The continuing importance of maximum power

Of the many extremely ingenious, powerful and, yes, frustrating concepts and approaches that Howard Odum left us, the one with the most power to change how we understand the Earth, was that of maximum power. This theoretical framework, has subverted how most of his students and colleagues think about systems in general, transformed the way we think about ecosystems, natural selection, and even our environmental and general politics. The concept has not always been a comfortable one, but it is an exceedingly exciting and commanding one … and therein lies its interest. For most of us who have been exposed to it in some detail, there is no doubt as to its veracity [Maximum Power: The Ideas and Applications of H.T. Odum, University Press of Colorado, Niwot]. What remains to be answered, however, is just how wide is its net?