We often hear the saying, “throw that away” or that’s “garbage” and “waste”. Have you ever thought about this term “away”? Where is this place that we call “away”? What is garbage?

Have you ever realized that humans are the only beings on this planet that have this thing called “garbage”? What is this “garbage” or “waste” and don’t other creatures create waste?

There are two major definitions of “waste”. There is the waste that humans excrete from our bodies, which includes a few definitions of this “waste”. There is the human waste of our digestive system, there is the waste of our breathing, which is carbon dioxide and then there is the waste of our bodies in the form of cells, hair and nails, etc.

And then there is the waste that we create in the way of “products” and “stuff”, which may or may not be organic in nature. In other words, there is the waste that our bodies create, and then there is the waste which are external products and “stuff”.

For many years, the debate in the environmental community has been about waste in reference to organic, synthetic and various issues on this topic, which has led to a division of sorts on each side of the fence.

One group advocates only organic “stuff”, from foods to product creation, and other groups advocate the use of technology and plastics and inorganic products, as well as the importance of these in today’s civilized world. Part of the challenge in this discussion is that organic has a lot of various definitions, depending on who is talking and what it is that they define as organic.

Organic can mean many things, including organic farming, which is typically defined as growing food without using synthetic chemical fertilizers, which may not “fit” well in the eco “system” and have long term negative implications. The book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson was the first real account of the impact of synthetic chemicals on the health of humans in this system that we live in and depend upon. It’s interesting to note that not only was Rachel Carson one of the first women in the mostly men field of chemical science at that time, which is the 50′s and 60′s, but she was also laughed and scoffed at for publishing her articles and book on this concern.

Back to the main topic.

The other major discussion of organic relates to a “natural” or “synthetic” debate and discussion. Each one has it’s own conversation and may not have simple answers. Keeping focused on the main topic of waste, there can be other articles discussing “organic and synthetic” at a later time.

Those such as William McDonough, who has discussed in his books as well as his talks, that waste is only a detriment when the entire product cycle has no cycle or is used in a format where it’s used once and then goes to a land fill or is “thrown away”.

What does this really mean?

Human waste has a cycle. That waste returns to the environment and the amazingly complex system of insects and organisms break down the waste to the essential elements. These elements are then used as building blocks for our soil and used as building blocks for the millions of organisms that exist on this planet, including humans.

The waste that we breath out or exhale in the form of carbon dioxide, is converted to oxygen by the world of plants and trees, which is a big reason why we may have such reverance and appreciation for plants and trees.

Many forget that without all of these organisms, trees and plants, we would literally be in a piles of s**t, pardon the expression. but it’s true. Unfortunately, many in this world have not been educated properly to understand and recognize this. This is the eco system, a “system” that converts things from one material to another, or simply breaks down materials to their initial essence, to be used over and over again by other organisms.

This is what true sustainability is discussing. Sustainability does not have to mean that we have less and live ascetically, yet it does require the entire system of the planet to be recognized. This awareness can then allow for the entire big picture to be understood and considered, so that when choices are made, from product design and development to everyday choices, there is some awareness of how this is gauged and what this really means. Without this big picture,a s well as detailed understanding, the reasons for designing and choosing and demanding such products becomes arbitrary at best.

It’s one of those elephants in the room that is ignored, but the value and importance of this is critical.

Now, this doesn’t mean we need to have a specific reverence for the dung beetle, but if we are to make things that fit the sustainable existence of the eco-system, there needs to be recognition for the cycles of such products, and a recognition for the systems needed in order to achieve these cycles.

In the development of “civilized” history, our waste or garbage has been sent to a place called a land fill, or dump, or “add your politically correct term here”. All in all, it is a human definition and place that we call “away”.

But it isn’t away at all. In fact, it’s very near and because our entire planet is one closed loop system, like one of those christmas globe that you shake to make it snow, the “away” will eventually be everywhere.

This is not a healthy system that advocates throwing things away, both on a physical and psychological level. This away is in someone’s front and backyard and eventually in everyone’s front and back yards.

Is there a way to address this away issue? Yes.

In the next series, we will continue this discussion…

There is another type of thinking, that may or may not be new, depending on whom you ask, that strives to connect people, professionals and various fields that may not have been integrated in the past. In today’s world, there are groups who are striving for solutions, such as integrative medicine, and are leading the way to whole systems thinking and solutions.

