Hi and welcome to my fifth e-mail newsletter!

This message goes to my 21 subscribers with a big Thank you for signing up. Here are the prior newsletters, if you did not receive them or would like to read some history (also, please don’t forget to check your Spam folder!). Today’s email comes a bit later than usual as I have family in town and it was an exceptionally busy weekend. Otherwise it is very much my goal to send the newsletter on a weekly basis!

I welcome your feedback as I embark on my journey to learn about the environment as well as online publishing.

Razvan

Buckminster Fuller

For every newsletter I find an animal, plant, or famous person that inspired or intrigued me. It is a recognition, a moment of reflection and gratitude toward life on Earth. Last week it was pollinators, an extremely important group of animals, such as bees, birds and small mammals that help germinate vegetables.

Today I am featuring the inventor, architect, author, philosopher, and one of the first advocates for sustainability as we know it today, Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983).

Fuller has been called one of the greatest innovators of the twentieth century, after his work in diverse fields related to human habitation and transportation. He published more than 30 books, was awarded 28 US patents, many honorary doctorates, and coined or popularized the term “Spaceship Earth”, among several others.

What appealed to me about Fuller’s work was he had an initial career in business, yet very early in life dedicated himself and his work to the improvement of the lives of others through pursuing scientific breakthroughs and research.

Here is a selection of quotes from his work (from WikiQuotes) that are still highly relevant today:

On massive open online courses and the pull of education - in 1928 ! 

“Children, as well as grown-ups, in their individual, glorified, drudgery-proof homes of Labrador, the tropics, the Orient, or where you will, to which they can pass with pleasure and expedition by means of ever-improving transportation, will be able to tune in their television and radio to the moving picture lecture of, let us say, President Lowell of Harvard; the professor of Mathematics of Oxford; of the doctor of Indian antiquities of Delhi, etc. Education by choice, with its marvelous motivating psychology of desire for truth, will make life ever cleaner and happier, more rhythmical and artistic.” – 4D Timelock (1928)

On the role of humans versus computers:

“Man is going to be displaced altogether as a specialist by the computer. Man himself is being forced to reestablish, employ, and enjoy his innate “comprehensivity.” – Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (1963) 

On the Circular Economy:

“Pollution is nothing but resources we’re not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value. “– As quoted in “The View from the Year 2000” by Barry Farrell in LIFE magazine (26 February 1971)

Although his work spanned many fields, his enduring legacy is indeed the geodesic dome. And while there are a lot of writings celebrating Buckminster Fuller and his work, this little newsletter does not do justice to either. I will just leave with you with saying that he has been called the “Leonardo Da Vinci of the twentieth century” by Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak: an apt comparison and what I was thinking as well when I learned about Fuller’s prolific and influential work.

Mindset

"There is no such thing as ‘winning’ an infinite game. In an infinite game, the primary objective is to keep playing, to perpetuate the game.” - Simon Sinek

This is how I view my effort on www.OneBeautifulPlanet.org. There is no set, finite objective. There is no clear target. There is no financial or business goal associated with this endeavor. The knowledge to accumulate and to share is immense. The actions needed to right the wrongs of the past when it comes to the environment are more, way more than what I can even plan for. But the goal is to do a little bit almost every day, and never stop.

In the Works

On the Knowledge front, I wrote a summary of key terms in recycling, under Lexicon II. A few weeks ago I wrote Lexicon I, with key terms in environmental science.

On the Action front, I completed a couple of litter cleanups (I continue to use my three favorite apps to log them, as well as posting them on Reddit), and am happy to announce that for the next twelve months I will be supporting Keep Norristown Beautiful’ (KNB) s Big Belly advertising campaign. It is an initiative that raises revenues to combat litter, while benefitting with messaging to residents. Funds raised by utilizing the panels on Bigbelly bins will provide anti-litter public service announcements to residents and visitors.

From their website: “Anti-litter messaging will give pause to litterers with an attractive, witty, anti-litter messaging campaign that leads to behavioral change. Revenue from the advertising program will contribute funds to support the campaign and future beautification efforts through KNB. “Plus it’s great advertising for OneBeautifulPlanet.org! Once the ad is up, I will be sure to include it in the Action section of the website!

I am also continuing my research into recyclable plastics and metals from my own consumption and regular use, and will detail findings in upcoming articles. Stay tuned!

If you found this helpful or interesting, please share with your friends, contacts and anyone you know who may benefit from following my journey. Let’s gain some knowledge, and take action toward a cleaner, healthier world!

Thank you.

Razvan