmetabolic

human extra-metabolic

60 kg 130 WBR = 7

30,000 kg 10,000 WBR < 2

10 kg 20 WBR = 12

Mammals

mouse

elephant

0.05 kg 0.2 WBR = 100

5000 kg 1200 WBR = 4

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Data from Moses & Brown (2000)

Energy and Birth Rates: A biological principle

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

DEMOGRAPHICS

HIGH ENERGY USE

• Population Decline

• Examples: Italy, Greece, Spain, Suburban U.S.

• Sustainability means not “The Good Life”

LOW ENERGY USE

• Population Increase

• Examples: Ecuador, Latino U.S.

• Sustainability means El Buen Vivir

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Criar = nourish Raise or bring up = levantar

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”

CHILD-RAISINGWhat is more fundamental to sustainability (and the future) than how we raise our children?The binary calls for balance:

• High-Technology• High Energy Use• Low Fertility means

population in decline• Child-raising is “growing

up” to be independent

• Low-Technology• Low Energy Use• High Fertility means

population increase• Child-raising is criar,

nourish, dependence on family

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE is a balance in this binary(which means balance in power use)

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”CONSERVATION

What will be the approach to conservation?

HIGH-TECH, HIGH-ENERGY-USE INDEPENDENT CHILD

• Sacred means spirited by “God,” not people

• “Natural” refers to an area or a park without people

• “The Good Life” means backpacking into a natural or “wilderness” area

• LNT: “Leave No Trace” philosophy

LOW-TECH, LOW-ENERGY-USE FAMILY CHILD

• Sacred means religious and spirited by people

• World is composed of bio-cultural land- or life-scapes.

• “El Buen Vivir” means living in the place and in the moment.

• All are Welcome—Bienvenidos!

National Parkway of life

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

El Buen Vivir “The Good Life”

WHAT IS NEEDED? Reverse transference

IDEAS

• People are Sacred• BioCultural Life-Scape

VALUES• Family• Children• Conversation• Togetherness

TECHNOLOGIES• Home-grown• Artesanal

IDEAS

• Sacredness of Nature• Wilderness Areas

VALUES• Stability• Independence• Self-Motivated• Consume Media

TECHNOLOGIES• Digital• Bio-Engineering

integrate

integrate

integrate

historically dominates

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

Thank You’s

and Propaganda

www.SustEd.org

www.LarryFrolich.comwww.esmeche.com

Class in Management of Information Resources,PUCE-SI, Campus Virtual, Septiembre 2011

Los múltiples fuentes de alimentación

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich

We are few with access to the power of education

1% of the world’s population goes to college

Esmeralda Guevara, Larry M Frolich