learning from nature

The next stage of human economy will parallel what we are beginning to understand about nature. It will call for the gifts of each of us; it will emphasize cooperation over competition; it will encourage circulation over hoarding; and it will be cyclical, not linear. Money may not disappear anytime soon, but it will serve a diminished role even as... See more

And there are consistent patterns that emerge from observing other organisms—winning strategies for thriving that are nearly ever-present across the Tree of Life. The Biomimicry Institute outlined a number of them in what they call Life’s Principles. There are 27 in total, but I’ll give you a taste with their six overarching principles: 1. Evolve... See more

This planet is tended by innumerable invisible hands. When progress feels undetectable, I remind myself that much of life plays out on unseen stages. We must all tend to our inner gardens, as well as the gardens that we are but one small part of. To be human today is to exist at many scales at once, stories we can grasp and ones much larger than... See more

In the natural world, nothing goes to waste. Matter constantly decomposes and reconstitutes in new shapes, serving new purposes. We have much to learn from this continuum of transmutation in human societies, where we throw “away” our waste to some invisible hereafter, rather than accept the truth: it remains.

As Janine explained, that is our design challenge—to realign ourselves with life’s genius. And there’s a word for that practice: biomimicry.