In his excerpt in the University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future David W. Orr talks about two things biophobia and biophilia. Biophobia is the fear of nature. Biophobiacs spend there days indoor and usually reside in big “concrete jungles” such as New York City or Los Angeles. Biophilia is the love of all things living, including nature, plants, and animals. Orr talks about our society’s recent move from biophilia to biophobia as we continue to try and dominate our surroundings. Orr goes on to talk about the downfall of our society if we do not begin to develop our sense of biophilia once again. He proposes five things that need to be done in order to each this. First he discusses the necessity of “the recovery of childhood” and how in order to achieve this we need to allow our children to be children, allot more time during school hours for contact with nature, and allow children to play in natural areas that have been preserved and protected. Secondly, Orr tells us we need to develop a positive sense of place and love the places around us. He suggests more “family farms, rural villages, communities, and urban neighborhoods” that will rebuild our ties with nature. His third proposal once again touches on our children and urges us to change the education system to teach more about living sustainably and less on competing in the global “rat race.” David Orr says, in his fourth point, “The biophilia revolution would be incomplete without our creating a new relationship with animals.” His fifth proposal talks about the economics behind the biophilia revolution. Orr believes in an environment that limits human enterprise relative to the biosphere. David W. Orr in his excerpt is essentially encouraging we take a step backwards and begin living much like they did in the stone ages, no economy, no roads, no skyscrapers.
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