Humans have spent far too much time thinking about themselves as being separate and superior to Earth’s natural systems. As a society, we have developed the harmful habit of acting first and asking questions later. There are endless examples of ways humans have manipulated the environment for capitalist gain contributing to the interconnected climate, environmental, and social crises felt today. We are now at a crucial turning point in our story. Fortunately, most of society understands the dire need for immediate action to mitigate and avert the impacts of climate change. Once the urgency of these issues is grasped, however, the next steps often seem insurmountable. This is where biomimicry and hope come into play. 

Biomimicry is the practice of learning from nature and mimicking its sustainable and cycle-driven methods in modern-day innovation. This practice is not new but has evolved over time to become more inclusive and sustainability-focused. Janine Benyus, a biologist, author, and innovation consultant, has been at the forefront of this evolution with her 1997 book “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature” paving the way for a new era of innovation and design. Benyus defines biomimicry as the “conscious emulation of life’s genius”. In other words, intently and respectfully learning from living organisms and applying that research to present-day challenges. To do this, we must first recognize that Earth has 3.8 billion years of R&D to back itself up. Earth does not know “waste”, “greed”, or “excess”. With this research, ecosystems have found sustainable ways to thrive with finite resources. Lucky for us, there are 3.8 billion years of untapped potential at our fingertips to help us change the story of climate change through biomimicked innovation and design. 

Over the next couple of months, I will do a bit of my own R&D to understand the evolution of biomimicry, investigate thousands of diverse biomimicry examples, gain insight into the ethics and impacts of such design, and find hope in the expansive knowledge of our humble surroundings. I will share my findings here so you too can experience the exciting field of biomimicry. 

References:

  1. “The Biomimicry Toolbox” webpage accessed through the Biomimicry Institute: toolbox.biomimicry.org/introduction/ 
  2. “What is Biomimicry” webpage accessed through the Biomimicry Institute: biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/
  3. “Biomimicry: when nature inspires design” by Christian Benjumea (2020): medium.com/@cbenjumeaulfsparre/biomimicry-when-nature-inspires-design-2e3deef75618 [image]