Lovely example of biomimicry from Ecovative via Grist:
Usually you do not want fungi in the walls of your home. But Ecovative is building a home in which having fungi in the walls is the entire point. The “Mushroom Tiny House” will use mycelium (the mass of threadlike “roots” that mushrooms use to take in nutrition) for insulation.
According to Inhabitat, this stuff is basically asbestos except that it’s not bad for the planet, won’t give you cancer, and is related to something you might put on a pizza…
As different industries grapple with what sustainability means, different terms are being developed to suit specific contexts. One term emerging in the manufacturing sector is Cleantech – short for Clean Technology. John O’Brien of Australian Cleantech defines it as: “Products and services with economic AND environmental benefits” It’s about thinking win/win and letting go of…
In thinking about the quality of our communication, making sure we cover 4 key learning questions can make a big difference. Reflecting on mainstream sustainability messages, many of them are really heavy on the “Why?” question (potential ecological catastrophe) and have limited “What?”, “How” or “What Else?” content. Sustainability practitioners can increase their effectiveness by…
“Small changes can produce big results – but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious.” – Peter Senge, “The Fifth Discipline” Do we best change the world by pushing it – or does just pushing hard only generate resistance? For change-makers, the concept of leverage can be a useful one to work…
A common topic in many of my coaching conversations – especially with sustainability practitioners – is that there are useful models for understanding HOW people are different and what motivates different groups. I’ve found that the four Temperament Types is a useful model for understanding and influencing and gives clients some useful ‘aha’ moments as…
An interesting ‘small, local, smart solution’ – maybe one of the world’s shortest commercial supply chains? “On a recent business trip to the Northeast US, I booked a flight that would allow me a long layover at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Even though most business travelers run from a layover, I had an ulterior motive. I wanted…
Early in my sustainability journey I came across The Better World Handbook . The wisdom in its introduction empowered me to manage some of my emotions about “the tough stuff” and whether this sustainability thing was for me. As I sat down to do some planning for the coming year it seemed a good time to…
