Over the course of the semester, I have researched biomimicry and its place in society and sustainable development. Through this research, I have developed a better understanding of the conversation surrounding sustainable design strategies like biomimicry andTitle: Biomimicry on Behance their potential impacts (both positive and negative). 

Below is a list of topics related to biomimicry that I have explored:

  • The foundations and evolution of biomimicry from sustainable indigenous practices to Janine Benyus and the BiomimicryInstitue.
  • Biomimicry’s design principles and marketability.
  • Popular examples of biomimicry across industries including construction, transportation, art, agriculture, fashion, engineering, health care, and beyond.
  • The conversation surrounding biomimicry in the community, at the collegiate level, and in academic scholarship.
  • Biomimicry’s contribution to creating a more circular economy and more resilient socio-environmental systems. 

As my understanding of the subject evolved, so did my ability to reflect on my research. This reflection has occurred on both the individual and collective levels. Conversations with Lafayette faculty and students, Easton community members, friends, and sustainable leaders have contributed to my learning throughout the semester.

So… after almost four months of research, discussions, and writeups, this is what I have learned:

Biomimicry is a design method in which inspiration is sourced from nonhuman nature to develop more sustainable innovations. There are thousands of examples of how this has already been done across industries. Some more recent examples include mimicking bacteria-repellent shark skin on materials in hospitals, designing sustainable fashion with pigments found in nature, and wind turbines modeled after whale flippers. The fact that Earth and many of its inhabitants have 3.8 billion years of R&D in maintaining resilient sustainable systems is often used as a selling point for why we should look to nonhuman nature before ourselves. Biomimicry creates an opportunity for engineers, policymakers, influencers, scientists, educators, artists, and innovators to design a more bioinclusive world that runs on cyclical systems.  This potential can only be met if accompanied by reflection and intention.

In my research and reflection, I have found some barriers that prevent biomimicry from achieving its greatest potential. Below, I will identify these barriers and some possible solutions for ensuring the Biomimicry Movement is one of inclusion, diversity, and biosynergistic values.  

Firstly, biomimicry is often talked about in a way that makes it seem new. Biomimicry’s practices and design ethos are nowhere near new! Indigenous people have been taking inspiration from their surroundings for centuries. They embody sustainable practices in the ways that they shape the land and their communities. For a long time, rich Western societies (i.e. ‘Merica) have shunned these practices as being uneconomical, passive, and even lazy! Of course, their attempt at creating a high-profiting, active, and modern society actually created a divided, capitalistic, exploitative, and degrative society. Ironically, the same practices that were laughed at for being too simple-minded are now in high demand across industries because the world is counting on them. 

Biomimicry is in danger of becoming another new mechanism of exploiting the environment and communities if it does not first acknowledge the indigenous people who intuitively work alongside nature rather than against it.  For example, the Biomimicry Institute’s main website does not make any recognitions of biomimicry’s relationship to the practices of indigenous people. This can lead to false assumptions that biomimicry is a new design technique and originated around the time Janine Benyus’s published her 1997 book “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature”. In other words, it can easily be assumed that biomimicry was founded by white people in a society dominated by white people. I think the issue is obvious here. We need to give space and recognition to those that appreciate nature’s innate value, the way biomimetics are now trying to do. This needs to be addressed everywhere but especially, through the mainstream platforms that receive the most attention. For example, the Biomimicry Institute should have a resource tab that identifies biomimicry’s connection to indigenous practices and the indigenous peoples and people of color that are driving sustainable change in their communities and around the world. Soul Fire Farm and Afros in Nature are two of many great organizations that should be included here. Basically, the connection between biomimicry and indigenous practices should be a much more obvious one. It should not take four months of research for an independent study for an individual to underscore this connection. 

On the same note, the anthropocentric mindset that identifies success in terms of the newness, efficiency, and monetary value of innovation is not absent from the biomimicry movement. In fact, it encourages new innovation. The Biomimicry Institute was established to inspire innovators to develop nature-inspired designs. This encouragement for new innovation can contribute to society’s fixation on developing things even if they are excessive and unneeded. Don’t get me wrong, if a new innovation will address public health issues, inequitable access to resources, adverse impacts from extreme weather events, GHG emissions and the like, than of course it is better to design it sustainably. The point here is that some things may not need to be designed at all. The constant push for new innovations perpetuates the habits of consumerism that are foundational to the economy. One of the most applicable takeaways from my Engineering Studies capstone was the idea of “is versus ought”. In other words, just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should do it. It is vital that we take a step back to recognize where we are, what we have around us, and what needs to be addressed first before developing new products and services that feed into our anthropocentric and capitalistic systems.

