Like the Bioconservatives, the nanoecologists are concerned with technology and how technology is used throughout society. However, where they differ is in practical matters: nanoecologists support the use of nanotechnology and genetic engineering in terraforming and to a lesser degree, bioforming, where many bioconservatives and especially preservationists push back against those two ideas. This doesn't stop nanoecologists from trying, however, and in some cases, succeeded in their goals of transforming entire worlds, and promoting the memes that such transformations ride on the back of, and attaining the political power that drives such transformations forward.
Who nanoecologists AreNanoecologists are a breed of technoprogressive who support the use of modern technologists not only in transforming environments but also in resurrecting them reinforcing them as they currently are. For the nanoecologist, geoforming is always the first solution, although it needs to be done carefully, by dedicated professionals and those who are trained in the geosciences. They are also called "bright green environmentalists" and reject the idea that technology innately harms the environment, or that there's division between what humanity makes and what is "natural." To the nanoecologist, if it can exist in nature, it's natural. That doesn't make it good, but that does make it a tool. This means that they are staunch supporters of technology as a solution to climate ills, ranging from carbon farms to using nuclear energy, fusion energy, antimatter energy, or even black holes as a source for power, so long as doing so doesn't disrupt the environment. They also believe that technology can act as a scaffolding for the environment, and they support (or tend to support) the use of cloning and genetic engineering to reintroduce diversity within the population of a given biome that has been damaged or is otherwise dying due to natural causes. To the nanoecologist, a species is not extinct unless science says it cannot be revived, and an environment shouldn't be allowed to wither and die unless science says that it's okay. Evolution, ecology, and biodiversity are all participation games for the nanoecologist, and humans hold all the winning cards.
Nanoecologists are often at the forefront of terraforming operations and they often gather into political parties or small political organizations to try and promote their cause and their goals, using memes to reinforce their positions in the public imagination. Since they are often political parties, the rank and title structure above reflects this; however, they also often appear in many universities as well; in such cases, use the rank structure as detailed above with the ASAI. Most universities that promote nanoecology focus exclusive on that, which means that these universities also use e-Rep and Savoir-Faire (Nanoecologist) as much as they can use Savoir-Fair (Academic). This entry assumes a political party made up exclusively of nanoecologists or a political party that has a substantial number of nanoecologists who are members. Where the best place to find a preservationist or bioconservative is at a rally, the best place to find a nenoecologist is generally in the field, playing a major role in whatever terraforming or geoengineering project that they happen to be taking part in. Many nanoecolgoists are also found producing Terraria; these habitats are often specialized and used as experimental grounds for future developments in terraforming techniques, or simply as an expression of artistic talent. However, Terraria aren't necessarily things that all nanoecologists are associated with; there's just some significant overlap. |
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What nanoecologists want
Like any political structure, the first and foremost thing they want is political power so they can push through their agendas. However, outside of this power, nanoecologists would like to promote their memes throughout the public sphere, maintaining the technology and nature are not diametrically opposed and that one can improve the other in significant ways. This results in all the problems that arise as a result of politicking naturally. The largest body of nanoecologists in the Verge and Bleed is the Verge Terraforming League, which is headed by the Bluefall Democratic Regency, although there are others as well.
What nanoecologists can Provide
Being the varied bunch that they are, nanoecologist parties can generally provide the following for those who are members to their organizations or who are adjacent:
- Favors
- Hideout. Especially from more bioconservative governments and from those who oppose the movement, although this may not universally be the case.
- Lore. They are a wealth of information regarding geoforming and terraforming techniques, and can provide a great deal of information regarding the earth sciences, and even provide access to material that's locked behind a paywall, since the political party likely paid to have the paywall removed.
- Provisions
- Political and legal support. In some cases, depending on the local power of the bioconservative party and what the individuals need accomplished.
- Replacements
- Special Orders. Mostly through their social media networks
- Training. Mostly in political-related skills, given the political nature of these parties.
Rank
0 1 2 3 |
Title
Member Organizer Leader Director |
Advantages
Rank 0 Rank 1, Politics IQ-1, Public Speaking IQ-1 Rank 2, Biology (Ecology) (A) IQ-1 Rank 3, Politics IQ, Public Speaking IQ |
Ethics of TerraformingWhile bioconservatives and preservationists like to paint nanoecologists like they're all aboard for terraforming and do so with abandon, this isn't entirely the case. Nanoecologists are environmentalists first, and technoprogressives second. There is actually an active ethical debate within the nanoecologist movement over how ethically correct it is to terraform a planet. While they aren't a cohesive movement, the general attitude among the majority - including the scientists who work in the field - is that a dead planet with no obvious or expansive native life is fair game; so a world like Bluefall, which had no native life, could be ethically terraformed since nobody lived there. However, worlds that house advanced species are generally off limits, with the debate becoming considerably murkier with lower forms of life, like worlds dominated with single-celled organisms and lichen. However, not everyone agrees. There are a number of extreme nanoecologists who reject this paradigm, and claim that all planets belong to humanity in a form of "manifest destiny." To these individuals, all life that isn't human or sapient matters less and so can be wiped out to make way for more successful life. Some promote the creation of orbital gardens for the alien life, while others don't care at all. However, these extreme voices are generally not the most prevalent within the community. |
History of Nanoecology
The history of nanoecology stems back to the first days of the Martian paraterraforming project. These efforts required a great deal of work and finance and a number of devoted individuals who could work on something that they would likely never live to see completed. This is the first instance of a pro-terraforming ideology that emerges, but it was actually the God AIs, not humanity, who finished the Marian terraforming project (and subsequently turned their eyes towards para-terraforming the moon, Mercury, and and Venus while also using the asteroid belt to construct the Solar Dyson swarm. During the Utopian Period, the ideology existed but went unnamed, since it was functionally the default ideology of the God AIs. Then, following the Ascension Crisis and the Swarms, the population turned hard on the idea.
It wasn't until the successful terraforming of Bluefall, just recently, that the movement was able to get their legs back. The Nanoecologist movement as it is known today did exist after the Battle of Swarm, but it wasn't until the birth of Bluefall and the successful terraforming of Alitare and Gavine that the Verge and Bleed began to notice what benefits terraforming had for humanity. Furthermore, a number of projects to restore the environment of dying worlds, including High Mojave, have further made the ideology visible. Since, then, they have been a major player in most modestly technoprogressive polities, pushing their own unique brand of bright green environmentalism.
It wasn't until the successful terraforming of Bluefall, just recently, that the movement was able to get their legs back. The Nanoecologist movement as it is known today did exist after the Battle of Swarm, but it wasn't until the birth of Bluefall and the successful terraforming of Alitare and Gavine that the Verge and Bleed began to notice what benefits terraforming had for humanity. Furthermore, a number of projects to restore the environment of dying worlds, including High Mojave, have further made the ideology visible. Since, then, they have been a major player in most modestly technoprogressive polities, pushing their own unique brand of bright green environmentalism.
Nanoecologist Culture
Given that they are a political movement, there is little in the way of unified culture from the nanoecologists; they tend have a core set of beliefs that make one a nanoecologist, which include support for terraforming, support for bright-green environmental procedures, technoprogressivism, and the like, but there isn't much of a unified culture beyond those points. As a result, nanoeco parties will have a culture that strongly resembles their local culture ∎