“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It’s a phrase that many Christians recognize. It comes from Genesis 3:19, uttered by God to Adam just after he got his Eden eviction notice. Roman Catholics in particular recognize it because we hear it every Ash Wednesday when we get dirt rubbed on our foreheads.
For the purposes of the fourth front of Mount Sustainability though, I’m going to call it a biblical shout-out to the North Star of closed-loop manufacturing. That’s right, I’m talking about nutrient cycling!
I guarantee that you’ve heard the term before, even if you don’t remember. Some science teacher in third or seventh or tenth grade (I honestly have no clue when kids learn things these days) would have mentioned it to you. It refers to the exchange of nutrients in ecosystems between various species through the processes of growth and decomposition. Which is pretty much what the Bible says, right?
It’s a fairly simple concept, basically encapsulated by the term “food chain.” Plants use their roots to pull water and nutrients out of the soil. Then some critter comes along and eats the plants. Maybe a bigger critter eats the first critter, and a bigger critter still comes after the second one. Eventually, some critter dies of old age, and smaller critters come along to clean up the mess. The whole time, the critters are pooping and peeing. The end result is nutrients back in the soil for more plants to suck up.
And that, my friends, is how you fit seven uses of the word “critter” into one paragraph. But I digress.
It’s a brilliant system with some truly remarkable traits. Component parts are completely disassembled in this system through the process of decomposition. As a result, the system has zero-waste. What would be waste is in fact just feedstock for another species. The system works to the benefit of a wide range of species, rather than just a few. In fact, the higher biodiversity of the ecosystem (i.e. the more plants and critters that can thrive in the system), the better the system functions. On top of all this, the system operates in a perfectly decentralized manner, a symphonic experience of life with no need for a conductor.
Now, with nature’s nutrient cycling as a measuring stick, let’s compare human manufacturing systems.
In general, manufacturing companies use raw materials (nutrients) to synthesize component parts (plants) that other companies need to create higher value goods (critters) that eventually become finished products (bigger critters) sold to consumers (the biggest of critters).
Unfortunately, many of these products cannot be completely disassembled into component parts. Instead, they are wasted by being sent to a landfill. Frequently, the profits from this complex web of commercial activity are concentrated in the coffers of massive multinational corporations, rather than enjoyed in balance throughout the system. All along the way, profits and influence are aggregated in a few key companies, especially in industries that are highly vertically integrated.
For those keeping score at home, that’s Nature – 4; Humans – 0.
Here’s the bottom line: we have the model, so we just need to replicate it. As Amory Lovins says, “if it exists, it must be possible.” Nutrient cycling exists. That means it must be possible for mankind to create a manufacturing system that works just as well. With a good application of biomimicry, innovation, and determination, I’m confident we can figure this thing out.
Next week, we turn to the fifth front – Resource-Efficient Transportation. See y’all next week!
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