“There is a teaching that is found within many indigenous cultures that talks about the Seven generations, the need to consider our impacts on each other, on our environment, and for those faces who have yet to come.”
Except for materials created in modern society, nature has always been able to break down materials. As mentioned in the Human Vitality Principle, many of materials used in the built environment carry negative health implications. Seeing as nature metabolizes what we leave behind, the illnesses from these materials will also be passed down to the people and environment of future generations. (McLennan, 2004)
“Nature operates according to a system of nutrients and metabolisms in where there is no such thing as waste.”
The life we have been privileged enough to enjoy on earth will likely change dramatically in the century to come. The United Nations issued a report May 6, 2019, stating that 1 million species are at risk of extinction, largely because we are eviscerating their habitats by removing their homes, food or poisoning their water, to meet our own goals. (Trompiz, 2019) This not only impacts the landscape of the planet we know and love, but it will threaten our quality of life, our food security, and most certainly the economy, expecting to shrink America’s GDP by 10%. (Irwin, 2019)
This principle seeks to teach and learn from the 7 generations we share our lives on earth with, from our great-grandparents to our great-grandchildren. It goes beyond the desire for adequate disposal methods. Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart wrote a book, Cradle to Cradle, that explores the concept of regenerative design, the reusability of materials as new resources, and understands that much of what is manufactured today is designed without consideration for its degradability. (McLennan, 2004)
I aim to abide by this principle by prioritizing products and materials that employ the closed-loop model for materials, making new products out of waste materials, and referring to a product’s Life Cycle Assessment. I also will aim to restore as much as possible, and design with the awareness that I am responsible for what I leave behind.
“ Waste = Food”