The four laws of ecology include ‘everything is connected to everything else,’ ‘everything must go somewhere,’ ‘nature knows best,’ and ‘nothing comes from nothing.’ The four laws of capitalism are ‘the only lasting connection between things is the cash nexus,’ ‘it doesn’t matter where something goes as long as it doesn’t reenter the circuit of capital,’ ‘the self-regulating market knows best,’ and ‘nature’s bounty is a free gift to the property owner.’ There is a strong sense of disconnect between the laws of capitalism and the laws of ecology.
The first law of ecology states that all things are connected to all other things, whereas the first law of capitalism claims that only cash can be a source of connection. In other words, capitalism disregards connections that are not based on cash or capital. The second law of ecology reveals that all things must be relocated somewhere, whereas the second law of capitalism dismisses anything which leaves the capital circuitry. Thus, capitalism, once again, intentionally makes itself blind to problems outside the capital exchange. For example, this is the cause of pollution and waste, such as oceanic plastic waste, because capitalism has no interest or even perception of these issues. The third law of ecology puts trust in nature, while capitalism trusts free markets, which shows a displacement of prioritization in favor of the latter. For instance, this explains why environmental preservation is not as important as economics and financial objectives.
In conclusion, the last laws of ecology and capitalism highlight the core essence of modern problems, such as climate change. Ecology acknowledges there is nothing free, but capitalism views nature’s bounty as a free gift from the property. A capitalistic view of the world is severely detached from reality, where it intentionally narrows its scope of priorities and interests. The result is mass-scale destruction of the environment, climate change, global pollution, and a complete disregard for sustainability and nature.