The Great Simplification #106 – Alexa Firmenich: “Biodiversity, Beauty, and Being”

In this episode, Nate is joined by Alexa Firmenich, whose work spans biodiversity advocacy, ESG investing, wilderness excursion facilitating, and podcasting/creative writing. Together, they philosophize on the importance of developing a connection to nature and understanding the – often overlooked – but critical function of biodiversity to the climate and other natural systems. Alexa also delves into her thinking about new economic and cultural human systems models that could work within the biosphere. How can acknowledging our roles as a part of the Earth’s larger system give us a new perspective on what it means to live among its other inhabitants? Why does a system full of external incentives ultimately disincentivize our natural human inclination toward pro-sociality? Will a future of lower energy throughput result in each of us rekindling the inherent connection with the land we live on, leading to simpler lives – yet perhaps more fulfilling ones?

About Alexa Firmenich

Alexa Firmenich is an investor, consultant, and facilitator focused on climate and biodiversity. She is the co-director of SEED, a new center of the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich. SEED is developing the world’s most holistic measure of biodiversity that reflects multiple scales of nature’s complexity for any location on the planet, with the goal to steer financial and political decision-makers to crystallize the value of nature into the global economy. Alexa is also the founder of Ground Effect, an animist investment vehicle that supports early-stage nature-based solutions, scientific research, and new economic models. Parallel to this work she is trained as a group facilitator in leadership development and ecological pedagogy, designing multi-day learning journeys through her role at Leaders’ Quest. She is also an author, podcast host of Lifeworlds, a founding board member of Terra Habitus, a Mexican environmental fund that operates large-landscape conservation and watershed restoration, and a wilderness guide.

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