Chemicals: Villains of the Natural World...or Not

Recently, something fascinating was brought to my attention by a speaker on biomimicry. Interested in what that means? Read on to learn more...

There is a common misconception. This misconception is that chemicals are man-made hazards that pollute and threaten an otherwise chemical-free natural world.

Chemical [kem-i-kuh l] (noun)
1. a substance produced by or used in a chemical process.
2. of or relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry

Chemistry? Remember chemistry class? The science class that tried to teach you about the structure and property of substances and the changes they go through. And the Periodic Table of the Elements! Everyone knows that. But most of those elements didn't seem so evil...Carbon, Oxygen...the building blocks of life are contained in that colorful table.

So maybe chemicals aren't pure evil. Certainly combinations of them can be harmful to the health of living things - but chemicals are the building blocks of everything - natural and not.

There is this perception that the word "chemical" is evil, yet nature offers some incredible natural chemical solutions to very real world problems. Seashells inspiring self-assembling in nanotechnology. Plants inspiring biodegradable plastics made from CO2. Peacocks and butterflies inspiring color with light instead of pigments.

If we are going to truly understand chemistry enough to make real change - we need to stop villainizing chemicals and look to understand them instead. Biologists are being invited to the design table. Taking inspiration from nature to design for a sustainable future.

"Learning about the natural world is one thing. Learning from the natural world, that's the switch. That's the profound switch." -Janine Beynus, Biomimicry
Learn more at biomimicry.net
http://biomimicry.net/inspiring/

The Super Coolest Thing Ever

Remember to step back and appreciate the grandeur of what you do.

Recently attending a conference by Textile Exchange in Portland, Oregon, I listened to an amazing Nike bigwig - Adam - talk about the merits of sustainability at Nike. But Adam also brought up a point that was too good to not share.

He told a story where he was on the plane. The guy next to him was reading an article in a magazine about Nike releasing garments made from recycled water bottles. Thrusting the magazine into Adam's face, his eager neighbor exclaimed, "Have you heard about this bro? Water bottles into clothing?? That is the super coolest thing ever!"

At this point, Nike had been working on textiles from recycled water bottles for several years. Adam had been integral in this process, dealing with the growing pains of whether 50% waste or 20% waste was enough of a hurdle - or if zero waste was the only acceptable option. Hours and years of struggles with this a topic inspired less than a "just do it" feeling in the pit of Adam's stomach.

A little put off by his seat-buddy's overzealous introduction and feeling unamused with the subject, Adam leaned forward to respond when words suddenly hit him a little deeper -

That is the super coolest thing ever.

He thought: We make clothing out of water bottles. Something that didn't exist not too long ago. We found a way to recycle something hard on the environment and creating waste in our world. We are making a difference.

"You know what?" Adam conceded happily, "you're right. That is the super coolest thing ever."

This simple anecdote reminded me of how often when we work so hard towards a goal, churning on the problems and obstacles standing in our way for too long, we lose sight of how amazing and important the work we are doing really is. When you are feeling frustrated by minimal progress, staunch opposition, or just being stuck - let's step back and give our journey a chance to speak for itself.

The work we do is important - it will take years, many people, and lots of energy to take the little steps that eventually carry us over the finish line. The work we do is not easy - but the struggle makes us stronger and teaches us lessons for a better future. And, who knows? The work we do, when shown to an outsider - say, an excited dude on a place - might just be the super coolest thing ever.

Find out more about Nike uniforms made from discarded water bottles: http://www.ecouterre.com/nike-outfits-world-cup-teams-in-jerseys-made-from-recycled-bottles/
http://www.ecouterre.com/watch-how-nike-recycles-plastic-water-bottles-into-football-jerseys-video/

Once you know, why do we convince ourselves otherwise?

I have gone back and been reading my old sustainability books.  The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist by Ray Anderson, and others.  And I read their observations on our impacts of business and human existence on the planet and am shocked by what we are doing.
But I have read these books before, I knew these impacts years ago, why does it keep shocking me?  I think in part because of the life I live I am quite removed from the visual impact of 2,562 tons of solid waste in a year from one company.  There are thousands of companies across the world, of course of various sizes, but we don't see all of the numbers added up together in daily life.

So while I know that driving my car, using water, gas, and creating waste are things I do on a small scale every day - what if I were to see this as a sum?  All totalled up would I see my impact differently and make the needed changes?
I think this would help dramatically - as I don't think it is a big deal to use my little Toyota Matrix every day for trips under 20 miles.  Heck it isn't like I am commuting 60 miles in an SUV?  But that there is the piece we have to be wary of, we can justify ourselves of anything.  And guess what - my lifestyle, my consumption, the waste I generate all have a place in that adding up of the world's impact.

What activists are trying to get at, is for ALL of us to think about the details of our impacts and make improvements.  It isn't about doing less so others can do more... it is about taking that responsibility and saying my life is adding to a really big number of global impacts and what can I do to lessen that.