Everyone is going “green“. Families are assuaging their consciences by replacing their home lighting with CFLs, businesses are buying out of conscience by purchasing carbon offsets, and eco-companies are selling conscience on every imaginable level. Despite the varying motives for this trend, it is one that appears to be sticking around.
- It is important, I think, to differentiate “green” and “sustainable” before we continue. “Green” (eco-friendly, low-impact, etc.) focuses on reducing our impact on the environment. A lofty goal worth working for. “Sustainable” is more of a methodology for innovation that seeks to understand and utilize the complex systems of the environment to better incorporate new technology into it. Thus, successful sustainability would render being “green” unnecessary. -As I was listening to NPR the other day, they broadcast a story on biomimicry. The idea of biomimicry is to derive inspiration and solutions from nature for sustainable innovation. Essentially, when faced with a dilemma, we ask, “What would nature do?” For example, when faced with the dilemma of liquid storage, nature provides us with myriad solutions, ranging from the snail to the banana to lettuce. Lettuce is 98% water, but when punctured, the leaf does not leak. Imagine if we could produce packaging that, instead of employing the traditional method of thicker leakage barriers (and thus excess materials), could utilize the structural matrix of the lettuce leaf to render the vessel leak-proof? Continue reading »
