Biomimicry: Michael Pawlyn-- TedTalk

The topic of this TedTalk was about biomimicry, which is this idea of looking at nature for answers on how to build and utilize it effectively. Michael Pawlyn uses the example of spider silk and how strong it is compared to manmade materials. There is nothing compared to its durability but the closest we have come to silk is this fiber that requires extreme temperatures, toxic chemicals and a ton of energy to pressure treat it. This is what he calls a downfall by 10, 100, and even 1000 factor savings and resource efficiency. Instead we could mimic the way a spider uses water and dead flies to make the strongest fiber in the world while also taking away the inefficient aspect to our archaic system currently in place. Pawlyn goes on to state his mission of biomimicry:
 Radical increase in resource efficiency
 Linear turned into closed loop systems
 Fossil fuel economy to solar economy
These could transform architecture that would allow nature and man to live in harmony. He talked about a structure that was 1% the weight of another greenhouse of the same size by pressurized roof structures that allowed more sunlight in. After a successful first year, he said the entirety of the structure actually weighed less than the air inside of it. This is a great example of resource efficiency through nature by using it as a design tool. He continues to talk about closed loop systems. One example was this project called cardboard to caviar where a restaurant closed their loop of waste. When packaging would arrive at the restaurant, instead of sending it back to the landfill, the owner paid for it to be shredded and sent to an equestrian farm for horse bedding. When that was soiled, the owner paid for it to be gathered and taken to vermicompost where worms would break it down and eventually ended in higher worm count. Again, they paid for the worms to be transferred to Siberian catfish farms, which would be turned into caviar and then resold back to the restaurant. Essentially it turned a linear system into a closed loop while adding profit to all the pieces making this system work. In addition, turning an economy that is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels over to solar dependency takes a lot of space for photovoltaic panels. Earth receives ten thousand times as much energy from sun than we use each year. Not only would panels be harnessing as much of that energy as possible but it would also enable crops that would not be able to grow under direct sunlight to do so under the panels shade. This project would begin in the Sahara desert because of its need for reforestation and climate control. This plan would restore living plants and ecosystems to a place that has been barren for hundreds of years (since Caesar logged most of the forest) and prevent the furthering of climate change in that region.

Preserving Marine Life Diversity in the Pacific Islands

A marine biologist named Greg Stone has had a huge influence in protecting the marine life of the Pacific Islands. He was blown away by his first expedition into the ocean surrounding the Republic of Kirbati in 2000 at the sight of such an abundance and diversity of the species located there. He claimed the area was "the last unexplored oceanic coral reef archipelago in the world." Upon going back to thank the president for allowing his visit, he learned that the island's primary (and basically only) source of income was allowing nations to fish there. Stone was not fond of the thought that over-fishing might occur, nor that Kirbati only made 5% income off of what nations were able to sell, so he proposed an idea where the island would be funded through protection services. While the process took years of planning and the banning of commercial fishing is only finally being put into effect this year, his help mad

e the Republic of Kirbati the largest marine life protected area

at the time the process was agreed upon and declared in 2006. Unfortunately, Kirbati is predicted to become the first country to completely disappear due to climate change, a process that will continue for the next 50-100 years.

The increasing temperature has already had an impact on the coral reefs located there, and they are what allows for such diversity as it is a coral reef ecosystem. A few years ago temperatures peaked and along with the abundance of sunlight in the area, it caused the reefs to be bleached. I researched this, and bleaching kills algae known as zooxanthellae. According to this website, "Zooxanthellae provide nutrients and oxygen to the coral through photosynthetic activities, allowing their host to direct more energy toward growth and constructing its calcium carbonate skeleton". As Stone mentions, the ecosystem in Kibati was fully restored after just six months because climate change is the only problem facing the region (as opposed to having a combination of problems such as over-fishing, toxin induced disease AND climate change), showing nature's own restorative power. This is a topic that we have discussed a lot in class and I found Greg Stone's mention of it very significant in why the reef has been able to thrive. I am very glad that Stone and his team researched the area before it was completely taken over by a money-hungry corporation, however it is really upsetting that despite the island being 700 miles away from the nearest airport, it is still impacted by our industrial habits.

Make Meadows, Not Lawns

A world without bees would be like a plate of food without nutrition. Dennis vanEngelsdorp is a Pennsylvanian apiarist who has been studying the behavior of worker bees also known as honeybees. Within the last three years, the worker bee population has dramatically dropped by 36% for two consecutive years. Now there are several major causes of massive population wipeouts across the world. One ongoing problem could be varroa destructors that are tiny mites that latch on to bees and then reproduce once inside the hive eventually overtaking and killing the

queen. However, the most prevalent reason for this widespread attack is known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). It's described as a flu that wipes bees out almost immediately and the effects can be largely attributed to pesticide use from nearby farms.

As daunting as this may seem, beekeepers across the world are getting more efficient and productive during the bee season. Now, qu

eens and hives can be sent around the world via mail allowing bees to get in the hands of people who normally wouldn’t be able to repopulate bee colonies. Dennis draws support to this practice by noting that ancient Egyptians were known to transport bees up and down the Nile when blights wiped out populations of bees. History shows how humankinds heavy dependence on worker bee’s and their ability to pollinate a vast amount of land.

Since one of three bites we eat is in some way or another pollinated by bees, we are selfishly dependent on worker bee’s survival. Our diets would diminish entirely of nutrition because bees pollinate almost all living plants that we rely on. Also, earth’s biodiversity would deplete drastically since bees alone make up more of the species richness than mammals and birds combined. Together, bees and bats make up the worlds largest and most influential pollinators. Unfortunately, both are at high risk of extinction but closely watched. Dennis describes a huge flaw in society (predominantly America) called nature deficit disorder (NDD) that creates this unknown barrier between nature and humankind. He goes on to accuse lawns of being the major proprietor of pesticide use and destruction of what could be meadows. Meadows would invite wildlife into the backyards of people who shiver when a spider crosses their path. This would also create a beneficial habitat for worker bees and would cut back on the 5% of greenhouse gas emissions each year that are attributed to lawn care. In addition, 11% of all pesticide use in America would be alleviated from yards and the amount of water wasted on treating lawns would be utilized more effectively as well. Dennis argues a meadow, as opposed to a lawn, transforms your life by bringing aromatic fragrances and wildlife into the community we inhabit. In conclusion, we as a community need to reach out to nature in an attempt to break free of our unnatural nature deficit disorder. By cultivating meadows from our lawns, we can both reestablish a connection with nature while rekindling a livable environment for bees.

Watch the TedTalk here

http://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_vanengelsdorp_a_plea_for_bees.html

Vandana Shiva - The fight for equality

Dr. Vandana Shiva was born on November 5, 1952 in Dehradun, India  to a father who was the conservator of forests and a farmer mother with a love for nature. She was educated at St Mary's School in Nainital, and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun. After receiving her bachelors degree in physics, she pursued a M.A. in the philosophy of science at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada), with a thesis entitled "Changes in the concept of periodicity of light". In 1979, she completed and received her Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario.

In 1982, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, which led to the creation of Navdanya in 1991, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. For last two decades Navdanya has worked with many local communities and organizations serving many men and women farmers. Navdanya’s efforts have resulted in conservation of more than 2000 rice varieties from all over the country and have established 34 seed banks in 13 states across the country. More than 70,000 farmers are primary members of Navdanya. In 2004 Dr Shiva started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley, in collaboration with Schumacher College, U.K.

Dr. Shiva also works with many Governments to establish more nature and farmer freindly food systems. Among these countries she has worked with is Italy, India, Spain and many, many others around the Globe. Jigme Thinley, advising the Government on how to achieve their objective of becoming an Organic Sovereign country (the first fully 100% organic country).

Here willingness to work with many organizations and Governments has led to a great deal of accolades and appreciation from every corner of the Earth. Time Magazine identified Dr. Shiva as an environmental “hero” in 2003 and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators of Asia.

Vandana Shiva is currently working on a 3 year project with the Government of Bhutan, at the invitation of the Prime Minister

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Dr. Shiva has also published numerous books and publications. Below is a list of her works.
1981, Social Economic and Ecological Impact of Social Forestry Kolar
1988, Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Survival in India
1991, Ecology and the Politics of Survival: Conflicts Over Natural Resources in India
1992, The Violence of the Green Revolution: Ecological degradation and political conflict in Punjab
1992, Biodiversity: Social and Ecological Perspectives (editor)
1993, Women, Ecology and Health: Rebuilding Connections (editor)
1993, Monocultures of the Mind: Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Agriculture
1993, Ecofeminism, Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva
1994, Close to Home: Women Reconnect Ecology, Health and Development Worldwide
1995, Biopolitics (with Ingunn Moser)
1997, Biopiracy: the Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, South End Press
2000, Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply, South End Press
2000, Tomorrow's Biodiversity
2001, Patents, Myths and Reality
2002, Water Wars; Privatization, Pollution, and Profit
2005, India Divided2005, Globalization's New Wars: Seed, Water and Life Forms Women Unlimited
2005, Breakfast of Biodiversity: the Political Ecology of Rain Forest Destruction
2005, Earth Democracy; Justice, Sustainability, and Peace
2007, Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed, editor
2008, Soil Not Oil
2010, Staying Alive
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A few of her Awards

1993: "Global 500 Roll of Honour", by UNEP
1995: "Pride of the Doon" Award from Doon Citizen Council
1997: The Golden Plant Award (International Award of Ecology), Denmark
1998: Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic from the International Scientific Committee of the Pio Manzu Centre at Rimini
2009: inducted into the Public Intellectual Service & Advocacy (PISA) Society

2011: "Calgary Peace Prize" from the Consortium for Peace Studies at the University of Calgarynamed a "Citizen of the Next Century" by Future-ish

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Her drive for gender, food and commercial equality is a very unique social approach to the adverse conditions around the Globe. She feels that relying on the rich business interests for food is very misguided. Companies such as Monsantos are among the Global companies thet Dr. Shiva fights. She feels that the monopoly of food is killing the land, degrading the farmer and poisoning the food. Her efforts through her many organizations and educational outlets offer the World with a genuine opportunity to change their system on the topic of overall equality. Although she is most known for her fight for food, she has been extreemyl vital in the fight for gender equality in her home country of India among many other countries around the globe.

Ask Your State Legislators to Introduce Bills to Label GMO Foods

National polls show that the vast majority of consumers want foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be clearly labeled. For more than 10 years, conscientious Senators and Members of Congress have introduced federal legislation for mandatory GMO labels, but the issue has never been voted on in Congress.

It's time to take the movement for truth-in-labeling and consumers' right-to-know to state legislatures and local governments, to grocery stores, restaurants, schools and hospitals and demand that they put labels on GMO foods now!

Please use this form to write to your state legislators, asking them to introduce legislation making GMO labels mandatory in your state.
Learn more: http://www.MillionsAgainstMonsanto.org

Here is a link to let your State Reps. know you want Genetically Engineered Food labeled. It takes 10-15 seconds. I Just did it, super easy. You have to copy and paste the link cause i cant figure out how to make it an actual link:

http://www.capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=22063501&type%20=ST

The town of Sedgwick, Maine, population 1,012 (according to the 2000 census), has become the first town in the United States to pass a Food Sovereignty ordinance. In doing so, the town declared their right to produce and sell local foods of their choosing, without the oversight of State or federal regulation.

What does this mean? In the debate over raw milk, for example, the law opens the gate for consumer and producer to enter a purchasing agreement without interference from state or federal health regulators. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 1987 FDA regulation required that all milk be pasteurized to kill pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. The Sedgwick ordinance declares that:

Producers or processors of local foods in the Town of Sedgwick are exempt from licensure and inspection provided that the transaction is only between the producer or processor and a patron when the food is sold for home consumption. This includes any producer or processor who sells his or her products at farmers’ markets or roadside stands; sells his or her products through farm-based sales directly to a patron; or delivers his or her products directly to patrons.

In short, the ordinance allows buyer and seller to enter their own agreement which overrides the regulation of government when dealing with transactions involving local foods.

This four page ordinance, which can be read in its entirety here, is revolutionary in that it relies on the consumer to educate themselves on the risk of consuming products (such as raw milks, cheeses, meats and vegetables), and shifts the power away from regulation, which prevents people from eating food of their choosing.

How does the ordinance accomplish this? It references three key documents:

1. The United States Constitution, which declares that the government derives its power from the consent of the governed (in this case, the governed want their raw milk and local meat!)
2. The Maine Constitution, and in particular Article I, § 2, which declares that all power of government is inherent in the people, who may alter, change or reform it if their happiness requires (again, raw milk = happy people!) and;
3. The Maine Revised Statutes and in particular §3001 of Title 30-A which grants municipalities the right to regulate health, safety, and welfare (which will sound familiar to urban planners) and §211 of Title 7 which states “it is the policy of the State to encourage food self-sufficiency for the State.”

This is huge news, and Grown in the City will be tracking the story in various ways in the coming weeks. Be sure to subscribe to Grown in the City so you don’t miss a thing.

Update: Be sure to check out the Interactive Food Sovereignty Map to track the spread of the food sovereignty movement across the US.

'The Zoetrope': A Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine

I found this article online the other day and thought to share, very interesting peice.

From EarthTechling's Caleb Denison:

If you live in an area that sees a fair amount of wind and you'd like to reduce your utility bill by harnessing some of that wind power, a wind turbine might be a good idea. The trouble with most commercially made home wind turbines, though, is that they're fairly expensive, extremely tall and, if you have neighbors, they might not appreciate the new addition to the neighborhood.

Washington state resident Mike Marohn commissioned an inventive alternative. It's called The Zoetrope and it's a vertical-axis wind turbine made out of easily attainable parts and, according to this article, it can be assembled by just about anyone.

Applied Sciences, which did the work, notes that the intention of this product was to provide supplemental water heating. The result is this wind turbine made of materials that you can find at Home Depot and online. Applied Sciences provides what you need to know to build one yourself, including some videos of the turbine and its parts in action and some other valuable resources that will help hopefully get the turbine connected to your home and operating.

During testing, the turbine was witnessed outputting approximately 150-200 watts of power in a windy period with gusts reaching up to 20 MPH. Under its current design, the actual average output is difficult to gauge. This is because certain parts in this turbine were tailored to withstand gusts of up to 60 MPH, conditions which are common here in the Northwest and likely to burn out more sensitive parts.

To encourage others to get involved in the development process, Applied Sciences decided to make the design of The Zoetrope "open source" so that anyone interested and industrious enough can help to refine the design and/or customize it for use in different geographical areas with differing wind conditions. The idea is appealing simply as a interesting science project, but the potential to save money and generate renewable energy in the backyard is rather compelling.