While this is a powerful step in connecting various groups within fields, there is also a benefit for many different fields to connect and collaborate, in order for best solutions to be created. These various fields may be as diverse as the fields of medicine and architecture, of law and environmental design, to the fields of energy and industrial design.

Many of these fields have certainly worked together, but it’s typically been a professional or liaison from one of these fields, working together with others in the same field or similar fields. An “Integrator” is one who’s specific purpose is to diversify and see the big picture, but also recognize that a goal is to provide the various fields to work together. These integrators are “bridgers” and they strive to find connections and interrelationships that may not have been considered nor tried.

Therefore, these integrators or bridge builders have the purpose of working with various fields and to strive to find connections and solutions that may not have existed previously. An example could be connecting a chemist with an ecologist, to find solutions to various product challenges in life cycle analysis with human and ecological awareness.

An important factor in this process is that the integrator can act as a liaison, so that each professional can continue working in their specialized field, without having to reinvent themselves or learn everything about this connecting field. The integrator strives to find best solutions concerning this integration, and can advise or suggest other groups to collbaorate and work with on solutions as a whole. Integrators work with all fields of study, from big picture futurists to specialized professionals, as well as other Integrators, with the intention of making connections, providing suggestions and work flows, as well as to literally connecting the dots to recommend and provide whole systems solutions.

The integrator may choose, as an example, to recommend a mediator to work with a group that may be dealing with inherent challenges, or to strive to find common ground in order to resolve challenges involved with creating the solution.

It also opens the creative solutioning process to any and all who may be valuable to creating the optimum solution. The word “optimum” is important, as it’s defined as “best” as opposed to the often used “maximum” solution, which infers the “most” without concern for “best” practices.

Of course, there may be challenges in defining what “best” means, but again this is where all involved can work together in a collaborative effort, in order to achieve and solution goals that work for the benefit of all.

This does not infer altruism nor does it focus on perfection, yet instead refers to “optimal”. This interconnecting process strives to work with many various fields, specialists and professionals, in order to provide big picture solutions to prevent some of the challenges that modern day civilization is finding in current day life.

Its mission is to integrate many various fields and disciplines and strives to create a whole systems architecture, from the big picture to the nuts and bolts, for real world solutions. The particular focus is to create awareness of the big picture, which can then guide the detail solutions. This includes all professional fields of design/build and the products of the material world, in reference to the interdependence of life. The idea is to provide solutions for humanity, as well as the health of the ecology, using technological wisdom.

This organization has found that in order to provide big picture solutions in the current world which has inherent challenges, there needs to be more than a new product or method to achieve this. This process takes a big picture view to understand the framework of how the materials and methods of our physical world work together or don’t work together, creating either harmony or disharmony and challenges.

What challenges?

What is big picture thinking and why is “whole systems architecture” important? This in itself is a big question, and the focus is to recognize the complexity, yet to use best practices in order to create solutions. The biggest part of the big picture concept, is to recognize how the pieces and parts fit into the whole, which is why it’s called whole systems analysis. Therefore, how a material and method fits into the whole is critical in order for the system itself to function in a healthy, sustaining manner. This is defined as “utilizing optimum methodology”.

The reason why this company is focused on whole systems architecture is that when the entire process and impact of materials and methods are taken into consideration, then there is less waste, less pollution and less short and long term challenges that a material and method may cause.

The process of this “solutioning”, is based in the four branches of the company, which are Education, Product Information, Consulting and Research & Development. These branches are each interconnected, yet provide a complete system and approach in order to provide a whole systems understanding and solution process.

This different approach connects any and all fields of study and disciplines, in synergistic ways which have not been connected previously. For instance, connecting architects and designers with doctors and lawyers in order to create best practices from start to finish of a project or development, allowing for the humans who live, work and exist in structures to have optimal health and well being.

This approach also questions what “optimal” is defined as, and asks questions for the benefit of all, not just for a few or for a short term plan.

Symbiosis Global reviews and recognizes that technology and ecology have become at odds in modern day civilization, and strives to educate as well as inform the public and professions in order to have a greater understanding of how these pieces can work together for optimal living. Ecology is not primitive, and technology is not necessarily negative. And therefore, it is the goal to study these relationships, recognize the challenges of the modern day world and work as integrators to form creative, optimal solutions for all on this planet.