This article was inspired by a discussion at a bar I had years ago with a civil engineer. He saw no point in worrying about ecology because, according to him, everything eventually “disappears” anyway. He backed up his argument by explaining the concept of entropy. To which I replied: okay, everything falls apart, sure—but why rush the process so much?
We all come from stardust. The matter that makes us, the breath we carry—all of it comes from a natural process billions of years old. And all of it will eventually disappear. There’s nothing sad or dramatic about it—it’s simply the reality of the universe.
This phenomenon has a name: entropy—the natural tendency of things to become disorganized and dissipate their energy. Every system, whether a star, a tree, or a human ecosystem, moves toward some form of disorder. The challenge isn’t to fight it but to understand how we, as humans, interact with this process.
It’s important to clarify that entropy isn’t just a measure of disorder but also of energy dispersion. A high-entropy system is one where energy is evenly spread out and no longer available to perform useful work. Living systems, by extracting energy from their environment, manage to maintain a state of low entropy—but always at the cost of increasing the overall entropy of the universe.
Humans and their tools accelerate disorder.
Today, humanity has mastered the art of extracting energy from the system… and wasting it. In our quest to make life easier, to produce more and faster, we have created a machine that accelerates entropy on an unprecedented scale.
Take a simple example: fossil fuels. They are millions of years of sunlight concentrated into a usable fuel. And what do we do with them? We burn them to power inefficient systems, often for fleeting purposes, instead of trying to maximize their value. We use and deplete precious resources in linear processes: extract, consume, discard. This model isn’t just unsustainable—it fundamentally contradicts the natural principles of energy cycles.
The use of fossil fuels is a striking example of how we accelerate entropy. By burning these fuels, we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Climate change, in turn, is a clear example of how increasing entropy can have disastrous consequences for ecosystems and human societies.
yourself. Directed by Godfrey Reggio.
Closing the loops, slowing the flow.
Permaculture teaches us that there are no “waste” products in a well-designed system. Energy, like matter, must circulate, transform, and be reused. Instead of fighting entropy or merely observing it, we can learn to work with it by slowing down flows and closing loops.
That means:
- Identifying energy leaks in our systems: We have a stream that runs dry in summer but becomes torrential in spring—can we slow down this flow? Can we redirect part of this water into a pond (and retain its energy potential?) while also reducing erosion in the process?
- Maximizing every resource: A tree is not just a tree. It can provide fruit, biomass, heat, a substrate for mushroom cultivation, shelter, a water pump, a hedge, a temperature regulator, and, at the end of its life, fuel or compost.
- Designing in loops: Creating systems where every “waste” becomes a resource for another process. For example, using greywater for irrigation or organic waste to produce biogas or eggs.
- These principles of circular economy and permaculture are essential for slowing the increase of entropy. By adopting these approaches, we can reduce resource consumption, minimize waste, and create more resilient systems.
From Enjoyment to Efficiency, From Individual to Collective
It’s not just a question of morality or ecological responsibility. Slowing down and creating resilient systems is also a way to live better. Repairing an old chair or implementing a permaculture design isn’t an act of heroism—it’s a way to find enjoyment while minimizing wasted energy.
However, individual actions, while valuable, aren’t enough on their own if we don’t also reconfigure the larger systems we operate within. We need to think at the scale of human ecosystems—cities, production networks, rural communities. Every individual choice can influence the collective, but only if we align our efforts with clear, replicable principles.
It is crucial to recognize that individual solutions must be supported by public policies and collective actions. The transition to a sustainable economy requires changes at all levels, from personal choices to political and economic decisions.
A role to play
Entropy reminds us that everything is impermanent, but that doesn’t mean we should hasten the end. On the contrary, our role is to extend the cycle for as long as possible—not out of resistance, but out of pragmatism. Because in a finite world, making things last is the key to maintaining balance and preserving what we still have.
Like a flame carefully tended, every action matters—not to “save” the planet, but to align our lives with the realities of the natural world. Less waste, more cycles. Less speed, more efficiency.
We will all return to stardust one day—that’s true. But before that, we can take responsibility. We can strive to understand how this world works, design it more wisely, and make this journey both meaningful and as long-lasting as possible. That’s what has always drawn us to the methodology of permaculture design: clear principles that are often replicable and adaptable. And we do our best to share them with you in a way that is engaging and fun during our courses.