Janine Benyus believes if an item “can’t be found in nature, there is probably a reason for it” (Northwest Institute). Benyus believes humans can create positive change upon the environment through the concept of biomimicry in which we imitate the designs of nature.
If you stand back and look at the room you are currently standing in ask yourself, “are any of the objects in this room found in nature?" Many of the objects we encounter in our daily lives are altered by man. The wooden floor you stand on is coated by a man-made varnish. The walls that surround you are made of drywall and insulation. The bed you sleep in may have a blanket made from cotton, an ingredient naturally found in nature. However, read the label. Is the blanket all cotton or a cotton acrylic blend?
Most of our surroundings being man-made has two major consequences. First, by surrounding ourselves with all man-made products we are inevitably creating a barrier between us and nature. The separation between “inside” and “outside” becomes that much greater. If our minds are no longer connected to nature then our consciences and moral responsibility to care for our environment will dissipate as well.
Second, if any object is not naturally created there is no natural “sink” or in this case no “garbage” for the object to return to at the end of its use. By creating anthropogenic materials we are literally displacing millions of items that can never be fully absorbed back into the environment.
Our planet is a mastermind. The earth has a remarkable way of recycling all of nature and its processes. Unfortunately, the earth was not built to recycle all of our manufactured goods.
We must reduce our consumption of synthetic materials in order to reduce our waste. The earth was not built to be one huge garbage container and we can no longer treat it as one.
Tara Byrne
No comments:
Post a Comment