Abstract
Climate change is already occurring globally and will continue to in the future, resulting in significant negative impacts on society and ecosystems in general. Given that climate change is largely caused by humans, and in part by the built environments they create, a logical response may be to consider how buildings can address the drivers of climate change while simultaneously adapting to it. The built environment must move towards being able to sequester carbon and transform greenhouse gases in order to mitigate the causes of climate change where possible. This is alongside more traditional responses to climate change such as improving energy efficiency, reducing the use of fossil fuels to build and maintain urban environments, and designing cities to become more adaptable to future change.
This chapter explores how the rapidly expanding field of biomimicry, where living organisms and traits of ecosystems are emulated in design, could make contributions to the evolution of built environments that are able to both sequester and transform carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by careful selection and use of specific materials. A number of examples of different biomimetic materials that are able to improve energy efficiencies, generate renewable energy, or sequester carbon are discussed, along with an ecosystem biomimetic method for materials selection based on understanding and mimicking ecosystem services (i.e., what ecosystems actually do).
References
Pachauri RK et al (2014) Climate change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. IPCC, Geneva
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: current state and trends, vol 1. Island Press, Washington, DC
IPCC (2007) In: Team CW, Pachauri RK, Reisinger A (eds) Climate change 2007: synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I,II and III to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. IPCC, Geneva
UNEP (2007) Buildings and climate change: status, challenges and opportunities. United Nations Environment Program, Paris
Koeppel S, Ürge-Vorsatz D (2007) Assessment of policy instruments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Report for the UNEP SBCI (United Nations Environmental Programme Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative, Central European University, Budapest
Wilby RL (2007) A review of climate change impacts on the built environment. Built Environ 33(1):31–45
Pedersen Zari M (2012) Ecosystem services analysis for the design of regenerative urban built environments. In: School of architecture. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, p 476
Pedersen Zari M (2018) Regenerative urban design and ecosystem biomimicry. Routledge, Oxon
Pedersen Zari M (2015) Can biomimicry be a useful tool in design for climate change adaptation and mitigation? In: Pacheco-Torgal F et al (eds) Biotechnologies and biomimetics for civil engineering. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 81–113
Pawlyn M (2011) Biomimicry in architecture. RIBA Publishing, London
Allen R (ed) (2010) Bulletproof feathers. How science uses Nature’s secrets to design cutting-edge technology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago/London
Vincent JFV et al (2006) Biomimetics – its practice and theory. J R Soc Interface 3(9):471–482
Vogel S (1998) Cat’s paws and catapults. Norton and Company, New York
Benyus J (1997) Biomimicry – innovation inspired by nature. Harper Collins Publishers, New York
Smith C et al (2015) Tapping into nature: the future of energy, innovation, and business. Terrapin Bright Green, New York, p 60
Lurie-Luke E (2014) Product and technology innovation: what can biomimicry inspire? Biotechnol Adv 32(8):1494–1505
Koch K, Barthlott W (2009) Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic plant surfaces: an inspiration for biomimetic materials. Philos Trans R Soc A Math Phys Eng Sci 367(1893):1487–1509
Fernández JE (2007) Materials for aesthetic, energy-efficient, and self-diagnostic buildings. Science 315(5820):1807–1810
Ball P (1999) Engineering shark skin and other solutions. Nature 400:507
Pedersen Zari M (2010) Biomimetic design for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Archit Sci Rev 53(2)
Anon (2005) Natural innovation: the growing discipline of biomimetics. Strateg Dir 21(10):35–37
Mattheck C (1998) Design in nature: learning from trees. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Jevons WS (1865) The coal question. An inquiry concerning the progress of the nation and the probable exhaustion of our coal mines. Macmillan and Co, London/Cambridge
Llansola-Portoles MJ et al (2017) Artificial photosynthetic antennas and reaction centers. C R Chim 20(3):296–313