Additionally, it is important to implement fixes at all levels, not just the receiving end. It is essential to recognize the roots of the issues biomimicry is attempting to address. The Landis Center for Community Engagement at Lafayette College, whom I have been very involved with, calls attention to this issue through a parable about babies in a river (see below). [1]

Whether it be babies, plastic, or oil floating down the river, we cannot only address them as we see them. We must also search for where they are coming from and address them upstream. Unsustainable design and innovation stem from a long history of capitalism and systemic racism. We ensure lasting sustainable impact if we do not radically change the systems in which they are being implemented. I think fashion is a good example of this. There are some popular biomimicry examples of how plants are inspiring fashion that can decompose. This is great! Clothes that can return to Earth when decomposed is far better than the clothes that are piled high in landfills! However, addressing the fact that our economy incentivizes fast fashion that exploits individuals in foreign countries, mainstream media promotes new trends on a regular basis, and that popular clothing brands can up their prices just because of their label. The inequities and exploitative nature of the fashion industry parallel that of every other industry. 

The good news- change is already happening and everyone can be a part of it. There are some brands and organizations that are working to establish a more circular economy that incentivizes regenerative, equitable, and sustainable systems. Individuals that have the financial ability to purchase from these brands and support these organizations, should! The “reduce, reuse, recycle” mindset is not just for plastics. It is just as applicable to the fashion industry, and everyone should work to adopt the mindset. We also need to continue to push for policy change that supports sustainability over short-term economic benefits. Lastly, we need to continue to educate and raise awareness of these issues. In sticking with the fashion example, documentaries that raise awareness of the exploitative nature of the fashion industry like “The True Cost” should be more accessible so that individuals that have the power to choose can be making an informed choice. Not everyone has the power to choose and it is our industrialized, linear economy that prevents individuals from gaining the autonomy of choice. Complacency fixes will not drive the change that our society and Earth desperately need. A mindset shift, policy change, and education at all levels are crucial to ensuring an enduring sustainable future. 

Biomimicry has a lot to offer. Biomimetics, like Janine Benyus, have the right idea. Both have already influenced a shift towards regenerative systems and a circular economy. To summarize, my research this semester has revealed some areas the biomimicry

 movement can improve on to have an even greater impact:

  1. Create space to recognize and learn from indigenous communities and persons of color that have historically and continue to embody the synergistic, respectful, and appreciative relationship with the Earth and its many inhabitants. 
  2. Ensure that biomimicry is accessible to all communities (especially those marginalized) to empower change at all levels. Sustainable initiatives cannot be truly successful if it is not equally focused on justice (“Storytelling & Justice” blog post).
  3. In ensuring equity and giving recognition where it is due, we must also hold those accountable that have been able to skirt unjust policies and a capitalist economy. We must push for policies that mandate those with privilege and power to pay for the external costs of harming the environment and people. 
  4. Biomimicry can provide hope for more sustainable innovations, but this hope must not be confused with comfort. We are still on the clock. The issues become more urgent by the second. Through earnest action, we must continue to educate and empower individuals to choose sustainability and justice over ease of access. 
  5. Don’t just take my word or Janine Benyus’s word. Do your own research, take your own positions, but continue to take action!

I have learned a great deal through this independent study. Possibly most valuable, I have developed a new way of thinking about our relationship with the environment. I have been impressed by nature’s ingenious that can inspire sustainable change in human development. I feel much more

 appreciative of the complex nature of our soil, trees, ants, bees, termites, whales, and leaves. In many ways, my experience with biomimicry has been aligned with the intentions of the Biomimicry Institute and Janine Benyus. However, I have had the privilege to look beyond the obvious entities. I have been able to contextualize the ethos and praxis of biomimicry to be more than a design method. Having a deep appreciation for our surrounding environment and the interconnected systems that bind humanity with the natural world is more than a mindset. It’s a way of life. 

It is naive to believe that we are separate or above the living organisms and Earth that surrounds us. We are ingrained in a system that is far greater than we could ever understand. Humans have great power and choice in this system. The capacity to extract, dominate, and destroy does not outweigh our ability to collaborate, reason, and respect. We have a choice and must choose wisely for ALL our livelihoods depend on it!

 

References:

  1. “The Parable of the River” accessed through the Lafayette Landis Center: landiscenter.lafayette.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/69/2015/01/SaveBabies.pdf
  2. “Biomimicry” by Doug Panton: behance.net/gallery/55522609/Title-Biomimicry