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Alternatives to technologies that depend on fossil fuels are all around us, modeled in the natural world, and studied in the new field of bio-mimicry.
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Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, is founder of The Biomimicry Institute, whose mission is to nurture and grow a global community of people, who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life's genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet.
As one delves deeper into biomimicry, Benyus says there are three levels of analysis:
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There are instances of complex natural processes that could be adapted for human use all over the planet, Benyus says. African ant mounds are just one interesting example of what is being called "enabling technology."
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SMIT GROW is an example of biomimicry. By creating solar panels in the shape of leaves, to gather energy from the sun and wind. Find out more here.
When you look at the global ecosystem, Benyus explains, humans as a species are akin to weeds, gobbling up resources with scant thought for their long-term presence where they have taken root.
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Janine Benysus will be a keynote speaker at the annual Bioneers Conference, October 16th-20th, at the Marin Center in San Rafael. For more information, click here. There is a full roster of presenters here , and a detailed conference schedule here.
It's one thing to set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but quite another to map out exactly how Sonoma County can reach the goals it has set.
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Sonoma County's Community Climate Action Plan will be unveiled tonight at the Climate Protection Campaigns office in downtown Santa Rosa, at 31 D Street. The community is invited to the free event which is scheduled 6:30 - 8 pm. For more information, click here. A link to the action plan will also be posted there after Oct. 8.
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Read more about Sonoma County's greenhouse gas reduction goals here
The Solar Sonoma County program, which got its official kick-off last night, may make our area a model for other rural regions that want to expand their use of solar power.
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Click here to see a detailed 2-page fact sheet on Solar Sonoma County. (pdf)
John Lushetsky from the federal Department of Energy, where he is the manager of the Solar Energy Technologies Program. As more and more solar panels collect electricity, there will be increasing demand for batteries to store and save that power. John Lushetshy says his agency will soon turn its attention to that aspect of energy independence as well.
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Ives Pool in Sebastopol is an example of a local public facility that has installed solar panels to hold down energy costs.
They have us badly outnumbered, but there are ways to divert an invasion of ants without trying to eradicate them.
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A close-up look at anArgentine ant.
There's a lot more information about common California ants and how to cope with them here.
For additional resources from the Sonoma County Master Gardeners, click here.
The most critical natural resource on the planet is at risk, but its not one we’re accustomed to thinking of as endangered.
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Dr. Vandana Shiva is the founder of Navdanya International , an India-based science and policy research center. Its mission: "To protect nature and people's rights to knowledge, biodiversity, water and food."
Dr. Shiva notes that pesticide use contributes to the "desertification" of soils, a process that is accelerated when the soil is poor to begin with.
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One little-known consequence of the widespread adoption of genetically modified cotton seed by farmers in India has been a surge in suicides by debt-ridden farmers whose crops do not earn enough to pay their seed bills. Dr. Shiva says that a generation ago, suicide was rare in India, but the numbers now suggest there is a new death approximately every 20 mintes.
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On August 27th, the Jackson Theater at Sonoma Country Day School in Santa Rosa will host an evening with Dr. Shiva, advocate and author as well as winner of the alternative Nobel Peace Prize. For more information about the speaking event, click here . KRCB will also record her presentation for later broadcast next month.
