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Namah Cultivating an Ecological Consciousness
or capitalist democracies. Developed nations are many ways plants show evidence of
that knocked on the doors of Asian countries intelligence. Some of them are propagation
to open up their markets and go bullish on manoeuvres, distress signalling or healing a
capitalism, are themselves protecting their sick member. Plants fix nitrogen in the soil
own farmers by restricting imports. Let us and enrich it for future generation of plants.
consider the example of India to illustrate the Mother redwood trees provide nutrition to
governmental measures in place to counter daughter trees through the roots. The mycelia,
market forces and monsoonal irregularities. a fungi network under the earth, senses a
There is a governmental price control on sick tree and channels nutrients to her. This
essential foods such as rice, lentils, cooking same network of fungi can cure depression
oils, sugar. The government buys these in a human being when they touch the soil
products from private farmers and stores with their bare hands. The edges of roots
them in granaries across the country. Each are the brains that probe around the soil
family gets to buy a certain quota of these and take the path that is best for the plant
products at an affordable price. These (4). The mechanisms in which some plants
measures were implemented after several form symbiotic relationships with others
years of crop failure and famine. As for who can be their host, is another amazing
subsidies, most countries give cheap water phenomenon. When bugs come to eat a plant,
and electricity to farmers, and grant generous this attacked plant secretes a smell that attracts
loans. But no government can protect its the enemy of the bug. This is pure cunning
people from natural disasters. Earthquakes, and a marvel. The plants match the attacking
tsunamis, long-term droughts, massive floods, pest’s chemicals to its predator insect or
— are moments when humanity realises the bird. When we catalogue the different ways
enormous power of the Being they wanted in which plants propagate themselves, we
to outsmart. are left amazed and wonder how we ever
marvelled at human technological inventions.
There are helicopter seeds that float in air.
Some have corkscrew-like endings that
burrow into the earth where they land.
Oak seeds are so strong they can travel
long distances in the stomach of animals,
untouched by digestive acids. A forest fire
is needed to pop open the seeds. They are
naturally preserved for posterity. Humans
now imitate these with ‘seed bombing’. Seeds
Nature is intelligent are covered in a shell of clay and scattered,
sometimes from helicopters, to cover a wide
Nature is smart and sentient. She listens to area. The seeds use rain and sunshine to anchor
humans and provides healing if we give her themselves and grow into trees (5). Learning
the chance. She fades away and dies if she from nature and adopting her ways is called
is ill-treated psychologically. She reacts to biomimicry and it is a growing movement,
aggressors and can protect herself. There full of empathy and gratitude for nature.
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