Botanic Desires

We are so quick to dismiss the needs of the natural world. Our universe is becoming increasingly digital, and with our lack of care, flora and fauna are quickly diminishing.

Take a breath, for example. As children, we learn about photosynthesis, how this system allows us to breathe the air we need to survive, and how our exhalation of carbon dioxide is a vital part of its energy production of glucose. This need for reciprocity extends so much further than we typically recognize. Our lives depend on the symbiotic relationship we humans have with the plants and animals that nourish us.

Food, water, shelter, all of the essentials of life operate off of these very systems. Plants are the very first step of the food chain; they are an essential part of a healthy human diet; the composition of our textiles, furniture, buildings, and homes heavily relies on their growth before transforming into these new decorative or utilitarian objects. And yet, we often forget their significance.

Industrialization and globalization are partially to blame. No longer are we sourcing locally for our goods and services but rather largely depend on the outputs of corporations to fulfill our daily needs. It is said that each garment made today touches at least a hundred sets of hands and many, many different countries globally during the production process before it is complete. And yet, where does it begin? Even our textiles made from synthetic materials begin with, yes, plants. Millions and millions of years of decayed plants and animal remains to make up petroleum, which is then processed into widely used fibers like polyester and rayon that most of today’s clothes are made of. Such poor production of these products leads to extensive environmental damage and generates irreversible amounts of waste.

Michael Pollan puts it best in his The Botany of Desire, insisting, "We don’t live in Eden anymore; we’ve transformed the planet that gave us birth into a garden of our own making.” The nourishment that this earth can provide has been taken from us; instead, we’ve opted to act in the needs of our own selfish desires, compromising our land in the process. In other words, our capacity to cherish nature has been consequently transformed into a commodity, something to manufacture, a tool that we can manipulate.

Our incapability to recognize our symbiotic relationship with these terrestrial beings is the cause of dire ramifications. In the end, we will all suffer if we do not learn to reconnect with those who allow us to flourish. And while this shift seems daunting and vastly intimidating, it is absolutely vital if we intend to live on this earth as we please.