October 2008
Monthly Archive
Giving Nature a Nudge to Calm Climate Change
Posted by davidwfox on 20 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: biomimicry, climate change
This morning at the Biomimicry Climate Change Conference, Jay Harman (founder of PAX Scientific) announced The COMMET Project. More info to follow - this could be a critical breakthrough as the window of opportunity to create the long-term solutions is closing rapidly.
Solar Botanic’s Nanoleaf
Posted by davidwfox on 13 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: biomimicry, energy efficiency
While most people have yet to hear the term ‘biomimicry’, some are already seeking to take things to the next level by combining multiple biomimetic solutions:
Solar Botanic has designed artificial trees and plants which are so lifelike that to most casual observers they are living trees and plants. In fact, each tree or plant is a powerhouse of renewable energy harvesting the eternal profligate power of the sun, wind and rain. The essential element in this technology is Solar Botanic’s artificial leaf (Nanoleaf) which captures the sun’s radiant energy in photo voltaic and thermo voltaic cells converting the radiation into electricity. Simultaneously as the wind blows the layers of voltaic material in the stems, twigs and branches are moved, compressed and stretched, creating electricity. Press release continues…
Buildings (and more) Inspired by Nature
Posted by davidwfox on 04 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: biomimicry
Making it three articles in as many months, Fortune covers the recently announced collaboration between HOK and The Biomimicry Guild:
What gets people excited about biomimicry is its potential to help solve environmental problems like climate change. If we can design buildings and products to operate more like nature, which does not pollute and creates no waste, we’d be much better off. Continued at Fortune/CNN Money…
Timeline View of this Blog
Posted by davidwfox on 04 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: personal comments
ZAP!
Posted by davidwfox on 03 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: biomimicry
ZDNet looks at new research that mimics electric eel cells to produce energy:
A team of U.S. engineers has found that it’s possible to build artificial cells replicating the electrical behavior of electric eel cells. In fact, these artificial cells deliver better performance than the real ones, called electrocytes, which can generate electric potentials of up to 600 volts. Continued at ZDNet…
If you find research and development like this interesting, then set aside Monday, Oct 20th for the Biomimicry Institute’s first conference.
What Can Architecture Learn From Nature?
Posted by davidwfox on 01 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: biomimicry, liveable cities
Answer: A lot…
Ultimately, biomimicry seeks to understand how we ought to integrate ourselves with nature. I find hope in the principle that, in nature, there are no hard boundaries or edges; materials merge together seamlessly. Perhaps through the emulation of nature, we will come to live more symbiotically with it, and our environments will become both closer to nature and less invasive to it.
Read the complete post a:
http://greenerbuildings.com/column/2008/09/08/what-can-architecture-learn-from-nature
Cleantech Venture Investing Continues to Grow
Posted by davidwfox on 01 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: cleantech, financial
Headed in right direction:
Cleantech today posted yet another record-breaking investment quarter globally, with smart grid, thin film and algae biofuel technologies enjoying all-times highs in financing.
But observers caution that economic friction is expected to make for headwinds in the next quarter.
The third quarter brought in $2.6 billion across 158 companies in North America, Europe, India and China, bringing the year-to-date investment to $6.6 billion—surpassing investment in the sector for all of 2007 with three months to go, according to a report released today by the Cleantech Group.
…but it’s no where near even a single % point of daily oil expenditures…so far to go, so little time…
