Precisely the problem
Precisely the problem
Yes, logos are designed to be remembered, but that's not the point. We are so hopelessly out of touch with nature. How can we protect something we don't understand and don't value?
Plants should spend more on advertising
Displays logos that can be read. Now if plants only had their name emblazed on them.
Veg ecologist would agree
(I'm just yapping and nitpicking the OP pic, don't mind me unless you're bored I guess 😅 )
A bunch of stuff I don't recognize even with the name on it, lots of stuff that's just the name itself. Visa's in there twice. Bleh! Could've done better, I think.
That said, complaining that most people recognize more corporations than plants because we all hate nature and love corps is kinda ridiculous. I agree that humans generally are far too friendly to capitalism but recognizing, firstly, what's present in the environment and secondly, threats present in the environment are important parts of human development. 80% of USians live in urban areas. I doubt this number is that much lower anywhere else the creator of that image would be complaining about. Which has more representation in urban areas: corporate logos or species of plants? Which is easier to learn the name of? (Hint: the pic in the OP shows numerous logos with company names in them)
I'm imagining a person comes by spraying herbicide and this person's upset that I know the brand of the sprayer better than the plants that don't grow where it goes.
I don't believe the average person knows only 10 plants.
I bet most people know these, which are all flowers:
Sunflower Rose Lily Dandelion Tulip Daffodil Daisy Peony Buttercup Poppy
Once you add in trees, vegetables, and other common plants, the average person probably knows hundreds.
That being said, I do agree with the spirit of this post.
And show plants with their fruits and it's dozens more
Plants can be hard to ID. Of the many varieties of oak around here I can only identify 2 for certain. I studied forestry and botany in college, spend more time outside that most, still can't tell you what most of the wild plants are around here.
I struggle with Bur oak vs white oak. Red oak is easier to identify if you wait until fall.
Plant ID is tough for sure. It's also one of those skills if you don't use, you lose it quickly.
Moss specialist are neurotic for good reason
No, the problem is the system that demands profit above all and at all cost, which has created trillion dollar industries to make and sell us shit we don't need, that might even be killing us, and is definitely destroying our current, habitable, environment, to feed it. Recognising the symbols we are bombarded with every day is one of the least significant of many symptoms of the problem.
How can we protect something we don't understand and don't value?
I'm not sure I agree with the concept that if you don't understand something you don't value it. Someone can value a walk in the park without understanding the names of the various plants etc. Don't conflate accidental ignorance with willful ignorance.
I'm talking about nature in that regard, not just plants
It's almost like we just remember stuff associated with foods we prefer?
...kinda just like we're supposed to do. It's like it's a natural thing we do or something.
Not that hard to figure out, and in this case pretending it's wrong or misaligned with our objectives (to grab the right foods we like) is the incorrect position to take.
Of course we recognize the signs of resources we're after. We're humans, we adapt in order to gain and prosper.
Absolutely, but the point remains that we are tragically disconnected with nature. Yes, you no longer need to know that willow bark can alleviate pain, but we don't value nature as essential to our survival and therefore must manage it. Instead it is a resource to be exploited.
Yes, willow bark is considered to alleviate pain because it contains salicylic acid, an ingredient in pain killers which I'm assuming would need a two part extraction process (because it's an acid) probably using a solvant than something more base, then some evaporation...
...but your argument is underdeveloped. Why would it not be exploitation if I did this chemical extraction process, but would be exploitation when someone else does it? What are your conditions that define it as exploitation? What are the constraints or qualifiers that make it exploitative?
Also, why assume that people don't know this stuff? Some people no doubt do. How else would we be exploiting it?
No
Speak for yourself.