Today is Earth Day… Let Biophilia Be Our Guide
Since today is Earth Day, I thought I’d share this quaint and beautifully animated short video called Biophilia, narrated by Geraldine Somerville of Harry Potter fame, which I found on So It Goes magazine, my new favorite destination for inspiration.
Biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, Biophilia (1984) where he defines Biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life” and I just wonder why there is even a question otherwise.
When we embrace Biophilia, we can regenerate eco systems, we can tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, food and water scarcity, these are not JUST environmental problems, they are HUMAN problems. Earth Day is Every Day we share this planet with other beings. Our bond with nature & love for life helps sustain life.
Biophilia Animation from So It Goes on Vimeo.
I’m saddened by the news and stories lately regarding the near extinction of Rhinos due to poachers and simultaneously cheer and sob every time Ricky Gervais posts another photo of a wretched human laying next to a majestic animal he or she has just murdered. These horrific stories need to be shared so that we know what’s going on and can somehow figure out how to find a solution or even simply donate to help, but they’re ultimately heartbreaking to see.
And while they both have more to do with human negligence and greed than environmental toxins damaging our planet, the reason our environment is in the state it is in and our animals are dying off is also due to human negligence and greed on a larger level, and we are all suffering from it.
I’m nowhere near perfect, and could surely be doing more each day to help sustain our planet, as much as we do privately in our homes and personal lives to help erase our own small carbon footprints, it’s the large corporations, the food industry, and our political systems that have more responsibility to undo what they’ve done, and instead, beyond all evidence, they choose to do more to harm us and the earth daily, all in the name of profit.
We are a part of nature. We are connected to all of life around us. Our priorities in this lifetime are strangely upside down and when I think about it too much, it overwhelms me, deeply saddens me and makes me feel completely insignificant. But I have to believe that if enough of us change our minds and become one with the world around us, living equally to animals and nature rather than acting superior, eventually, we can make a difference. I have to have hope in us. We have to.
it’s time to turn the tide
we can change
we can reconnect to each other, to nature
and to the calls of the myriad of voices that require our attention.
we owe it to our future, we owe it to our children, and we owe it to the creatures we share this planet with.
biophilia will be our guide
So it Goes and animation duo Fool’s Errands were commissioned by Synchronicity Earth on the 5th year anniversary of the charity to create this animated short, Biophilia, narrated by Geraldine Somerville. The video was projected at their fundraising ball at London’s Natural History Museum to celebrate the 50th year of the IUCN Red List of endangered species.
Let’s Make Every Day Earth Day
