Even termites can teach us about how to take care of buildings.

To generate ideas for living more lightly on Earth, using up fewer resources, and lowering our contributions to climate change, sometimes we look to nature for lessons. Finding an elegant form or process, say the way leaves collect water, carbon, and sunlight to create food, energy, and oxygen, we may simply mimic that form or process. This is called biomimicry, and while its results may sometimes seem largely about aesthetics, they may also lead to practical improvements in sustainability. Or, in sharp contrast, we might pour resources into designing and manufacturing high-tech analogs, hoping often to go beyond mimicry to improving upon nature, to create, say, artificial leaves that do even more good work than natural ones. The articles here sample a variety of such efforts.

How nature does the job

“‘Cloud-milking’: the zero-energy technique keeping young trees alive.” Stephen Burgen, The Guardian. Mimicking pine needles to capture water from fog.

“A cheap, low-tech solution for storing carbon may be sitting in the dirt.” Dino Grandoni, Washington Post. One of nature’s methods: Bury wood to preserve it from decay for what can be a very long time.

Bringing the chill of the cosmos to a warming planet.” Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post. Nature’s radiative cooling + nanotechnology + cheaper air conditioning and refrigeration.

Biomimicry in design and architecture

“Biomimicry: taking cues from nature to create more sustainable products and interiors.” AnnMarie Martin, Buildings. A good introductory overview of this intriguing field, with lots of key links.

“Biomimicry.” Janine Benyus, YouTube. This 22-minute video is another good introduction, full of examples from a leading figure in the field.

On perhaps the best-known example of biomimicry in architecture, the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe: “What termites can teach us about cooling our buildings” (JoAnna Klein, New York Times) and “5 ways giant termite mounds can help architects create more efficient and sustainable buildings” (Johnny Wood, World Economic Forum).

Here are two collections of interesting examples around the globe: “Biomimicry in architecture: 10 nature-inspired examples” (The Overview) and “The top 10 examples of biomimicry in architecture” (Learn Biomimicry).

Small-scale but intriguing mixes of living materials with high tech

All from Anthropocene Magazine, where such stories are regular features:

“Artificial plant guzzles carbon and produces electricity.” High tech + cyanobacteria + leaf shapes.

“Designer bacteria clean wastewater and generate power – at the same time.” Sarah DeWeerdt. Nano-engineering + e-coli bacteria + sewage.

This ‘living paint’ traps carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.” Prachi Patel. Extremophile bacteria + latex + clay.

“Artificial leaves can now directly make liquid fuels.” Prachi Patel. Sophisticated materials + ordinary sunshine.

#Biomimicry #Tech #Nature #Wildlife #Animals