This is actually news from early June but I’m just catching up on reading - isn’t that what holidays are for?

RockPort Capital Partners recently announced the close of its third venture capital fund with commitments of over $450 million, making it one of the largest venture funds focused on clean technology investments. Continued at CleanEdge.

In a series titled “Just Imagine“, CNN seeks answers to the question “What will life be like in 2020?”. Here’s one from biomimicry pioneer, Janine Benyus:

I think that if we really pay attention and we become nature’s apprentice, if we begin to learn from these designs and recipes and strategies in the natural world and we recreate our technologies in that image.

I believe that every organism that I can see is sweetening this place. I think if we were to learn from their strategies, we too might be participants in that process, not depleting this place that sustains us, but actually enhancing it to the point where it becomes more and more conducive to life. Continued at CNN…

Another in this series looks at learning from humpback whales that could impact the way heart pacemakers are designed.

And one more - a great photo series. Thanks CNN!

Great idea if done right:

For GBP 199, Green Homes Concierge inspectors will come to a customer’s home, toting heat-detecting cameras and other devices to help them evaluate its leaks, wall insulation and appliances. Afterwards, the inspectors will recommend ways the home’s owner can reduce CO2 emissions, and hopefully save some money in the process. Significantly, GHC’s services don’t end there. For a full year the firm will act as a helpful concierge. Should customers wish to make the inspection’s recommended improvements, GHC will help them locate contractors and suppliers able to do the work or tell them where to buy low-energy light bulbs and other environmentally friendly items…Continued at Springwise.

And now for something different: to celebrate reaching 100 posts over these past few months I’ll share the following letter from a friend downunder…

Hello David in the USA

Thankyou for your congratulations. Eighty years old - bypass surgery twelve years ago and exercises at the Synergy gymnasium. that’s my answer to ageing and I hope my mind stays clear.
These days I describe myself as an environmentalist. This began after a revisit to southern New South Wales after an absence of 35 years.In the 1950’s and sixties I was a stock and station agent auctioneer based in that region.
The landscape appeared to be swept with a giant broom. Most notable was the absence of ground cover, shrubs, young trees. When you live in a rural area away from a city the day to day loss of habitat is not apparent.
This state has a network of Travelling Stock Routes. They are wide laneways alongside our roads. A generation ago they were used by drovers to move sheep and cattle to saleyards or to other properties. Road transport ended the day of the drovers’ easy going lifestyle.
Our government has decided many parts of these iconic routes will be leased to nearby neighbours. Grazing soon depletes the understory essential for native birds.
Parts of these routes contain valuable remnants of flora and fauna. We hope to retain some areas.
There are 2400 weeds in Australia. Our ranges in NSW and including our land of 20 hectares are becoming overtaken with with a non palatable grass from South Africa and tiger pear which is similar to the prickly pear which has been controlled biologically with the introduction of the cochineal beetle. Unfortunately the former does not respond to any treatment except spraying and removal by hand.
Then there is the Murray Darling River system in decline because of droughts and, can we be certain, global warming.
We are living in times of sudden change. Most people have little interest in the environment. “You see it on the TV mate - she’ll be right”.
For me it’s onwards ever onwards. Is there any other way.

best regards

Russ

Russell Watts was recently awarded an “Order of Australia” For service to conservation and the environment through advocacy roles for the preservation of endangered flora and fauna, particularly native bird species, and to the development of ecotourism initiatives.

Photo Credit: The Northern Daily Leader

This landmark one-day intensive reveals the leading edge of biomimetic solutions to climate change, modeled on nature’s operating instructions. It’s designed for action-oriented professionals from the fields of business, finance and investment, science, technology, public policy, education, media and civil society.

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A few weeks ago I acquired the www.biomimicry.com domain. Presently it redirects to a list of greenr.com articles tagged with ‘biomimicry’…like this one. My plan for biomimicry.com is yet to be formed - maybe you have some ideas? Meanwhile here are fine starting points if you want to dig deeper:

The Biomimicry Guild: “The only innovation company in the world to use a deep knowledge of biological adaptations to help designers, engineers, architects, and business leaders solve design and engineering challenges sustainably.”

The Biomimicry Institute: “The not-for-profit organization whose mission is to nurture and grow a global community of people who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life’s genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet.”

Natures 100 Best: “A shortlist of one hundred technologies that are all inspired by proven design systems from Nature. This summary is only a small component of this long-term research project that aims to identify key technologies that will help society and industry to leapfrog towards sustainability.”

Send me your favorites…

Mainstream interest in biomimicry is accelerating. Jay Harman’s gives some (cautionary) insights into changing established large industries:

“When I started I thought that this would take 6 to 12 months,” Mr. Harman said. What he found instead were companies that had little interest in redesigning their products, even in the face of the promise of double-digit increases in efficiency.

His radical ideas have so far found a cautious reception in the aircraft, air- conditioning, boating, pump and wind turbine industries.
Mr. Harman’s experience is not unusual. Rather than beating a path to the door of mousetrap designers, the world seems to actively avoid them.

Continued at NYT.

Here at Greenr I don’t usually installation art, but then my friend Sean sent me this:

Twelve aluminum shafts rise from the grassy hill in front of the Waterloo Regional Operations Centre. Their graceful shape reflects the angles of the sun through the year. The tallest shaft is perpendicular to the sun at winter solstice, when the sun is low in the sky. The flattest shaft faces the high sun at summer solstice.

Check it out: http://www.solarcollector.ca/

Launch party and performance June 21st. (if you happen to be in Ontario)

A few weeks ago I wrote about Agilewaves, and today CNet has a great overview of more than a dozen ‘dashboard’ technologies ranging from simple wall plug adapters that offer a kw reading for individual devices, to a half dozen startups competing in the whole-house market - including Greenbox which was founded by the co-creators of Flash. (My background is in software distribution and Internet publishing, so its great to see former compatriots leveraging their tech skills into sustainability. Some others switchers are noted in this listing of 25 who “ditched infotech for cleantech.”)