BioInspired! So What? Now What!

This is a four-part program in German and French:

1. The art of movement: March 4
2. Building with efficiency: March 11
3. Orientation in the chaos: March 18
4. Materials of the future: March 25

A rough translation of the description:

Human civilization faces enormous challenges.  Climate change, pollution the world's oceans, depletion of fresh water and non-renewable energy are just some of our global environmental problems.  At the political level, we are seeing what environmentalists predicted for years: it is five minutes to twelve and we need to act if our planet Earth is to remain a vital habitat for our children and grandchildren.  The good news is that there are solutions.  And we find them in nature.  In 3.8 billion years of evolution, the planet created millions of animal and plant species that have more sustainable answers than we previously thought.

The key to this of crucial knowledge of nature is the still young but increasingly booming science of biomimetics, or biomimicry in English.  It focuses on nature that developed solutions through evolution forces to problems that we often share: solutions that that people at the beginning of the 21st century desperately need.  Nature is a master of the effective production, using a minimum of energy and resources, and always incorporating "waste" back into in the cycle.

The Mission of the American scientist of JANINE BENYUS is to decipher these processes in nature and to find innovative, environmentally friendly technological solutions for humans.  The so-called "mother of the biomimicry" travels tirelessly around the world to teach designers, engineers, architects, and others, to apply the principles and workings of our natural environment. Her credo: humans must again integrate into the natural cycle and learn the principles of nature to continue to survive on Earth.  TIME Magazine recognized the importance of her work and highlighted her on the 2007 list of the most important environmentalists of the world.

I was able to view the eight video clips from the programs but am not able to view the full video, probably because of licencing issues.

Thanks to Manfred Drack and the Biomimetics mailing list for the pointer!