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San Diego Zoo Partners with City to Hold Biomimicry Event |
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, Jul. 15 -/E-Wire/--
The San Diego Zoo and the City of San Diego sponsored an industry event at the Zoo today featuring the Biomimicry Guild. The Guild introduced the discipline of biomimicry to an audience of biotech firms, educators, research scientists, engineers and others interested in learning more about this emerging field of innovation inspired by nature.
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Biomimicry is the science of taking inspiration from nature, its systems, processes and elements to solve design problems in a sustainable matter. Biomimicry is a core component of the advancement and expansion of the cleantech industry. There is a lot to learn from the way things are designed in nature, and both the general principle and more specific examples can be applied to everyday products to help make them more effective, last longer, and be more efficient.
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Dayna Baumeister, co-founder of the Boimimicry Guild, a worldwide network of individuals and organizations advancing biomimicry, demonstrated technological and commercial applications that arise when inquisitive humans ask nature for solutions to complex design challenges. Present-day applications of biomimicry include super-efficient wind turbines modeled on the fins of humpback whales, wetsuits worn by Olympic athletes that imitate the texture of sharkskin, and antibiotics which do not result in resistant bacteria, based on the defenses used by red seaweed. Other advancements include energy-efficient buildings designed after termite mounds and lightweight building materials based on the structure of an abalone shell.
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"Throughout its more than 90-year history, the San Diego Zoo has taken a leadership role in the conservation of endangered species and their habitats," said Paula Brock, chief financial officer for the San Diego Zoo. "Biomimicry does much more than highlight the value of the natural world; it also creates a scenario where
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conservation is good business."
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The San Diego Zoo has a long history of taking a leadership role in conservation efforts. Through its work to create sustainable populations of endangered species, the Zoo has been at the forefront of endangered species conservation. In the last decade Zoo officials have made a number of business practice changes designed to demonstrate the economic feasibility of resource conservation. Initiatives such as recycling, the use of disposable products which can be composted and the erection of a building powered largely throughsolar power are just a few of the programs enacted in order to promote sustainable use.
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For the City of San Diego, supporting the cultivation of biomimicry falls under the Mayor’s Cleantech Initiative. Clean technology is an emerging sector featuring a range of products, services and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, reducing the depletion of natural resources and reducing or eliminating pollution and waste to create sustainable and secure energy sources. Clean technology encompasses advancements in solar power, wind power, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell technology, tidal and wave power, biodiesel, green building materials and water treatment systems.
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The San Diego region is well positioned to capitalize on the adoption of biomimicry's scientific principles into the research and development of new products and services. As one of the world’s premier centers for high tech, biotech, and telecom innovation, coupled with the resources of the renowned San Diego Zoo and its center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES), the San Diego region is positioned to become a hub for this emerging field.
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The San Diego Zoo and the City of San Diego will be working together with other partners to increase awareness of biomimicry and help establish San Diego as a leading location for biomimicry development.
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For more information on biomimicry, visit the Biomimicry Guild’s Web site at www.biomimicryguild.com. For additional information on the San Diego Zoo, visit www.sandiegozoo.org. For more information on the City of San Diego’s Cleantech Initiative, visit www.sandiego.gov/cleantech
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About the San Diego Zoo: The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe and is responsible for maintaining accredited horticultural, animal, library, and photo collections. The Zoological Society also manages the1,800-acre San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego.
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About the City of San Diego’s Cleantech Initiative: The San Diego Cleantech Initiative was launched in April of 2007 to help nurture and accelerate the growth of cleantech companies and foster sustainable development of green enterprises. The City of San Diego has identified the development of a cleantech industry cluster as a key economic development goal for the region. It sees universities and research centers as the main source of breakthrough innovations. The City is already working with several companies, providing a wide array of assistance to assist in their business operations.
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Contact Info: Christina Simmons, San Diego Zoo
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(619) 685-3291
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Eric Symons, City of San Diego
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(619) 533-6417 Website : San Diego Zoo
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