Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Latest Episodes:

Positive Tipping Points & Transformative Change with Dr. Tim Lenton Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

If a negative climate tipping point refers to a critical threshold that triggers irreversible damage, then it stands to reason that a positive tipping point is the exact opposite - a beneficial axis that, when reached, staves off the worst planetary outcomes. Our guest today, Dr. Tim Lenton, is the Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter and is the Founder of the Global Systems Institute, an organization that uses a whole systems approach to solve global challenges and build a flourishing future. In this interview, we look at some examples of positive tipping points, discuss the social movements that are having real impact, and the individual actions we can all take to lower our carbon footprint.

Show Notes

Professor Tim Lenton, University of Exeter
Global Systems Institute
Earth System Science: A Very Short Introduction by Tim Lenton
Revolutions That Made the Earth by Tim Lenton and Andrew Watson
Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by Jim Lovelock
Positive Tipping Points Could Save the Climate - This Man is Showing Us How (Positive.News)

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How Dr. Sheri Parks is Reviving Indigo Dye and Cultivating Community in Maryland and Beyond Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

This week, we’re exploring the intersection of agriculture, artistry, and history through the lens of indigo, a significant cash crop in the colonial period with inextricable ties to the slave trade. So inextricable, in fact, that slavery wasn’t even legal in Georgia until 1751, when British governors recognized the economic potential of the plant and its distinctive blue dye. Our guest today is Sheri Parks, Ph.D is a renowned community strategist, scholar, and writer who currently serves as the Program Director of the Natural Dye Initiative, a multi-part project whose aim is to explore the cultural and economic impact of indigo in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions by reintroducing it to Black farmers and artists. In this episode, we discuss the transformative impact of reclaiming indigo production in the southern United States, how the Natural Dye Initiative makes it economically viable for a new generation of farmers, and touch on the global significance of this remarkable plant.

Dr. Parks formerly served as the VP of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and as Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland. Her scholarly work focuses on how art and aesthetics affect our day to day lives and how aesthetics can be used as a tool for social justice.

Show Notes

How Beauty Works Panel (YouTube)
Fierce Angels: Living with the Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman by Sheri Parks, Ph.D
Upton Planning Committee
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
Natural Dye Initiative Origin Story
Neighborhood Fiber Co. Aims to Weave Positive Social Change (Baltimore Magazine)

Key Words: Indigo, Indigo Dye, Colonial, Colonialism, Nature Dye, Maryland, Baltimore, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Agriculture, Farming, Organic Farming, Art, Aesthetics, Southern United States, US history

Nature, Culture & The Sacred with Bioneers Co-Founder Nina Simons Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

Our guest today, Nina, Simons, believes that the root of many social and environmental problems we face today can be traced back to a fundamental imbalance between traditionally masculine and feminine attributes – and she has the evidence to back that up. In her latest book, Nature, Culture, & The Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership, Nina demonstrates how interconnected many modern problems really are and she lays out the ways in which we might overcome them, with women’s leadership and Indigenous wisdom at the forefront.

Alongside her husband Kenny Ausubel, Nina is the co-founder of Bioneers, a nonprofit with a mission to platform common-sense solutions to social and ecological challenges with a whole systems approach. In 2017, she and Kenny were the recipients of the Goi Peace Award. In addition to Nature, Culture, and the Scared, Nina is the author of Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women’s Woes and Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart.

Show Notes

Nature, Culture, & the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership by Nina Simons
Nina Simons Website
Bioneers
Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women’s Woes by Nina Simons
Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart by Nina Simons with Anneke Campbell
The Burning Times Documentary
The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future by John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio

Key Words: Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Environment, Ecosystem, Spirituality, Sacred, Feminism, Women’s Leadership, Patriarchy, Patriarchal System, Indigenous, Indigenous Wisdom, Healer, Wellness, Climate, Climate Change

The Brain Is Your Client: Biophilic Architecture with Dr. Tuwanda Green Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

This week we’re diving into the world of human-centered architecture and its profound impact on brain health with Dr. Tuwanda Green, Adjunct Instructor in the School of Architecture at Virginia Tech. Before getting her PhD, Dr. Green ran her own architecture firm for over 20 years, working primarily in commercial and government buildings, where her experience in military housing and facilities greatly informed her practice.

