Why Biomimicry?
Science and technology/have given us a comfortable life. But sometimes/our technology damages the natural world. Janine Benyus,/a science writer,/suggests a way/to make our technology conform to nature:/“biomimicry.”
No other living thing on earth/has accomplished more than human beings. We have created many useful things/such as airplanes,/trains,/computers,/cell phones,/medicines and pesticides,/as well as institutions such as schools,/universities,/hospitals and banks. Without them,/the modern world would not exist.
These things let us travel far and wide,/gather information quickly,/educate ourselves,/and treat diseases. However,/things we have created can be harmful. Pesticides kill insects/but can poison the soil. We need cars,/but CO2 may be one of the main causes/of global warming.
Now/we must ask this question:/If we were to live in harmony with nature,/could we maintain/our comfortable way of living? In other words,/how is it possible for us/to live a sustainable life?
Janine Benyus suggests/that the answer to this question may be found/by looking to nature for inspiration. The word “biomimicry” comes from bio,/meaning “life,”/and mimicry,/meaning “imitation.” She says/that by imitating nature,/we should be able to find a way/to live in a nature-friendly way. After all,/nature has been able to sustain/a life-supporting environment/for 3.8 billion years. But now/that environment is threatened. We humans must learn/how to sustain our environment/by observing/and trying to find inspiration from nature. Nature in Benyus’s mind/is our teacher and our model.
Benyus reminds us/that once we try to learn from nature,/rather than about her,/we may feel a sense of wonder. In fact,/there are all sorts of plants and animals/doing things we can only dream about. How about dragonflies,/which move more quickly/than our best helicopters? How about hummingbirds,/which can fly hundreds of kilometers/on less than three grams of fuel? How about ants,/which can carry many times their body weight? They do these things/without damaging nature.
Benyus believes/that we face environmental problems,/not because there are no solutions,/but because we have not been looking in the right direction. Actually,/we can solve many problems,/especially in the area of design,/by looking to nature for inspiration.
Engineers in Japan had a problem:/Shinkansen trains made a very loud sound/when going into tunnels. To solve this problem,/the engineers turned to the kingfisher,/a bird that dives into water/without a splash. They found the solution:/they designed the nose of the train/in the same shape as the kingfisher’s beak.
The Eastgate Center in Harare,/Zimbabwe,/is famous for its environmentally friendly air conditioning system. The architects who designed this building/were inspired by termite mounds. Termites keep their living space/at a comfortable temperature/by opening and closing small holes/in their mounds. The architects used a similar system/for the Eastgate Center/and saved electricity.
Lotus leaves/are one of the most water-repellent leaves/in the world. Because of their rough surface,/even a little wind/causes water and dirt/to roll cleanly off. Now,/a rough surface has been introduced/into a new generation of paint,/glass,/and cloth. It is especially useful/for raincoats and sportswear.
Benyus believes/that biomimicry may help us become more aware of nature,/thus leading us/to change our way of living. We cannot keep taking advantage of nature forever/or keep dumping our waste/into our environment.
For too long,/we have judged our innovations/by whether they are good for us,/or whether they make money. Benyus suggests/that we put what is good for the whole earth first/and trust that it will also be good/for us humans. The new questions should be the following:/Will it fit in? Is there a model for this in nature? What will it cost the earth/and future generations?
Biomimicry is a powerful tool/that can play an important role/in our future. In the early days,/there were just a few of us humans/in a very large world. Now,/our population is growing rapidly,/and we are beginning to have a bad effect on the environment. We are finally looking for an answer to the question:/“How can we live on our home planet/without destroying it?” Benyus believes/that biomimicry is not only a new way of looking at nature/but also a key to our survival/on planet Earth. We have to learn to live on the earth. It is our home,/but it is not ours alone.
Science and technology/have given us a comfortable life. But sometimes/our technology damages the natural world. Janine Benyus,/a science writer,/suggests a way/to make our technology conform to nature:/“biomimicry.”
No other living thing on earth/has accomplished more than human beings. We have created many useful things/such as airplanes,/trains,/computers,/cell phones,/medicines and pesticides,/as well as institutions such as schools,/universities,/hospitals and banks. Without them,/the modern world would not exist.
These things let us travel far and wide,/gather information quickly,/educate ourselves,/and treat diseases. However,/things we have created can be harmful. Pesticides kill insects/but can poison the soil. We need cars,/but CO2 may be one of the main causes/of global warming.
Now/we must ask this question:/If we were to live in harmony with nature,/could we maintain/our comfortable way of living? In other words,/how is it possible for us/to live a sustainable life?
Janine Benyus suggests/that the answer to this question may be found/by looking to nature for inspiration. The word “biomimicry” comes from bio,/meaning “life,”/and mimicry,/meaning “imitation.” She says/that by imitating nature,/we should be able to find a way/to live in a nature-friendly way. After all,/nature has been able to sustain/a life-supporting environment/for 3.8 billion years. But now/that environment is threatened. We humans must learn/how to sustain our environment/by observing/and trying to find inspiration from nature. Nature in Benyus’s mind/is our teacher and our model.
Benyus reminds us/that once we try to learn from nature,/rather than about her,/we may feel a sense of wonder. In fact,/there are all sorts of plants and animals/doing things we can only dream about. How about dragonflies,/which move more quickly/than our best helicopters? How about hummingbirds,/which can fly hundreds of kilometers/on less than three grams of fuel? How about ants,/which can carry many times their body weight? They do these things/without damaging nature.
Benyus believes/that we face environmental problems,/not because there are no solutions,/but because we have not been looking in the right direction. Actually,/we can solve many problems,/especially in the area of design,/by looking to nature for inspiration.
Engineers in Japan had a problem:/Shinkansen trains made a very loud sound/when going into tunnels. To solve this problem,/the engineers turned to the kingfisher,/a bird that dives into water/without a splash. They found the solution:/they designed the nose of the train/in the same shape as the kingfisher’s beak.
The Eastgate Center in Harare,/Zimbabwe,/is famous for its environmentally friendly air conditioning system. The architects who designed this building/were inspired by termite mounds. Termites keep their living space/at a comfortable temperature/by opening and closing small holes/in their mounds. The architects used a similar system/for the Eastgate Center/and saved electricity.
Lotus leaves/are one of the most water-repellent leaves/in the world. Because of their rough surface,/even a little wind/causes water and dirt/to roll cleanly off. Now,/a rough surface has been introduced/into a new generation of paint,/glass,/and cloth. It is especially useful/for raincoats and sportswear.
Benyus believes/that biomimicry may help us become more aware of nature,/thus leading us/to change our way of living. We cannot keep taking advantage of nature forever/or keep dumping our waste/into our environment.
For too long,/we have judged our innovations/by whether they are good for us,/or whether they make money. Benyus suggests/that we put what is good for the whole earth first/and trust that it will also be good/for us humans. The new questions should be the following:/Will it fit in? Is there a model for this in nature? What will it cost the earth/and future generations?
Biomimicry is a powerful tool/that can play an important role/in our future. In the early days,/there were just a few of us humans/in a very large world. Now,/our population is growing rapidly,/and we are beginning to have a bad effect on the environment. We are finally looking for an answer to the question:/“How can we live on our home planet/without destroying it?” Benyus believes/that biomimicry is not only a new way of looking at nature/but also a key to our survival/on planet Earth. We have to learn to live on the earth. It is our home,/but it is not ours alone.