Sunday, November 28, 2010

Biomimicry:
Pollution = Problem
by Kacie Nelson

In todays world pollution is everywhere, air, water, earth. All we depend on and it’s being tainted by our lack of concern and knowledge for change.
What if we used the natural sources around us as inspiration to create a better way of live, sources that we could learn from because they do what we do only in a more efficient and environmentally safe manner.
For example I read an article called “The jellyfish-like salp: Most efficient filter-feeder in the deep, scientists discover” which was published: Monday, August 9, 2010 - 16:22 in Physics & Chemistry. (http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/08/09/the.jellyfish.salp.most.efficient.filter.feeder.deep.scientists.driscove) It is about this small organism that “...gets everything it needs from ocean waters to feed and propel itself.
pastedGraphic.pdf Kelly Sutherland and Larry Madin, WHOI
If we could apply their techniques to our ways of transportation we would be able to massively cut down pollution. Our new vehicles, trains, helicopters, boats, and planes could be redesigned to use the energy around them to function more efficiently.
And while we are busy making our ways of transportation pollution free we could use animals and insects as inspiration for the new look and structure of these machines so we no longer need to depend on steel and titanium and other various types of metal to construct everything.
For the exterior of and support we could use “calcium, phosphorus, and various mineral salts”, which happen to be the components of teeth and bones. To make them more aerodynamic we need to think about feathers of birds and how water and air slide right off them.
We have so many opportunities and ways of improvement! We just need to not look past the solutions around all around us!

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