My glossary term research, the Silk Pavilion, truly was an exercise in the cross-disciplinary nature of technology based on bio-inspiration. If you go back to my previous post (right before this one) you will find the video-clip that shows the construction of the silk pavilion at MIT in a fast-forward version, from start to finish. One can't help realize how much collaboration occurred between scientists and artist of all disciplines. I believe the selections of the glossary terms this week effectively explored the cross-disciplinary nature of bio-inspired technology.
Michael Pawlyn's video clip and interview article is worth a look. For anyone who doesn't have a clue as to what bio-inspired architecture encompasses, take a look at the following video clips. These are excellent introductions to the field of bio-inspired architecture and I encourage you to watch these!!
Video 1:
Biomimicry in Architecture
Michael Pawlyn's video clip and interview article is worth a look. For anyone who doesn't have a clue as to what bio-inspired architecture encompasses, take a look at the following video clips. These are excellent introductions to the field of bio-inspired architecture and I encourage you to watch these!!
Video 1:
Biomimicry in Architecture
Video #2: Using Nature's Genius in Architecture:
If you watch these two videos, particularly the second, I believe you will get the idea of the power of bio-design.
The take home message for me in this week's activity is represented by Michael Pawlin's Sahara Forest Project. The project uses bio-inspired design to help restore vegetation in the Fertile Crescent region that was once lush forest, but is now desert. This man-made disaster would take infinitely large amounts of energy to reverse using old, fossil fuel technologies. Michael Pawlin's team offers low cost solutions to restorative ecology utilized nature's laws...low cost, very efficient.
Here are the 10 simple solutions that Micheal Pawilin's team posted on their website. I think these bullets pretty much sum up modules 1-7 in a nutshell!!
The Sahara Forest Project in 10 sentences
1. The Sahara Forest Project (SFP) is a combination of environmental technologies to enable restorative growth, defined as revegetation and creation of green jobs through profitable production of food, freshwater, biofuels and electricity.
2. While society still strives to realize that sustainable solutions must replace the traditional extractive use of resources, the Sahara Forest Project demonstrates the potential for restorative practices.
3. SFP is designed to utilize what we have enough of to produce what we need more of, using deserts, saltwater and CO2 to produce food, water and energy.
4. The Sahara Forest Projects is not too good to be true and it is not rocket science, but an innovative solution founded on the premises that we need a more holistic approach towards tackling challenges related to energy, food and water security.
5. The Sahara Forest Project is a unique combination of existing low-tech environmental solutions based on tested principles that are combined to create highly desirable synergies.
6. Sahara Forest Project combines solar thermal technologies with technologies for saltwater evaporation, condensation of freshwater and modern production of food and biomass without displacing existing agriculture or natural vegetation.
7. The best physical locations for a SFP-facility are low-lying, arid and sunny areas that normally has little agricultural activity or natural vegetation.
8. A single SFP-facility with 50 MW of concentrated solar power and 50 ha of seawater greenhouses would annually produce 34,000 tons of vegetables, employ over 800 people, export 155 GWh of electricity and sequester more than 8,250 tons of CO2.
9. By establishing a commercial viable way to bring saltwater into the desert The Sahara Forest Project works as an enabling technology, allowing for a wide variety of businesses to develop alongside it.
10. SFP makes it possible to go green by black numbers at the bottom-line, as the project profitably creates much needed resources while providing ecosystem-services.
Number 10 from above is the topic of the next blog post (we are already into the last module where we discuss the reality of technology and the capitalistic market..good ideas aren't always practical or acce
The take home message for me in this week's activity is represented by Michael Pawlin's Sahara Forest Project. The project uses bio-inspired design to help restore vegetation in the Fertile Crescent region that was once lush forest, but is now desert. This man-made disaster would take infinitely large amounts of energy to reverse using old, fossil fuel technologies. Michael Pawlin's team offers low cost solutions to restorative ecology utilized nature's laws...low cost, very efficient.
Here are the 10 simple solutions that Micheal Pawilin's team posted on their website. I think these bullets pretty much sum up modules 1-7 in a nutshell!!
The Sahara Forest Project in 10 sentences
1. The Sahara Forest Project (SFP) is a combination of environmental technologies to enable restorative growth, defined as revegetation and creation of green jobs through profitable production of food, freshwater, biofuels and electricity.
2. While society still strives to realize that sustainable solutions must replace the traditional extractive use of resources, the Sahara Forest Project demonstrates the potential for restorative practices.
3. SFP is designed to utilize what we have enough of to produce what we need more of, using deserts, saltwater and CO2 to produce food, water and energy.
4. The Sahara Forest Projects is not too good to be true and it is not rocket science, but an innovative solution founded on the premises that we need a more holistic approach towards tackling challenges related to energy, food and water security.
5. The Sahara Forest Project is a unique combination of existing low-tech environmental solutions based on tested principles that are combined to create highly desirable synergies.
6. Sahara Forest Project combines solar thermal technologies with technologies for saltwater evaporation, condensation of freshwater and modern production of food and biomass without displacing existing agriculture or natural vegetation.
7. The best physical locations for a SFP-facility are low-lying, arid and sunny areas that normally has little agricultural activity or natural vegetation.
8. A single SFP-facility with 50 MW of concentrated solar power and 50 ha of seawater greenhouses would annually produce 34,000 tons of vegetables, employ over 800 people, export 155 GWh of electricity and sequester more than 8,250 tons of CO2.
9. By establishing a commercial viable way to bring saltwater into the desert The Sahara Forest Project works as an enabling technology, allowing for a wide variety of businesses to develop alongside it.
10. SFP makes it possible to go green by black numbers at the bottom-line, as the project profitably creates much needed resources while providing ecosystem-services.
Number 10 from above is the topic of the next blog post (we are already into the last module where we discuss the reality of technology and the capitalistic market..good ideas aren't always practical or acce