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The Design Pathway for Regenerating Earth


Synopsis


Humanity is confronted with threats unprecedented in the history of our species. There is an urgent need to describe the "how" for managing the convergent threats of ecological overshoot and civilization collapse. This book offers a clear and cogent pathway for safeguarding humanity's future through an extended period of cascading consequences.

To a great extent, the rest of our lives will be defined by how those who understand our global predicament organize and cooperate with one other. We are in the midst of a planetary change process that extends far beyond a human lifetime. Most of us experience a kind of intergenerational amnesia-having never seen an intact ecosystem or a healthy human economy at any point in our lives. How can we design our way through the struggles that now lie ahead?

We design by embracing the fundamental insight that all living systems self-organize around the patterns of regeneration. Applied to the scale of entire landscapes, this reveals how all truly sustainable human cultures throughout history were organized at the territorial scale as bioregional economies. A planet-wide network of learning ecosystems is needed that can hold the complexity of birthing these regenerative bioregions during and after the rest of the collapse that we were all born into.

This book offers genuine hope. There truly is a pathway to regenerate the Earth. It is not to be found in the shallow optimism of techno-fixes or consumer choices. Nothing short of a spiritual revival of indigenous lifeways will do. Combined with the best scientific knowledge about human behavior, cultural evolution, and the dynamic Earth; a path can be made by walking it throughout the rest of this century and beyond. 

Joe Brewer

Summary

Chapter 1: Rethinking the Earth as a Living System

* The Earth is a complex system that is constantly changing.
* Humans have had a major impact on the Earth's systems, often in negative ways.
* We need to rethink our relationship with the Earth and develop new ways to live in harmony with it.
* Real example: The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed at an alarming rate due to human activities such as logging, mining, and agriculture. This is having a devastating impact on the rainforest's ecosystem, which is home to a vast array of plant and animal species.

Chapter 2: The Principles of Regenerative Design

* Regenerative design is a design philosophy that seeks to create systems that are restorative and self-sustaining.
* Regenerative design principles include:
* Working with nature rather than against it.
* Using renewable resources.
* Creating systems that are adaptable and resilient.
* Real example: The Biosphere 2 project was an ambitious attempt to create a closed ecological system that could sustain human life. However, the project was ultimately unsuccessful because the designers did not fully understand the complexity of the Earth's ecosystems.

Chapter 3: Applying Regenerative Design to the Built Environment

* Regenerative design can be applied to all aspects of the built environment, including buildings, landscapes, cities, and infrastructure.
* Some examples of regenerative design in the built environment include:
* Green buildings that use sustainable materials and energy sources.
* Permaculture gardens that are designed to mimic natural ecosystems.
* Bioremediation projects that use plants to clean up contaminated soil and water.
* Real example: The Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, is a series of biomes that recreate different rainforest ecosystems. The project is designed to educate visitors about the importance of rainforests and to promote sustainable living.

Chapter 4: Regenerating Social and Economic Systems

* Regenerative design principles can also be applied to social and economic systems.
* Some examples of regenerative social and economic systems include:
* Cooperative businesses that are owned and managed by their workers.
* Community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs that connect farmers with consumers.
* Transition towns that are working to become more sustainable and resilient.
* Real example: The Mondragon Corporation is a worker-owned cooperative that is one of the largest companies in Spain. Mondragon has a strong commitment to social and environmental sustainability, and it has been ranked as one of the world's best companies to work for.

Chapter 5: The Future of Regenerative Design

* Regenerative design is a promising approach to creating a more sustainable and just world.
* The future of regenerative design is bright, and there is a growing movement of people and organizations working to apply these principles to all aspects of our lives.
* Real example: The Global Ecovillage Network is a network of intentional communities that are working to create sustainable and regenerative societies. The network has over 500 member communities in over 100 countries.

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