If you missed Janine Benyus’ recent presentation in Whistler on Biomimicry — Lessons from Nature, Cable 6 will be airing it from March 1 to 7 at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Benyus was the fourth of five speakers scheduled to present in Whistler as part of the Leadership Through Sustainable Innovation Speaker Series, which is being hosted by the early adopters of Whistler’s sustainability initiative, Whistler. It’s Our Nature. The early adopters are the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Whistler-Blackcomb, Tourism Whistler, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, AWARE and Whistler Fotosource.
Biomimicry is a branch of science that is about "rediscovering life’s best ideas," according to Benyus. Despite our technology and industrial processes, many organisms are way ahead of us.
By applying the biological designs, processes and laws we learn from nature, we can all enjoy a higher, and sustainable standard of living. We can design buildings with ventilation designs similar to African and Australian termites so they won’t require air conditioning. We can make stronger glass by using the same basic chemistry an anemone uses to build its shell out of materials in the ocean – without the use of heat or energy. We can mimic the web-producing biology of a spider to produce textiles that can be stronger and more durable than steel. The possibilities are endless.
To find out more about Benyus, visit the Biomimicry Web site at www.biomimicry .org.
To find out more about Whistler. It’s Our Nature, visit www.whistleritsournature.com.
