A couple genius examples I found on CNN.com combine creativity, technology, and problem solving into a new product and perspective.
Suzanne Lee www.biocouture.co.uk/
Suzanne Lee is a fashion designer with a vision to work with less conventional, eco-friendly materials. She uses a kombucha recipe including symbiotic bacteria, yeast, and microrganisms combined in a fermentation process to spin microbial cellulose threads.
Her organic clothing creations are stained by ion oxidation and fruit/ vegetable staining. This process is efficient in its use of waste products, and biodegradable nature. Watch her presentation:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2011/05/28/ted.suzanne.lee.TED?iref=allsearch
The CNN article describes the textile process as well as obstacles and strategies for consumer use:
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-29/opinion/lee.grow.clothes_1_cellulose-green-tea-kombucha?_s=PM:OPINION
Thomas Heatherwick http://www.heatherwick.com/
Thomas Heatherwick, an amazing British designer, sculptor and architect, showcases some of his latest projects inspired by energy efficiency and bio-technology on TED http://www.ted.com/. My favorite is the Seed Cathedral (above), a UK pavilion made of 60,000 fiber optic rods with seeds encapsuled at the end, that sways and moves with the wind.
His presentation on TED also includes a modern building design that takes up less land, allowing for more natural environment:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2011/06/04/ted.thomas.heatherwick.ted?iref=allsearch
How many times have you dwelled on the solution to a problem just to realize it was right under your nose?
The solution to renewable resources is right there as well. We just need to take a step back, let the impossible be possible, and change the way we think about the world. Obviously easier said than done, but here are some possible steps to change perspective and come up with new innovative ideas:
1. Write down in detail the purpose of a project including objectives to be met, geographic location, significant value in completion
2. Incorporate science and technology into thinking about how to not only complete the project, but intertwine a social value
~ In a Social Entrepreneurship class taught by Joseph Sulentic at the University of Iowa, we explored the 'social value' of business ventures. The best example of social value is the plastic water bottle that you buy at the gas station for about $1. Instead of drinking tap water for 1-5 cents, you pay for the convenience of the plastic bottle. However, when you factor in the pollution caused by that plastic bottle if not recycled, is it worth $1? The social costs associated with the bottle water exceed its one dollar valuation.
Short-term convenience seems to be one of the driving forces of Western capitalism. But preservation and conservation of our natural resources will prove most convenient in the long-term perspective.