Martín-Palma RJ, Lakhtakia A (2013) Engineered biomimicry for harvesting solar energy: a bird’s eye view. Int J Smart Nano Mater 4(2):83–90
LaVan DA, Cha JN (2006) Approaches for biological and biomimetic energy conversion. Proc Natl Acad Sci 103(14):5251–5255
Martin N, Guldi DM (2005) Fullerenes in biomimetic donor-acceptor networks. In: Andrews DL (ed) Energy harvesting materials. World Scientific, Singapore
Guldi DM, Martín N (2002) Fullerene architectures made to order; biomimetic motifs – design and features. J Mater Chem 12(7):1978–1992
Shanks K, Senthilarasu S, Mallick TK (2015) White butterflies as solar photovoltaic concentrators. Sci Rep 5:12267
Thekkekara LV, Gu M (2017) Bioinspired fractal electrodes for solar energy storages. Sci Rep 7:45585
Wendell DW (2010) Artificial photosynthesis processes as a means of producing biofuels. Biofuels 1(6):855–860
Whittlesey RW, Liska S, Dabiri JO (2010) Fish schooling as a basis for vertical axis wind turbine farm design. Bioinspir Biomim 5(3):035005
Fish FE et al (2011) The tubercles on humpback whales’ flippers: application of bio-inspired technology. Integr Comp Biol 51(1):203–213
Lempriere M (2017) Could biomimicry revolutionise renewable energy? Power Technology, 26 April
Allen R (2006) From feathers to fins: can we understand biological systems – and learn from them? Bioinspir Biomim 1
Mitchell RB (2012) Technology is not enough. J Environ Dev 21(1):24–27
Geers C, Gros G (2000) Carbon dioxide transport and carbonic anhydrase in blood and muscle. Physiol Rev 80(2):681–715
Hasanbeigi A, Price L, Lin E (2012) Emerging energy-efficiency and CO2 emission-reduction technologies for cement and concrete production: a technical review. Renew Sust Energ Rev 16(8):6220–6238
Fradette DS (2007) CO2 solution and climate change. BioInspired! 5(2)
Atkinson WI (2007) Mouthwash for a smokestack. Toronto Globe and Mail, 1 May
Carley J (2012) Enzyme enabled carbon capture. Lowering the CCS cost barrier. In: Presentation at the 15th annual energy, utility, and environment conference (EUEC), Phoenix, Arizona
Hamilton T (2007) Capturing carbon with enzymes. A new process turns the greenhouse gas into useful materials. MIT Technology Review, 22 February
CO2 Solutions (2014) CO2 Solutions successfully completes second oil sands project milestones. [Cited 2017 December] http://www.co2solutions.com/uploads/file/a1f87d5b82755c37c9e1358ce46057a3810fc773.pdf
Calera (2017) Calera Website. [Cited 2017 December] http://calera.com/index.php/
Lovins LH, Cohen B (2011) Climate capitalism. Capitalism in the age of climate change. Hill and Wang, New York
Andersen SO et al (2011) Scientific synthesis of calera carbon sequestration and carbonaceous by-product applications. Consensus findings of the scientific synthesis team. Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, Washington, DC
Monteiro PJM et al (2013) Incorporating carbon sequestration materials in civil infrastructure: a micro and nano-structural analysis. Cem Concr Compos 40(0):14–20
Brinker J, Lu Y, Sellinger A (1999) Evaporation-induced self-assembly: nanostructures made easy. Adv Mater 11(7):579–585
Sellinger A et al (1998) Continuous self-assembly of organic-inorganic nanocomposite coatings that mimic nacre. Nature 394(6690):256–260
Walther A et al (2010) Large-area, lightweight and thick biomimetic composites with superior material properties via fast, economic, and green pathways. Nano Lett 10(8):2742–2748
Barcelo L et al (2014) Cement and carbon emissions. Mater Struct 47(6):1055–1065
Koelman O (2004) Biomimetic buildings: understanding and applying the lessons of nature. BioInspire 21
Vincent J (2010) New materials and natural design. In: Allen R (ed) Bulletproof feathers. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Armstrong R (2009) Living buildings: plectic systems architecture. Technoetic Arts 7(2):79–94
Rebolj D et al (2011) Can we grow buildings? Concepts and requirements for automated nano- to meter-scale building. Adv Eng Inform 25(2):390–398
Odum EP (1969) The strategy of ecosystem development. Science 164:262–270
McKeough T (2009) Novomer’s plastic reduces greenhouse gas-but will it biodegrade? Fast Company Newsletter, 12 January
Greenemeier L (2007) Making plastic out of pollution. Scientific American, November
Patel-Predd P (2007) Carbon-dioxide plastic gets funding. A startup is moving ahead with an efficient method to make biodegradable plastic. Technology Review, 14 November
Novomer (2013) Novomer catalytic process using waste CO2 and shale gas targets $20 billion market and up to 110% carbon footprint reduction content. [Cited 2017 December]. http://www.novomer.com/?action=pressrelease&article_id=60
