Andrew Barer (abarer)

I was introduced to Biomimicry as a discipline a few weeks ago, and few events in my life have had such a profound impact on me (in fact, the last time I fell in love like this the result was a very happy marriage and three beautiful kids!).

As I read and learn about Biomimicry, what for me has until now been only a disparate and vague set of beliefs and motivations comes into focus -  assembled, organized and beautifully articulated as a clear set of fundamental principles and values.

I am thrilled, because with this clarity comes an enhanced sense of purpose and ability to act effectively.  

So first, thank you to all of you!

I've been in the business world for over 20 years.  Much of this time has been spent as an entrepreneur, my strengths lying in management and sales.  I have also however, always had a passion for teaching (I graduated from Wesleyan University in '84 with a teaching certification) and have worked with young people as a mentor, coach, expedition group leader etc. throughout my adult life.

I am at a professional crossroads.  I want to make my passion my profession -- either by working at a business where my personal professional success directly furthers the cause of sustainability, or by becoming a full-time educator.

In either case, I want the principles and objectives of Biomimicry to play a central role.

I've begun trying to find a teaching job.  While my background makes me a candidate to teach history, in each conversation I've had with a school administrator (public and private), I've suggested the creation of a new cross-disciplinary course, one that directly addresses the “new world order”. 

This course would look at the world of decreasing natural resources and increasing demand, of “petro-dictators” and climate change, and would draw on core principles of science, history, psychology and sociology to examine how we got where we are and how we might possibly create and sustain the changes in human behavior needed to fix the mess.

The study and application of Biomimicry would lie at the heart of this class.  For its lessons about humility, for what it reveals about our species' extraordinary capacity for "selective blindness," and for what it offers as a mindset and methodology for effectively moving forward, I can think of nothing I would rather teach to a group of students.