Dr. Green believes that a science-minded and data-driven approach to biophilic architecture is the key for achieving greater scale, that the built environment plays a major role in human wellbeing, and that all architecture students should understand basic human biology.

Show Notes

Biophilic Summer Reading: Our 2023 Picks Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Jennifer and Monica here! We’ve officially reached the height of Summer. The days are long, it’s (very) hot outside, and there’s nothing we want to do more than hang out with a good book - preferably next to some kind of body of water. Failing that, we’ll take a big, icy, reusable water bottle. So, for this week’s episode, we’ve rounded up a list of our top picks for biophilic summer reads. From romance and awe to brain health and climate science-fiction, we’ve got something for everyone. The common theme? Nature is always center stage.

Show Notes

Your Brain on Art: How Art Transforms Us by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross
Your Brain on Nature: Neuroaesthetics and Biophilia with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee
Form Follows Feeling: Serenity, Human Emotion, and Design with Suchi Reddy
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner
Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Kristen Ghodsee
Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Oddell
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

Key Words: Summer Reading, Reading, Books, Book List, Nature, Biophilia, Art, Awe, Elizabeth Gilbert, Utopia Jenny Oddell, Ken Stanley Robinson, Dacher Keltner, Susan Magsamen, Neuroscience, Neuroaesthetics, Climate Change, Climate Science, Wellness

Beast Mode: Wildlife Recovery & Ecological Restoration with Environmental Philosopher Christopher J. Preston Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

During the early weeks of the pandemic, when human activity and movement were significantly reduced, there were reports of various animals returning to urban landscapes. Think coyotes in San Francisco, wild boar in Barcelona, and dolphins in Italian port cities. These unique resurgences pose interesting questions about the relationship between humans and animals, our ability to coexist, and wildlife resilience in general. In today’s episode, we’re joined by renowned environmental philosopher Dr. Christopher J. Preston to discuss his most recent book, Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals. This book highlights the incredible species that have come back from the brink of extinction against all odds. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Preston poses fascinating questions about the role of technology, the right level of human intervention, and how climate change impacts this entire conversation.

Christopher Preston is an environmental philosopher who teaches at the University of Montana. His writing has appeared in publications such as The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, Discover, Slate, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, and The BBC. He is the author of two books, The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World, and a new book Tenacious Beasts.

Show Notes

Christopher J. Preston Website
Christopher J. Preston Blog
Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries that Change How We Think About Animals by Christopher J. Preston
The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World by Christopher J. Preston

Key Words: Animal, Animal Recovery, Wildlife, Wildlife Restoration, Ecology, Ecological Restoration, Ecosystem, Animal Welfare, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Philosophy, Philosophy, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature, Nature Based Solutions

Biodesign, Chemistry, & The Future of Fashion with Dr. Karen Pearson Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of biodesign, exploring the amazing opportunities that arise when science, technology, and fashion come together. Think faux leather that’s made with kombucha, functional yarn derived from seaweed, and performance clothing that replaces nylon and spandex with naturally sourced, biodegradable protein.

Our guest is Dr. Karen Pearson, Professor of Chemistry at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Chair of FIT’s Sustainability Council. Karen has been widely recognized for her commitment to cross-disciplinary education: she is the recipient of the President’s Award for Curricular Innovation and has been acknowledged as one of the top 100 Most Influential Women in STEM. In this episode, we discuss the intersection of science and design, the innovative work being done by FIT students and faculty, and talk through some amazing examples of biodesign in action.

