We change things. It's what people do. We've been changing things for thousands of years. Take for example, as Steven Johnson explains, in the mid-1800's we used jack-screws to lift Chicago up so we could lay a sewage system that would drain. Really, 150-years-ago we jacked-up a city?
It has reached the point where some are arguing we have changed the world so much we've created our own geological epoch - the anthropocene. Nonetheless, practically, we have a hard time acknowledging the scope of the changes we've made.
As a result, we live in an accidental anthropocene - it started while we weren't paying attention and has continued to a point where we've been actively denying it. The challenge now and for coming generations is not to stop change (after all, it is what we do), but to embrace and take responsibility for the change we make -- to move from an accidental to an intentional anthropocene.
Regenerative innovation gives us a framework for realizing this intentionality - we are not only going to change the world, we will take responsibility for making it better. Like, wondering where the sewage from those new pipes will end up...
Material intensity continues to fall dramatically. In the U.S., the amount of resources extracted per dollar of GDP has decreased by nearly 75% over the past 90 years.
... we can grow plants anywhere in our cities and we need to consider plants as living infrastructure and integrated systems that include walls, roofs, façades, planter boxes as well as trees and other types of deep ground planting.
As our desire for reviving downtrodden urban areas into modern places for natural commune only continues to grow, take a peek at some of the coolest projects currently in development throughout the U.S.
We are very early in the process of defining what it means to build a regenerative economy (and the terminology may continue to evolve). But we're convinced it is directionally correct. Now we are studying, testing, and building interest, support, and resources.
Thus this newsletter, which will come out weekly with brief observations and links to related materials exploring innovation and the regenerative economy. With effort, and a bit of luck, we hope support for these concepts becomes a wave sweeping the world!
If you find this email valuable, please share with a friend. If you don't, please unsubscribe (link at the bottom.) We also much appreciate comments, advice, and suggestions for links to highlight.
Thanks.
Dave
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