Brazilian butterflies and beluga blubber

I took note this morning of the death of Edward Lorenz at age 90. Lorenz, a physicist on the faculty of MIT, will forever be known as the father of chaos theory. Chaos theory stipulates that small changes can lead to much bigger ones. It became known as the butterfly effect as an outcome of the metaphor Lorenz used to describe the phenomenon. He observed that something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil changes the constantly moving atmosphere in ways that could later trigger tornadoes in Texas.

A separate news article reported the concern of marine scientists regarding the marked increase in chemicals, specifically flame retardants and a stain repellent, that are found in marine mammals. In addition, PCBs and DDT, the usage of which was banned long ago in the U.S., still show up when scientists analyze the blubber of beluga and orca whales. The concentrations of PCBs are high enough to kill a human being.

The choices we make today, even if they seem like small ones, can lead to enduring impacts the scale of which may be beyond our ability to appreciate. Fully conscious behavior that will allow those who follow us to thrive as members of a truly healthy global ecological community is the essence of sustainability.