Show Notes

Key Words: Biophilia, Biophilic, Biophilic Design, Biodesign, Biotechnology, Biology, Chemistry, STEM, STEAM, Fashion, Fashion Institute of Technology, Technology, Design, Fashion Design, Materials, Innovation, Sustainability, Sustainable, Climate Change, Climate, Nature Based, Nature Based Solutions

Eco-Conscious Fashion & Nature’s Wisdom with Mara Hoffman May 23, 2023

Show notes

This week, we’re thrilled to be speaking with fashion designer Mara Hoffman, the President and Creative Director of her own namesake brand, known throughout the world for its innovation and creativity. Nowadays, Mara is also widely known for her fierce commitment to sustainability; however, when she founded her company in 2000, there was very little dialogue (if any) about the fashion industry’s impact on the planet. In this conversation, we explore how Mara methodically and carefully shifted her brand to an eco-conscious model starting in 2015, how movement, nature, and femininity inspire her creatively, and how she finds solace and wisdom from time spent in nature, especially among the trees near her home in upstate New York.

Show Notes

Key Words: Fashion, Fashion Industry, Sustainability, Sustainable, Sustainable Fashion, Mara Hoffman, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Retail, Environment, Climate, Climate Change, Nature, Trees, Overstory, Nature Wisdom, Sacred Nature, Design

Biophilic Leadership Summit: The Nature of Wood with Bill Browning May 09, 2023

Show notes

As humans, we have notable biophilic responses to natural materials, forms, fractal patterns, and so much more. However, one material stands out from the rest for the particularly strong fascination it seems to hold - wood. In this special edition of Biophilic Solutions, hear from green building expert Bill Browning as he explores the science behind our distinct inclination for wood and wood patterns and why the presence of this particular material has been shown to lower stress, reduce blood pressure, and provide a sense of comfort and warmth.

Dive deeper into this fascinating concept by reading The Nature of Wood white paper, authored by Bill Browning, Catie Ryan, and Claire DeMarco in our shownotes.

Show Notes:

The Nature of Wood (Terrapin Bright Green)
Forestry Innovation Investment
Softwood Lumber Board
Sasanqua Spa Kiawah Island (Clodagh)
Oliver Heath Studio
Maggie’s Leeds Center by Heatherwick Studio (ArchDaily)
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design (Terrapin Bright Green)

Key Words: Biophilia, Biophilic, Biophilic Design, Green Building, Architecture, Green Architecture, Nature, Nature Based Design, Nature Based Solutions, Wood, Wood Grain, Mass Timber, Mass Timber Building, Psychology, Wellness

Sustainable Packaging, In-Store Recycling, and Clean Standards with Credo Beauty Founder Annie Jackson Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

We caught up with Credo Co-Founder & COO Annie Jackson at the 17th FIT Sustainable Business & Design Conference to talk all about clean beauty and the movement towards circularity in the beauty industry. Discover how Credo is a leader in sustainability with groundbreaking sustainable packaging guidelines and in-store recycling programs. Also, no substance gets past Credo; over 2,700 ingredients are banned through “The Dirty List.” The Credo Clean Standard embodies the company’s complete commitment to beauty, health, and well-being and serves to connect to a vibrant and rapidly growing ecosystem of clean beauty brands with a new generation of informed consumers.

In this conversation, we talk to Annie all about her background in the beauty industry, dig into the Credo Clean Standard, and explore how shifting consumer expectations will change the industry for the better.

Show Notes

Register for the Biophilic Leadership Summit (Ticket Sales End April 20!)
WATCH Biophilic Solutions Live with Credo Beauty at FIT’s 17th Sustainable Business & Design Conference (Vimeo)
Credo Beauty
Credo Clean Standard
The Dirty List®
Credo For Change
FIT Sustainable Business & Design Conference
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)

Key Words: Beauty, Beauty Industry, Sustainability, Sustainable Packaging, Recycling, Circularity, Circular Economy, Regenerative, Regenerative, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Fashion, Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, FIT

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