visitor's blog Academia Engelberg 2012 (2)

a planet of monocultures

Infinite mobility & communication technology brought forth a global lifestyle concept.

Only the global is conceived as modern.

Many aspects of life have therefore become

global phenomena:

All this results in a planet of monocultures. Not only monocultures in agriculture, but also in architecture in consumption, in mindset, in knowledge etc.

How can “biodiversity” be brought back to global knowledge? What kind of “renaturation” procedure might be applied?

Research on locally based technologies should be promoted and discussed internationally.

“Bio-diverse knowledge” is humanity’s richness and generates inexhaustible creativity.

globalized spectacles…

globalized energy…

Cities attract global interest.

In the media, we find special reports on every aspect of a megacity. Ultra-modern skyscrapers are as popular as slums.

In 1878, A. Mouchot presented a solar steam-engine with a concave mirror of a diameter of 5 m. It was used to cool down a freezer.

In the late 19th century people believed in the future of the petrol engine. Even though alternatives existed, they didn’t catch on.

In 2011, total world oil production amounted to approximately 87 million barrels per day.

© Alexei Talimonov

Research on petrol engines, however, was more popular and solar energy was out of fashion for a long time. But fossil energy is finite energy, therefore we face an increasing fuel crisis.

© Alexei Talimonov

And everyone has the same accessory... Global lifestyle or "Mono (thing)-culture"

independent of origin everyone is sent to the same home, the "global village"

source: http://www.eia.gov/countries/regions-topics.cfm?fips=WOTC

© Alexei Talimonov

Most of the energy we gain is far from being clean energy...

globalized architecture…

© Alexei Talimonov

All over the world, modern city buildings

are made of concrete, steel and glass – independent of circumstances such as climate, location, local materials, and energy supply, resulting in a "copy & paste urbanism". Nearly 90% of the world’s demand for concrete comes form developing countries.

© Alexei Talimonov

Hence, humanity says goodbye to biodiversity...

... which might be an error

Even human biodiversity is in danger of extinction

© Michael Wolf

globalized food…

wheat, rice and maize,

the three dominating crop plants

On Earth grow more than 50’000 edible plants. Just three of them, namely rice, maize, and wheat, provide 60% of the world’s food intake.

They have always been important crop plants, but used to be one of many plants growing in the fields.

Today, wheat and maize are planted in huge monocultures.

© prospecierara.ch

As much as farm animals and crop plants are preserved against extinction,

Local material and local knowledge should be preserved against extinction, too.

photo credit Nasa / Goddard Space Flight Center / Reto Stöckli

globalized waste…

Ocan currents transport plastic waste over thou-sands of miles. The trash accumulates in gyres.

An example of global waste are the plastic islands in the oceans mentioned several times during the conference. One of these islands, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is estimated to comprise up to 100 million tons of garbage.

Vast areas are covered with plastic garbage.

globalized information…

Internet made it possible.

Animals eat plastic and die.

All plastic once produced is still present any-where on Earth, because it does not degrade.

© Alexei Talimonov

The next generation needs to be taught about sustainable development.

Humans' waste may be reborn, too.

© Stuart McMillen

Nature tells us, how to build up a diverse and sustainable environment.

First of all, biodiversity needs space to develop.

© Alexei Talimonov

This planet is their future!

How shall we cultivate biodiversity on our urban monoculture-planet?

© markus-grolik

© Alexei Talimonov

How do we understand progress?