Why Biomimicry - The Big Picture Part 2
THE BIG PICTURE - SYSTEM DESIGN
“Consider this: all the ants on the planet, taken together, have a biomass greater than that of humans. Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Human industry has been in full swing for little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do. ” ― William McDonough, Michael Braungart
The cause of most of the systemic problems of our planet do not lie within overpopulation, as is often expressed. Although the size of the population may be an accelerator pedal on the systemic problems, the cause is in fact the design of the systems themselves and the paradigms behind them.
“None of the world’s top industries would be profitable if they paid for the natural capital they use” is the title of a Grist article in 2013. This is based on a report written by environmental consultancy Trucost on behalf of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) program sponsored by United Nations Environmental Program.
THE ROOT CAUSE
If we want to get to the heart of the sustainability challenges affecting the world today, we need to get to the heart of what drives the systems of our planet: our economic theory (& the paradigms behind them).
In her book on Donut Economics and in her TED Talk in April 2018, British economist, Kate Raworth explains the need for 21st Century Economics. Twentieth-century economics drives growth at all costs, yet a system that continues to grow while depleting its host is by biological definition, a cancer.
“Humanity's 21st century challenge is clear: to meet the needs of all people within the means of this extraordinary, unique, living planet so that we and the rest of nature can thrive. So this double-sided challenge invites a new shape of progress, no longer this ever-rising line of growth, but a sweet spot for humanity, thriving in dynamic balance between the (social) foundation and the (ecological) ceiling... We need economies that are regenerative and distributive by design." - Kate Raworth
WHAT IF ECONOMIES FUNCTIONED LIKE FORESTS?
Essentially what Kate Raworth puts forward, is that we need to emulate biological systems. Ecosystems like forests continue to grow and develop while regenerating the system and distributing value across the whole system.
So, BIOMIMICRY - will also be at the heart of the shift of our economic theory to fit within the context of the 21st Century and to be well-adapted to planet Earth. All the businesses and financial institutions, and all the industry, commerce, and other systems that are based upon economic theory - pretty much everything really - will need an understanding of how to translate the regenerative and distributed principles (inherent within the natural world), into these applications.
In summary, There is a definite need for transformative innovation within our economic systems and all the systems that depend on this. It is clear that there are proven strategies within the natural world for how to achieve the kind of transformation we need. Biomimicry is the skill that enables us to both learn from these winning strategies and translate them into the design of not only products and processes, but also the design of the economic system that underpins and drives the design of our world.
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The contents of these biomimicry courses will equip you with the big picture understanding (Why Biomimicry), the practical skill-set (How Biomimicry and Life's Principles) and a new way of thinking to solve the core challenges of our time, so you can lead this kind of transformative innovation within your work and within your world (Biomimicry Masterclass).
