SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHY

Science is the cornerstone of the work we do. Though our volunteers and donors come from diverse walks of life, many of us are scientists or are from science-related fields of work. While we value and embrace scientific thinking and approaches in all forms, there are two scientific philosophies in particular that inform our grant-making, seminar series and approach to finding solutions for sustainability:

Systems thinking: Systems thinking recognizes that all things and beings are related and connected to each other, whether directly or indirectly. Deep and complex systems, including economics, health, environment, communities and energy, are inextricably linked to each other. No action or event takes place in isolation, and all decisions have implications further down the line and in other systems. When science and policy decisions are made in isolation, they often have unanticipated negative effects in other areas. To be truly effective, the solutions for a healthy, sustainable future must recognize the broader interconnected nature of our world. We believe that systems thinking is an approach for the study and understanding of intersections between disparate fields. Needed innovations will be made only by working across disciplines.

Ecological Economics: Economic drivers impact our day-to-day lives and the health of our planet. Traditional economics focuses on the growth of goods and services, but does not factor in the limited resources, space and capacity of the natural world, nor the value of human interactions and societal infrastructures. Ecological economics is a growing transdisciplinary field that aims to improve and expand economic theory to integrate the earth’s natural systems, human values and human health and well-being. The ecological economics framework is a multi-faceted approach to economics, defining a goal focused on complex interrelationship between ecological sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. It weighs equally the four types of capital (built capital, social capital, human capital and natural capital) in order to make decisions and recognize the true costs of daily activities.