With predictions of our economic collapse, global warming and
climactic disasters riddling global discussion, it can seem hard to
maintain a positive attitude. The reverberating chant that bellowed
through the halls of the Republican National Convention two weeks ago:
"DRILL, BABY, DRILL!" certainly didn't help, leaving many of us feeling
hopeless.

Don't despair yet! There’s good news when it comes to what is known
as "green technology". As we speak, alternative energy projects in a
plethora of arenas are transforming research and development centers
around the world. The Green Revolution has begun, and it will prove to
not only boost our economy, but also holds the potential to save the
planet from human destruction.

According to the market research firm CleanTech Group, renewable
energy start-ups received $2 billion in venture capital funding in the
second quarter of 2008 alone; a 58% increase from its previous year.
Today clean technology accounts for 20% of all venture capital funding.
This will provide us with thousands of new jobs, economic security,
competitiveness in the global marketplace, and, well, hope for a more
environmentally responsible future.

So what types of revolutionary green technologies can we look out
for? Here is a glimpse into the Top 5 green technological breakthroughs
from the past few years that we think will positively impact the way we
live:

• DYNAMIC BUILDINGS
• TUBURCLE BLADES
• MICRO-ALGAE
• WAVE & TIDAL POWER
• SOLAR-THERMAL ENERGY

Introduction To Biomimicry
Biologists and scientists such as Janine Benyus discovered years ago that perhaps “man-made” technology isn’t so smart after all. The concept of biomimicry
suggests that modern innovators follow the designs that nature has
developed to withstand the test of geologic time. If natural designs
are superior to anything that us humans have come up with, so why not
“mimic nature” in the development of all our modern technologies?

The idea seemed too simple for many engineers and designers, but the
theory is catching on. Two modern examples of Biomimicry-based designs
include wind turbine blades that have been designed to use the same
design as humpback whale fins, and skyscrapers that mimic the movable,
dynamic architecture of a tree.

MOVING SKYSCRAPERS

From
creating man-made islands visible from space to ski resorts in the
middle of the desert, the city of Dubai continues to defy convention.
This time however, they're turning to nature to inspire a whole new
type of architecture: dynamic towers.

According to the city's architecture firm, the new skyscrapers will
have 80 floors and stand 1,380 feet tall. Each floor will rotate and
move independently (and slowly enough to keep residents from getting
motion sickness). Not limited to rotational movement- inhabitants will
also be able to extend their own balconies outward so they can soak up
the sun - and the constantly changing views!

The movement of the modulated floors will create a building that
resembles something out of a sci-fi film; something that should defy
the laws of physics. Depending on the time of day and how it reflects
light, the variation of shape can make the tower look like the craziest
LEGO creation a kid could come up with. The most exciting facet of the
new building in motion is its environmental friendliness. According to
renowned Italian architect Dr. David Fisher, "the Dynamic Tower is the
first building designed to be self-powered, with the ability to
generate electricity for itself, as well as for nearby buildings. It
achieves this feat with 79 wind turbines, making it a true green power
plant."

The structure will mimic that of a tree. The building's stable core
resembles a thick trunk that runs from the ground up, with the floors
acting like branches and leaves that shadow the rhythms of nature. Dr.
Fisher states, “Today's life is dynamic, so the space we are living in
should be dynamic as well, adjustable to our needs that change to our
concept of design and to our mood. [Our] buildings will follow the
rhythms of nature, they will change direction and shape from spring to
summer, from sunrise to sunset, and adjust themselves to the weather,
these buildings will be alive."

TUBERCLE BLADES

Inspired
by the agility and speed of whales, designs that integrate biomimicry
with a host of mechanical components are being built based on the
science of fluid dynamics. Wind turbines, fans, pumps and compressors
are just a few examples of everyday items that can break through the
limitations of conventional technologies by mimicking the design of the
whale flipper.

Dr. Frank E. Fish studied the unusual bumps (tubercles) on the
leading edge of humpback whale flipper and discovered that they create
what he dubbed a "tubercle effect" on surrounding fluid: delaying
stall, increasing lift and decreasing drag. This discovery allowed a
portal of understanding into the grace and ease by which these huge
mammals glide through the ocean. By adding precisely formed versions of
those bumps to blades or rotors, his designs have proven to easily
overcome the scientific limitations once deemed unavoidable by
engineers and scientists.

The possibilities are endless, from more efficient wind and
hydroelectric turbines, municipal water systems, farm irrigation,
ventilation systems to efficient aircraft wing design, this simple
tweak to the shape of blades could dramatically improve thousands of
modern technologies.

MICRO ALGAE

Slimy-looking
pond scum could save our planet? As we come to terms with the major
drawbacks of harvesting crops to fuel our cars, it is essential that we
find new renewable fuels that won’t compete with food crops such as soy
or corn. Micro-algae could be the answer. This super-organism grows
prolifically in areas not suitable for traditional crops and can store
massive amounts of oils and starches necessary to make biodiesel or
ethanol. Micro-algae has garnered considerable attention lately, since
it can produce 30-100 times the oil yield of soybeans on the same
acreage, while it's biomass remnants can be reused as cattle feed
supplement or fermented into ethanol.

One of the main obstacles to industrial production of biodiesel from
algae is the organism’s reliance on photosynthesis for energy to
consume CO2 and produce oils. Solazyme, a San Francisco-based startup,
has been working for the past five years on deriving biofuel from algae
without sunlight. They are using sugar. Algae are not entirely
dependent on sunlight for growth, in fact, they are 1000 times more
efficient at producing oils from sugar compared to growth by sunlight.
Although the process is still in development, Solazyme’s claim may
prove to have revolutionary merit.

SOLAR-THERMAL

Solar power is a well known entity. Although few of us are aware of the embodied energy
that is required to design, manufacture and distribute traditional
photovoltaic cells to our rooftops, most of us know that it is easily
accessible and relatively simple to convert a home or business from
electric to solar power.

There’s a new solar game in town and it’s known as solar thermal.
Although it may sound like a new type of underwear, solar thermal is a
renewable energy that is often referred to as the “other” solar power.
Unlike photovoltaic cells that directly converts sunlight into energy,
solar thermal uses mirrors to focus sunlight on a liquid that turns
into steam and powers a turbine. This key difference means that solar
thermal does not rely on direct sunlight to produce energy, and the
relatively simple process can store energy for several hours after
sundown. Solar thermal plants can also rely on other fuels such as
natural gas when it’s dark or cloudy. So, there’s hope for those of us
who live in Vancouver, Seattle, London or Stockholm!

OCEAN POWER


Sweden, Scotland and recently the Pacific Northwest of the US have
developed energy technology powered by the force of the sea. The
technology utilizes the forces of waves and tidal pull to generate
electrical energy which is fed straight into national power grids. Wave
and tidal power produces zero emissions and leaves no harmful waste.
While estimates for solar power in many parts of the world is 1,000
hours a year and for wind power is 2,200 hours a year, it is estimated
that wave and tidal power will be available for up to 4,000 hours a
year.

The challenge remains: harnessing energy from heaving waves, severe
weather, crushing currents and the corrosive power of salt water can
seriously thrash expensive equipment. Yet the potential benefits
seriously outweigh the drawbacks; the majority of researchers believe
that tapping power from our oceans could supply a third of our energy
supplies.

While we still have fossil fuels to burn, why not channel them into
designing technologies that will allow us to live without the
destructive oil habit in a regenerative, clean, energy conserving way?

Voraciously intrigued?

• Check out the Biomimicry Institute to keep up with nature-inspired technological advancements

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