Disparity between natural and artificial operations

Natural forces control the four natural operations that have characterized what happened in the terrestrial and marine ecosystems during evolution over aeons, do so now and will continue to do so far into the future. They are:

·         A host of physical operations cycle as they influence what happens. Earth cycling around the Sun: the Moon cycling around Earth: the seasons, tides, the hydrological cycle all play their part in controlling continuing operations.

·         Flora, fauna and fungi individually have limited life times but collectively have a continuing impact on operations by reproducing. Information in their seeds defines what natural forces will do in controlling functioning and growth during their lives.

·         Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are traumatic natural events that occur spasmodically due to the abnormal operation of powerful underground natural forces. They are disruptive but are often constructive. 

·         Various forms of friction continually age all forms of geological and biological systems.

In combination, these measures constitute the self-organizing and self-regulating, sustainable natural processes of evolution.

On the other hand, humans have invented and implemented technological systems in recent millennia that:

·                                       In most cases use limited and irreplaceable natural material resources to provide the energy and material to construct, operate and maintain the systems during their limited lifetime.

·                                        Produce waste material that on many occasions pollutes land, sea, air and organisms, including humans, and disrupts ecosystems by causing climate change and ocean heating and acidification. Only some of this waste can be recycled by using other technological systems.

·                                       These systems can only be reproduced if sufficient natural material resources are still available.

·                                          Various forms of friction continually age these technological systems by doing negative work.

·                                          Occasional failures of technological systems are traumatic events that are both disruptive and destructive.

In combination, these measures constitute the financially semi-regulated, semi-organized and unsustainable operation of industrialized civilization. 

This difference between natural physical operations and the artificial physical operations of industrialized civilization is the stark reality that people, including the powerful in society, do not take into account because they do not really understand what the foundational principles are. They believe in the power of intangible money

Fun and Games with Bitcoin

The ups and downs of the digital currency, Bitcoin, is generating a vast amount of speculation in financial circles. Most people will have been bewildered by this innovation. They have been used to dealing with real money and have a degree of understanding of how inflation and deflation affects their decisions. The volatility of Bitcoin is beyond their comprehension. Many of those who have tried this digital currency have had their fingers burnt while others are hoping that the price of the Bitcoin they have acquired will make them rich by growing exponentially.

Intangible money is a means of buying tangible goods and services. Speculation in dollars, euros and other real currencies by investors, banks, financial managers and governments does not hide the fundamental usage of money to pay for those goods and services that are available. These goods and services are produced by irreversibly using up the limited supply of natural material resources, including those providing the necessary energy to do the work. That is an unsustainable process. So potency of real money will decline as these resources become scarcer. Economic contraction will set in, despite the protestations of economists.

Bitcoin will inevitably share the fate of real money after causing a lot of confusion amongst those who fallaciously believe it can cope with reality.