February 10th, 2013 
Eric Wilson 
I picked up David Suzuki’s Tree: A Life Story at the library recently and started reading it on the bus. It traces the development of a Douglas-fir from seedling to towering specimen and its eventual decay. During the discussion of deciduous and evergreen trees, I couldn’t help but think about design though. As Suzuki, and [...]
Posted in Behavior, Eric Wilson, Featured Posts, Op-Ed, Policy 
Tags: Biomimicry, David Suzuki, Urban Planning 
No Comments » April 15th, 2012 Eric Wilson Both NPR and the New York Times ran stories last week that highlighted the role of natural gas in the U.S. energy economy. NPR interviewed Amy Myers Jaffe, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute Energy Forum. Jaffe predicted that natural gas prices would remain low for the foreseeable future, specifically 5-10 years. The New York [...]
Posted in Eric Wilson, Featured Posts, Op-Ed, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Transportation Tags: Biomimicry, Fracking, Natural Gas, Solar Energy, Wastewater No Comments » October 19th, 2011 Eric Wilson The idea of waste as fuel or nutrients for another purpose is a fundamental process in nature. Taking a substance that is considered waste and refining, recycling, or repurposing it is nature’s forte. Biomimicry and Cradle to Cradle design try to accomplish this goal albeit on a human scale. In the Rocky Mountain region, recycOil [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Eric Wilson, Recylcing, Renewable Energy Tags: Biodiesel, Biomimicry, Colorado, Cradle to Cradle, Food, Waste No Comments » September 25th, 2011 Eric Wilson Starting with the release of her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature in 1997, Janine Benyus has been building a following around the concept of biomimicry, or imitating nature. The book served as the foundation for the Biomimicry Guild the following year. In 2006, the Biomimicry Guild took hold with the vision to promote “learning [...]
July 27th, 2011 Eric Wilson Green building has several connotations such as being expensive, unattainable, and too modern in its styling. However, people having been incorporating “green” techniques for centuries. Many of these are low or NO cost options, such as building orientation, trees for shading, and thick exterior walls for insulation during hot and cold weather. Obviously the advent [...]
March 23rd, 2011 Eric Wilson I recently had the opportunity to take two tours of 1536 Wynkoop St in the Lower Downtown section of Denver. A hundred year old brick building that began as a warehouse, the structure is now home to some 38 non-profit organizations and the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. According to the tour guide, the building was [...]
Posted in Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Eric Wilson, Green Building, Site Visits, Sustainability Tags: AASHE, Biomimicry, Bus, Chemicals, Colorado, Denver, Interface, LEED, Trains, Water, Water Conservation No Comments » March 6th, 2011 Phil Sauve “After 3.8 billion years of research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to survival.” -Janine Benyus, co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute and founder of the Biomimicry Guild. Our current world is dangerously unsustainable. Greenhouse gas levels are reaching dangerous tipping points, climate change is a reality, freshwater shortages are [...]
January 16th, 2011 Eric Wilson 
A few months ago I wrote a piece about living in a world of limits. The laws of physics (especially the laws of conservation of matter & energy and the laws of thermodynamics) dictate the ability to produce goods and services. The ecosystems in which we live can only absorb so much waste and generate [...]
Posted in Conservation, Economics, Eric Wilson, Recylcing Tags: Biomimicry, Carbon Dioxide, Cradle to Cradle, Energy, Food, New Belgium Brewery, Oil Consumption, Thermodynamics, Waste No Comments » November 25th, 2010 Eric Wilson The Biomimicry Institute, a non-profit organization that “promotes the study and imitation of nature’s remarkably efficient designs, bringing together scientists, engineers, architects and innovators who can use those models to create sustainable technologies” has launched their inaugural Biomimicry Youth Challenge. According to their recent press release: The Biomimicry Youth Challenge (BYC) is a unique initiative [...]
Posted in Education, Eric Wilson Tags: Biomimicry, Curriculum, Regenerative Economy, Science No Comments » September 2nd, 2010 Eric Wilson The calendar of conferences and events for September has been updated. There are a number of events across the globe on this month’s calendar. Below are half a dozen conferences paired up in the following categories: Ecotourism, Biomimicry, and Green Building Conferences. Take a look and let us know of conferences, events, or festivals in [...]
Posted in Eric Wilson, Green Building Tags: Biomimicry, Calendar, California, Portland-Oregon No Comments »
