Kaarin Taipale
What will sustainable cities look like? (Part 1)
Kaarin Taipale believes that global sustainability will be won or lost in cities. Now that over half the world’s population lives in cities, local governance plays an increasingly…
Recorded: 12 May 2007
Karl-Henrik Robèrt
How does the Natural Step help businesses be more sustainable?
Karl-Henrik Robèrt draws upon his experience in helping corporations embrace sustainability while also enhancing bottom-line performance. He explains how businesses might go about…
Recorded: 21 April 2006
Sim Van der Ryn
How can design be part of a sustainable future?
Sim Van der Ryn believes we are witnessing the end of an industrial-mechanical era, in which nature is seen as a free resource to be used without regard for the consequences. What…
Recorded: 19 October 2005
Sim Van der Ryn
What is the cutting edge of ecological design?
Architect Sim Van de Ryn describes what he believes to be the leading edge of contemporary design. He talks about biomimicry, which uses the way nature works as a basis for design.…
Recorded: 19 October 2005
Janine Benyus
What is biomimicry?
Janine Benyus describes how biomimicry works, pointing to its origins in early human history. She explains how and why western industrial nations are only now rediscovering the…
Recorded: 16 October 2005
Janine Benyus
What can designers learn from the natural world? (part 1)
Janine Benyus gives examples of how designers have used biomimicry to create more environmentally benign products. The German paint manufacturer, Sto, studied the surface of a Lotus…
Recorded: 16 October 2005
Janine Benyus
What can designers learn from the natural world? (part 2)
Janine Benyus looks at how biomimicry has enabled engineers to develop innovative, resource-efficient materials. In stark contrast to the typical “heat, beat and treat”…
Recorded: 16 October 2005
Janine Benyus
What can designers learn from the natural world? (part 3)
Janine Benyus gives more examples of innovations that have been inspired by nature. Pax Scientific, a US technology company, has developed…
Recorded: 16 October 2005
Michael Braungart
How can design improve life?
Rachel Carson first drew attention to the chemical industry’s harmful effects on nature with her book ‘Silent Spring’ (1962). Michael Braungart says that it is…
Recorded: 22 April 2005
William McDonough
What might a sustainable city look like?
The Chinese plan to build housing for as many as 400 million of its citizens by 2017. With this in mind the Chinese government commissioned world famous eco-architect Bill McDonough…
Recorded: 21 April 2005
