MAEBB01 / M02 ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE / MICRO-ESSAY
On Benjamin Bratton,
‘Planetary Sapience’, NOEMA (2021),
pp. 1-10.
On Gerry Canavan,
‘Introduction: If This Goes On’, Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction (2014),
pp. 1-19.
“In stark contrast to the untold riches and total freedom they are imagined to provide, distant space colonies — whether on inhospitable moons or orbiting far- flung planets — are in fact necessarily markers of deep, abiding, and permanent scarcity, requiring, for any hope of survival, careful planning and rigorous management, without any waste of resources.” (Canavan, p. 7)
The metaphor of the “Spaceship Economy,” introduced by Kenneth Boulding, highlights the reality that Earth is a closed system with finite resources, where unchecked consumption threatens ecological collapse. Unlike the “Cowboy Economy” which assumes limitless frontiers, the spaceship economy requires careful management and recognition of interdependence to sustain life. This shift in perspective challenges humanity’s ingrained myths of infinite growth and endless expansion.
Benjamin Bratton’s call for planetary terraforming complements this vision by proposing a deliberate reshaping of Earth’s systems to address ecological crises. Rather than viewing terraforming as an escapist fantasy for other planets, Bratton suggests applying its principles to Earth itself. His concept emphasizes intentional stewardship, where planetary-scale computation and synthetic intelligence play a critical role. These technologies reveal the fragility of Earth’s systems—such as the evidence of climate change—by enabling us to understand the planet as an interconnected whole.
In nature, growth is inherently limited and cyclical, constrained by resources and the need for balance within ecosystems. For example, populations stabilize when food or space becomes scarce, and natural processes like nutrient cycling ensure that no resource is consumed endlessly. Humanity’s failure to acknowledge these natural lessons has led to ecological degradation, as our economic systems pursue infinite growth in a finite world. The spaceship economy offers a framework for correcting this path, urging us to align human systems with the sustainable, self-regulating principles found in nature.
