The Renaissance brought an unprecedented revival in technology, literature, art and thought to Europe. It did so thanks to raw imagination, the scientific method, and diverse knowledge sets. Specifically, this last element is what allowed the period’s leading thinkers, doers and other problem-solvers to create, invent and innovate in ways that still impact our world centuries later.
Today, our cumulative knowledge is far greater than what existed during the Renaissance, but we lack the period’s multidisciplinary approach to knowledge, having displaced it in favour of niche expertise. Driven by pressure to “publish or perish,” young scientists enter tenure track positions at research institutions knowing that they will be judged mainly by their publications in a particular field. This fear turns their single hyperspecialised topic into academic blinders that limit cross-disciplinary exploration within academia.
This has also left critical blind spots in modern problem-solving, hurting our ability to address what may be the single most existential and interdisciplinary challenge of our age: the climate crisis.
Understanding the Need for Holistic Sustainability Initiatives
Humanity’s interaction with the natural environment has a resonating and continuous impact on everyone and everything. How we use material resources impacts markets and incentives, which in turn influence weather events, which in turn affect biodiversity, and so on. Addressing climate change means acknowledging this interconnectedness and embracing a holistic approach to solving it.
For instance, in an attempt to wean us off oil-based plastics, the materials industry has turned to bio-based polymers like polylactic acid (PLA) as seemingly sustainable solutions. However, the feedstock of PLA is dependent on crops like corn or sugar cane, which require massive land and water resources. Using landmass for plastic material sourcing means we are competing with food supply. Desertification and war-induced freezes on food exports further exacerbate setbacks to efforts aimed at making raw materials truly sustainable.
As this example illustrates, if we want to move the needle on climate change, we must consider the impact of any solution on everything it touches – a cross-disciplinary approach. Academics and experts from all facets need to collaborate. The climate crisis demands input from biochemists, molecular biologists, geneticists, polymer chemists, economists, engineers, climate scientists, industrial designers, software developers and more.
Taking a 360-Degree Approach to Climate Action
Fortunately, taking such a multidisciplinary approach is not theoretical. Some researchers are demonstrating the power of a holistic approach to sustainability.
Cellular agriculturalists may be known for microscopes and Petri dishes, but some of the growth-stage companies currently advancing alternative protein solutions have ventured out of the lab, and engaged experts in economics, policy and shareholder relations to actualize new, sustainable methods for growing food. Instead of trying to replace more conventional food and beverage producers, innovators are forging relationships with veterans of dairy, meat, and other food spaces. Their (correct) thinking is that food systems will modernise most effectively when more interested parties stand to benefit.
In architecture, biophilic design, which focuses on creating connectivity for building occupants to the natural environment, has also become an important part of the holistic approach. In recent years, biophilic design hasn’t popularised solely due to aesthetics. Yet, its green infrastructure approach has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, increase the biodiversity of plants and wildlife, help with temperature regulation in buildings and contributes to people’s health and wellbeing.
With about 40% of carbon emissions attributed to buildings, green engineering opens pathways to new technologies and infrastructures that can reduce carbon footprints and benefit the environment. From grey water recycling to solar panels and energy efficient windows, green engineering practices are the future of architecture and building construction – and here, too, we are seeing a multidisciplinary approach in practice.
There is even reason for optimism vis a vis the materials sector, as referenced above. Instead of competing with food supply, solutions can utilize renewable resources that are abundant, economical, and applicable at all stages of products’ lifecycles, from feedstock to end-of-life. One raw material, UBQ, is a breakthrough plastic substitute made entirely of organic and unrecyclable waste.
There are many facets that go into converting household waste into UBQ’s sustainable material solution. Research and development, chemical, industrial and environmental engineering, materials sciences and economics each play a key role in the production of UBQ. A multidisciplinary approach means that solutions like UBQ can transform heterogeneous waste streams into a homogenous bio-based thermoplastic and maintain a scope of the trickle-down impact; diverting waste from landfills, preventing greenhouse gas emissions, and preserving finite natural resources.
What Would Leonardo Do?
Leonardo da Vinci implored us to “realise that everything connects to everything else.” When technologies implement Renaissance-minded problem-solving, we will see the needle move on climate change. By approaching sustainability as a holistic endeavour and embracing interdisciplinary thinking, scientists and innovators together can exemplify the spirit of the Renaissance and establish their place in the battle to save our one and only natural world.
