Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers
Have you ever noticed how DNA’s spiraling structure mirrors the shape of seashells and flowers? How our circulatory system branches like tree roots? Nature doesn’t just surround us—we are nature. Our bodies, minds, and societies are woven into its rhythms, yet in today’s modern world, we’ve severed that bond, and the consequences ripple through our environment, politics, culture, and even spirituality.
Every other week, hosts Monica Olsen and Jennifer Walsh explore the profound connections between planetary health and human well-being. Through conversations with leading experts, they uncover how nature influences everything—from the way we design our cities to the way we govern, heal, and find meaning in our lives. As we face climate change, biodiversity loss, and deep societal shifts, rediscovering our place in the natural world isn’t just necessary—it’s transformative.
Join us on this biophilic journey. Follow and listen today, because nature holds the answers.
Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers
Solutions Rewind: David Orr on Saving Democracy—and the Planet
In a time of deep political division and environmental crisis, what would it look like to design a democracy that’s truly in harmony with the natural world?
In this episode, we revisit a powerful 2022 conversation with David Orr, Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, editor of Democracy in a Hotter Time, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of ecology, education, and politics.
Orr challenges us to think beyond short-term fixes and consider how a “biophilic democracy” rooted in care for each other and the planet could transform the way we live and govern. We explore why democracies fail, how our brains are wired for both division and connection, and how education might help us build a more resilient and compassionate society.
Show Notes:
- Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation, edited by David W. Orr
- Democracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People, edited by David W. Orr, Andrew Gumbel, Bakari Kitwana, and William S. Becker
- Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward by David Orr
- Democracy in a Hotter Time, presentation at Elon University (YouTube)
- Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg
- The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by E.O. Wilson and Stephen R. Kellert
- Dr. David Orr and Dr. Miranda Yaver on the Stand Up! With Pete Dominick Podcast
- Children & Nature Network
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
- Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate Raworth
Keywords: David Orr, biophilic democracy, nature and politics, ecological design, climate crisis, democracy reform, environmental education, sustainability, biophilia, civic engagement, ecological literacy, long-term thinking, political polarization, community resilience, democratic transformation, environmental ethics, nature connection, systems thinking, education and ecology, hope and renewal, doughnut economics, circular economy
Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.
Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.
#NatureHasTheAnswers