Pieja A et al (2016) Biorenewables at Mango Materials. In: de María PD (ed) Industrial biorenewables: a practical viewpoint. Wiley, New Jersey, pp 371–395
Ewing R, Rong F (2008) The impact of urban form on U.S. residential energy use. Housing Policy Debate 19(1):1–30
Parmesan C (2006) Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 37:637–669
IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. S. Soloman, et al. (ed). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Jiang L, O’Neill BC (2017) Global urbanization projections for the shared socioeconomic pathways. Glob Environ Chang 42:193–199
Altomonte S (2008) Climate change and architecture: mitigation and adaptation strategies for a sustainable development. J Sustain Dev 1(1):97–112
Takahiko H (2004) Climate change, adaptation and government policy for the building sector. Build Res Inf 32:61
Gill SE et al (2007) Adapting cities for climate change: the role of the green infrastructure. Built Environ 33(1):115–133
Hamin EM, Gurran N (2009) Urban form and climate change: balancing adaptation and mitigation in the U.S. and Australia. Habitat Int 33(3):238–245
Kirshen P, Ruth M, Anderson W (2008) Interdependencies of urban climate change impacts and adaptation strategies: a case study of Metropolitan Boston USA. Clim Chang 86(1):105–122
Blaschke, P.M., et al., Ecosystem Assessment and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) Options for Port Vila, Vanuatu. 2017, Report prepared by Victoria University of Wellington for the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP): Wellington, New Zealand, p. 169
Newman P, Beatley T, Boyer H (2009) Resilient cities. Responding to peak oil and climate change. Island Press, Washington, DC
Pedersen Zari M (2017) Utilizing relationships between ecosystem services, built environments, and building materials. In: Petrović EK, Vale B, Pedersen Zari M (eds) Materials for a healthy, ecological and sustainable built environment: principles for evaluation. Woodhead, Duxford, pp 1–28
Pedersen Zari M (2017) Ecosystem services analysis: incorporating an understanding of ecosystem services into built environment design and materials selection. In: Petrović EK, Vale B, Zari MP (eds) Materials for a healthy, ecological and sustainable built environment: principles for evaluation. Woodhead, Duxford, pp 29–64
Purvis A, Hector A (2000) Getting the measure of biodiversity. Nature 405(6783):212–219
Parker AR, Lawrence CR (2001) Water capture by a desert beetle. Nature 414(6859):33
Garrod RP et al (2007) Mimicking a Stenocara beetle’s back for microcondensation using plasmachemical patterned superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surfaces. Langmuir 23(2):689–693
Trivedi BP (2001) Beetle’s shell offers clues to harvesting water in the desert. National Geographic Today, 1 November
Knight W (2001) Beetle fog-catcher inspires engineers. New Sci 13:38
Ravilious K 2007 Borrowing from nature’s best ideas. The Guardian
Goreau TJ (2010) Reef technology to rescue Venice. Nature 468(7322):377–377
Atkinson A (2007) Cities after oil – 1: ‘sustainable development’ and energy futures. City 11(2):201–213
Norberg J et al (2012) Eco-evolutionary responses of biodiversity to climate change. Nat Clim Chang 2(10):747–751
Bellard C et al (2012) Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. Ecol Lett 15(4):365–377
Potschin M, Haines-Young R (2016) Defining and measuring ecosystem services. In: Potschin M, Haines-Young R, Fish R, Turner RK (eds) Routledge handbook of ecosystem services. Routledge, London/New York, pp 25–44
de Groot R, Wilson MA, Boumans RMJ (2002) A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem function, goods and services. Ecol Econ 41:393–408
Pedersen Zari M (2016) Mimicking ecosystems for bio-inspired regenerative built environments. J Intel Build Int (IBI) 8(2):57–77
Pedersen Zari M (2012) Ecosystem services analysis for the design of regenerative built environments. Build Res Inf 40(1):54–64
Pedersen Zari M (2015) Ecosystem services analysis: mimicking ecosystem services for regenerative urban design. Int J Sustain Built Environ 4(1):145–157
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Pedersen Zari, M. (2018). Biomimetic Materials for Addressing Climate Change. In: Martínez, L., Kharissova, O., Kharisov, B. (eds) Handbook of Ecomaterials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48281-1_134-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48281-1_134-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48281-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48281-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering