A Declaration of Interdependence.

Abstract

In Peter Wohlleben’s book The Secret Life of Trees, we learn that all in nature is interdependent: Trees in a group are less vulnerable to wind than a single tree, as they receive support from touching one another. Trees can feel pain and have memory, the older trees can help younger ones in their midst, for example an old oak tree can communicate by means of chemical scents with other oak trees if it is suffering from an insect infestation, sending out a signal to other oaks in the vicinity that helps them prepare their system and store compounds to fight off the bugs. It would seem we must admit our fundamental societal and economic interdependence if we are to make the correct judgements in the case of our investments. Let’s set the scene: