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Sustainable Development Series:
The Archeology of Redesigning the Future
by Visionaries of Today
by Waterose
The quintessential message of the film "Ecological Design and Inventing the Future" is that we need to rethink and redesign our "mechanical" paradigm and change it to a "living systems" paradigm (Danitz, 1994). A regenerative design incorporates partnerships with other lifeforms and merges living systems with non-living components. This replaces mechanical machines with living machines.
The traditional architecture paradigm designs buildings as objects separate from the environment. An archological design, architecture plus ecology, creates buildings with metabolisms; the waste from one living system becoming the energy source for another living system, both being integral components of the structure. This is the foundation of a new paradigm for community living with the environment in a holistic approach.
Conversely, the industrial paradigm is more consumptive than holistic. The mechanical paradigm and the meaning of wealth were created by the invention of first and second order machines (Whatmough, 1976). First order machines extend the human capability to do work, and second order machines compound that function to a level where second order machines consume more value than they produce. The industrial age produced an endless stream of assembly line goods and transformed our value system and the perception of wealth by creating the illusion that happiness is the ownership of more goods. Coupled with this gross materialistic consumerism, is the theory of economics that purports the ownership of money is, in itself, a measure of wealth.
The consequence of this value system is the growing dichotomy between human economics and the environment. More and more of the Earth’s resources are needed to sustain humans. Hence, the ecological footprint increases, leaving less for future generations (Reese, 1998). The nature of the future must be rethought and redesigned to reduce this ecological footprint.
The creators of the future are visionaries; these are people whom express ideas that are contrary to the paradigms of their day. One such visionary was Buckminster Fuller, nicknamed Bucky, who designed the "Dimaxion Car" and the "Dimaxion Self-Supporting House" decades ago, neither of which were successful then. It was not until the 1990’s that the self-supporting home, with its’ own metabolism, became a reality for visionary John Todd, who re-designed the bioshelter. Now, living bioshelters use soft energy systems and natural energy pathways which is contrary to the traditional hard energy consumption of resources and fossil fuels.
Bucky’s vision for transportation of the future and the replacement of the internal combustion engine has also been realised by modern visionaries. Some examples include developments in ethanol, solar, and hydrogen powered transportation. Paul Howard is heralded as toady’s visionary for hydrogen energy in the future by the creation of the Ballard Fuel Cell that can be used for transportation, laptop computers, and entire communities (Howard, 1998).
The ultimate example of an integrated community solution featured in the film, was the program implemented in Curiteba, Brazil. The solutions envisioned by the community leader were simple: use the car less and sort the garbage. "To not do these things is negligent." The citizens were paid food and transit tickets by the city for their sorted garbage; a simple solution by a man of vision.
Visionaries today are rethinking the quintessential goals to redesign the archeology of the future and create a future of living systems.
References:
Written for Royal Roads University ES401 Sustainability Lecture Series: Human Health and the EnvironmentDanitz, B. and Tzelovanikov. 1994. Film. Ecological Design: Inventing the Future. Film West Associations. Kelowna, BC.
Howard, P. June 2, 1998. "The Ballard Fuel Cell." ES401 Seminar Lecture Series. Royal Roads University. Victoria,BC.
Reese, B. Dr. R. May 11, 1998. "The Ecological Footprint." ES401 Seminar Lecture Series. Royal Roads University. Victoria, BC.
Whatmough, G.A. 1996. "What is Wealth?" in Living with the Earth: An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy. Ed. by K.A. Peacock. Harcourt Brace. Toronto, Ont. Pp. 352-368.
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