Our move away from elemental theory, and the understanding that the global environment is interconnected to the point that a change in one element will lead to a change in another has brought disastrous consequences as we seek to take more from the environment than we give back.  And what we do give back is frequently a poor present that pollutes the very elements – air, water and earth – that we need to sustain us.    

A return to a more balanced approach to the elements and their management is required.  It will necessitate that we re-think our attitudes  to available resources, including those that we currently consider to be ‘waste’.