I know you know about Zero Landfill. This is the program that provides arts and crafts materials to educators and artists, by culling donations from architects, design firms, and more. They take the old samples and other miscellanea and divert it from landfill by allowing artists, teachers, pretty much anyone, come and take these things away. Less in landfill, more in the arts. Interested? Tomorrow is the final day for th season already (where did the summer go?)
Well, what you may not know is that Zero Landfill is a project of Beedance. And Michael Dungan of Beedance could be a featured panel speaker at SxSW (the preeminent film, music and technology celebration fair) in Austin. But they need your help. NO, they don;’t need money for the trip (although I am sure you could make a donation if you like) but rather they need your votes. You see, the organizers make some of the decisions surrounding who will speak about what by asking the public to vote on possible speakers. Michael wants to talk about Biomimicry and how it has applied to his work. From the SxSW panel picker site:
A social network that functions like a colony of ants. A database that manages and shares information like a slime mold. What can we learn from the obvious? Millions of years of royalty free R&D embedded in nature holds the answers to many of today’s human centered design challenges. In this presentation, co-facilitated by Chris Allen of The Biomimicry Institute and Michael Dungan of BeeDance LLC, learn how a systems approach that mimics nature’s lessons and resiliency can be adapted to technology design. Biomimicry is a proven design process that asks nature for advice. The application of biomimicry is responsible for the development of successful products ranging from Velcro™ and photovoltaic solar panels to advanced seawater desalination methods and more efficient Japanese bullet trains. Bringing a biologist to the design table to explore innovation in IT application development and optimization can unlock new discoveries. The teachings of specific champions in nature that will lead to break-through design thinking will be offered during the presentation. When approached as mentor, model and measure, organisms and whole systems found in the natural world become powerful collaborators. As B2B and B2C users continue to seek out more robust, fast and reliable forms of technology, the answers may not be in the room, but right outside the window.
I encourage you to log in and give them your vote. We need to let the rest of the world more about the talent and cool projects going on here in NE Ohio. And if you know these guys at all, then you know that they will not let us down. They are great representatives for the region, and for sustainability as a whole!
Do you might have any references for what you wrote right here?