The glaciers of the Bernina Mountains, the mating call of the yellow-bellied toad, the fragrant flowers of the ditani—climate catastrophe and the collapse of biodiversity are destroying this beauty.
When humanity destroys the foundations of civilization, the loss of beauty seems a lesser evil. But environmental destruction is an expression of the relationship between humanity and nature. Only those who see, hear, smell, feel, and find beauty in the world understand their place in it. Beauty creates connections and cannot be measured in economic terms.
In his essay, Marcel Hange embarks on journeys to discover beauty, both big and small. He speaks with artists and scientists, with people who work in nature, and with a woman who is losing her sight, about what beauty is. Is what is beautiful also good, and what is good beautiful? Is there a right kind of "beauty" and a wrong kind? And why is it so difficult to talk about beauty? A journey through knowledge, ignorance, and sustainability.
