Although information on ecology and sustainability is published and posted daily, it's obvious that most people feel powerless when faced with the state of our environment today. Materials and technologies claim a dominant position with regard to ecological problems, but we sometimes forget that these may not always be the key to good, comprehensive solutions. The use of materials is only one approach to the larger ecological issue, which clearly has philosophical, metaphysical, economical, and social implications.
The world of nature, on the other hand, is an amazing arena filled with smart models of simple and sustainable behaviors. Nature undeniably questions the pretentiously authoritative status that humans have allocated themselves, and nature is the best example of a wholly sustainable and autonomous industry.
Industry of Nature: Another Approach to Ecology explains seventy-five of nature's strategies to fulfill needs such as protection, temperature regulation, bonding, air conditioning, self-cleaning, anti-collision, transmission of information, camouflage, and many more. By describing these strategies and adding practical application examples, Industry of Nature: Another Approach to Ecology provides creative professionals with inspiration and tools for augmenting their work, expanding their imaginations, and improving the world in which we live. Interviews with various specialists, a chapter covering the history of biomimicry, and a bibliography deepen the subject and provide the reader with handles to further delve into the subject. A profusion of photographs and illustrations brings the ideas and relevant information to life.
Elodie Ternaux: Engineer and designer Elodie Ternaux is currently director of materiO, an independent information centre on materials and innovative products. materiO offers a physical library regrouping thousands of samples, an online database, and a team of experts around the world. Ternaux's experiences as a student and as a teacher convinced her of the need for educational publications about materials and technologies dedicated to creative professionals.
Daniel Kula: Cabinetmaker and interior architect. He is currently a teacher at ENSCI (French National School of Industrial Design) in Paris and a consultant for materiO. He's combining a long experience on how to actually work with materials, make prototypes and objects with a constant curiosity for contemporary technologies.
Michele Ternaux: Trained geologist and a former biology teacher. Author of several books and publications about teaching methods in the field of earth and life sciences.
Jean-Pierre Ternaux: Neurobiologist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Author of several books and curator of numerous exhibitions, he has always been involved in scientific communication matters. He is currently directing Plateforme d'Ingenierie de la Connaissance (PIC) within the Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (INIST).