ABSTRACT
The character and possibilities of life cannot be properly appreciated without a working knowledge of the ways of energy. Life is one outcome of the energy evolution that followed the Big Bang. Life was a latecomer, appearing on Earth around 3.75 billion years ago. As sentient, consciously aware, self-centered, brainy creatures, we humans are inclined to assign prime importance to life’s emergence on Earth. For the moment, we are left with the idea that all life units are packets of energy. A complementary, parallel view of life as energy has been favored by two other experienced research scholars. The central message to business is simple: heed life. Remarkably, each ecosystem component contributes in one way or another to the perpetuation of collective life inside the system. In addition to being a collection of living organisms, ecosystems are a prime source and processor of energy. Modern business corporations are, shall we say, up to their necks in ecosystem life.
