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Environmental Sanity

2026-07-14

Environmental Sanity

I have always been fascinated by systems. That fascination is rooted in two defining influences in my life: my father and my career. Because of them, I rarely look at an environment as simply a place. Instead, I see it as a system—a collection of interconnected parts working together, each influencing the other.

My father, a man of German heritage, had already attained two Master’s degrees before serving in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War—one in Mechanical Engineering and the other in Electrical Engineering. He served as an engineer, applying the knowledge and discipline he had acquired through his studies.

Order was not merely a preference to him; it was a way of life. Every tool had its place, every machine had to be maintained, and every workshop had to be functional. Naturally, he made it his mission to instil those same values in me as a boy.

Sadly, I lost him to illness before my twentieth birthday. However, a two-year stint in the military further reinforced my appreciation for discipline, systems, and order. Thereafter, my decision to become an Electrical Fitter with the railways deepened my understanding of how complex systems function and why proper organisation matters.

“Environment is a network of interconnected systems operating at multiple scales.”

Some of these systems are largely closed-loop, meaning they regulate themselves through internal feedback and require relatively little outside intervention. Others are open-loop, depending heavily on external inputs, resources, or influences to function effectively.

For the purposes of this thesis, I divide the environment into three primary levels:

🌍 Global Environment

The worldwide systems that influence all life, including:

🏘️ Local Environment

The communities and surroundings that directly affect our daily lives, including:

👤 Personal Environment

The spaces in which an individual lives and develops, including:

Understanding Systems

Before examining these three levels, it is useful to understand the concepts of closed-loop and open-loop systems.

🔄 Closed-Loop Systems

A closed-loop system is largely self-regulating. Through internal feedback it maintains stability and adapts to change with minimal outside intervention.

A healthy forest provides a good example. Nutrients are recycled, populations remain balanced, and the ecosystem can sustain itself over long periods.

🔁 Open-Loop Systems

An open-loop system depends upon continual external input.

Without resources, energy, information, or management from outside the system, it cannot continue operating.

A manufacturing factory is a familiar example. It requires:

Without these external inputs, production stops.

⚖️ Most Systems Are Hybrid

Very few systems are entirely open or entirely closed.

The Earth’s biosphere largely regulates itself but still depends on energy from the Sun.

Likewise, a person’s personal environment depends both upon:

and external influences such as:

Understanding this interaction between self-regulation and external dependence provides a useful framework for examining how global, local, and personal environments influence one another.

🏛️ Historical Influencers

Another major influence on our environment is history.

Certain events shape the direction of an entire lifetime.

Common historical influencers include:

Where we are born plays an enormous role in determining the environment we inherit.

Someone raised in a bustling city faces challenges very different from someone raised in a rural farming community.

Likewise, someone born in a developed nation often enjoys opportunities unavailable to someone growing up in a developing country.

These circumstances are rarely chosen, yet they profoundly shape our lives.

🌱 Changing Your Environment

Changing your environment is often one of life’s greatest challenges.

It becomes even more difficult when someone grows up in poverty, in an underdeveloped nation, or within a culture that discourages education and innovation.

Fortunately, education remains one of the most powerful tools for changing one’s circumstances.

Today, the internet has made education more accessible than at any other time in history.

Forty years ago, acquiring specialised knowledge often required attending a university in person. Today, many of the world’s finest institutions freely publish lectures and complete courses online.

Part of what PlebWare hopes to become is a platform that encourages lifelong learning and provides access to useful educational resources.

Fortunately, many excellent platforms already exist.

🎓 Learning Platforms That Can Change Your Life

The internet has transformed education.

Today, anyone with a computer or smartphone and an internet connection can study subjects ranging from basic literacy to Artificial Intelligence, engineering, business management, theology, and computer programming.

Many platforms are completely free. Others charge only for certificates while allowing the learning material itself to remain freely available.

🔑 Alison

https://alison.com

Founded in 2007, Alison has become one of the world’s largest free learning platforms.

Subjects include:

Ideal for:

🔑 Khan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org

One of the best completely free educational platforms available.

Subjects include:

Excellent for school learners, university preparation, and adults refreshing forgotten knowledge.

🔑 Coursera

https://www.coursera.org

Coursera partners with many world-leading universities and companies including:

Most courses can be audited free of charge.

🔑 edX

https://www.edx.org

Originally founded by Harvard University and MIT.

Subjects include:

Many university-level courses are available free to audit.

🔑 OpenLearn

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/

Provided by The Open University.

Courses include:

🔑 MIT OpenCourseWare

https://ocw.mit.edu

MIT freely publishes much of its curriculum, including:

Subjects range from engineering and physics to economics and philosophy.

🔑 Harvard Online Learning

https://pll.harvard.edu

Harvard provides numerous free online courses covering:

Many courses may be audited without charge.

🔑 FutureLearn

https://www.futurelearn.com

Courses include:

Some courses remain permanently free while others offer free access for limited periods.

🔑 freeCodeCamp

https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn

One of the finest free software development platforms.

Topics include:

Students build real-world projects while learning.

🔑 Google Skillshop

https://skillshop.withgoogle.com

Google’s official professional training platform covering:

Many courses include recognised Google certifications.

📚 Making the Most of Online Learning

The greatest advantage of online education is flexibility.

You decide:

Whether your goal is employment, entrepreneurship, career advancement, or personal enrichment, online learning removes many of the traditional barriers to education.

To maximise your success:

🔑 Education Is an Investment

One of the greatest investments you can ever make is in yourself.

Knowledge compounds over time. Every new skill creates opportunities to acquire yet another.

Thanks to the wealth of free educational resources now available online, lifelong learning is no longer limited by age, geography, or financial circumstances.

Whether you are preparing for a new career, strengthening existing skills, or simply satisfying your curiosity, there has never been a better time to begin learning.

As with every environment, the one that shapes your future most profoundly is the one you choose to cultivate today.

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