Integrating hardware, software and mindware for sustainable ecosystem development: Principles and methods of ecological engineering in China

Grounded in human ecological philosophy, ecological engineering in China seeks to find an alternative way to realize sustainable development at ecosystem level through total metabolism of resources, systematic coupling of technologies and cultivation of people's behavior. Here the key is integration of 'hardware', 'software' and 'mindware'. Eight design principles of ecological engineering based on eco-cybernetics are discussed, which fall into three categories: competition, symbiosis and self-reliance. The fundamental tasks of ecological engineering are to develop a sustainable ecosystem through the integrative planning of its structure, function and processes by encouraging totally functioning technology, systematically responsible institutions and ecologically vivid culture. A campaign of ecological engineering development in China is introduced, including 29 national comprehensive experimental communities for sustainable development, 51 pilot studies of eco-county development, and 100 ecological demonstration districts. Some fruitful theoretical and applied results have been gained and the case of Dafeng eco-county development is introduced. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.