Connection

IN THE NEAR FUTURE, OUR WELL-BEING, OUR HEALTH AND, ABOVE ALL, THE SURVIVAL OF THE PLANET WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON THE WAY WE CHANGE OUR HABITS, our lifestyles and on how we manage our presence in the cities we live in.
Living in harmony with nature and the environment around us means considering ourselves an essential part of the system. It means understanding that we are subject to the same fundamental principles that govern the evolution of other species.
Our survival also depends on them. Integrating our lives more and more with that of animals and plants, as well as enhancing public spaces as places of social gathering, means becoming citizens of a broader ecosystem. This new awareness represents the great perspective, opportunity and challenge imposed on us by climate change already underway. We must seek a new connection with nature, but also with the urban environment that surrounds us.
The word "connection" is often abused when we talk about social networks and technology, but its ancient and profound essence is linked to the human soul. It is both a need and a quality, among the most precious that we have always carried with us. Friendship, exchange, understanding and union are all manifestations of the connection that is created between people and their ideas, allowing us to live fully and consciously.
Man seeks connections because they are fundamental for his evolution, and man seeks connections to generate and strengthen himself. Connections exist even when they are not visible. Actions and reactions are the result of connections that occur spontaneously through planning. Even in this, nature can be our teacher, since in nature everything is interconnected. This means that a small change in one part of the system will have medium-long term repercussions on other parts, regardless of our will or involvement.
Climate change is tangible proof of this.
In a historical period characterized by growing climatic instability, Professor Stefano Mancuso's studies on plants offer a significant contribution to the conception of a new vision of our cities.
It all starts from a path of awareness regarding our intrinsic dependence on plants and the importance of harmoniously integrating their presence into our lives as soon as possible. The unpredictability of new climate phenomena makes our vulnerability evident and transforms us into victims of an urban ecosystem that is now obsolete and unsustainable. However, if life is constantly changing, we are faced with a great opportunity: to restore our city habitat and return to living immersed in nature, looking forward to the future. In this way, we can maintain the benefits of human connections resulting from the proximity of people, reconsidering some of our daily actions and choices. These small changes, in the middle and in the long term, they can transform the structure of our urban territories in an imperceptible but important way. Each of us in our daily actions can make a difference.
Every gesture, even the one that seems most insignificant to us, can help save the world. Our survival and the possibility of handing over a better planet to new generations may depend on these small changes.
Let's not forget it.




Roberto Cristaudo
NP august/september 2024