New Industrial Revolution

The New Industrial Revolution has more to do with rectifying or even undoing some of the damage that resulted from the last Industrial Revolution. Rather than a call for industrialization, expansion of mechanization, or a broadening of global markets, the New Industrial Revolution is characterized by merging traditionally contraditory disciplines: environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness. [Jessica Hume, "Powering the new industrial revolution: A look at wind power in Ontario", The Peak, Issue 7 Volume 120 (Simon Frasier University, Oct. 18, 2004), available online at http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2004-3/issue7/fe-wind.html.]

History

Ushered in by world-renowned industrial designer William McDonough, the New Industrial Revolution is viewed as a necessity in order to change the direction of the current industrial modality. The New Industrial Revolution will produce a world of abundance and good design - a delightful, safe world that our children can play in. [William McDonough, "Designing the Future,' Newsweek, May 16, 2005, available at [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7773650/site/newsweek/] .]

At the heart of the New Industrial Revolution is a quantum leap in the way that humans think of the products that we purchase and consume. The traditional "cradle to grave" product lifecycle must be changed to a system of "cradle to cradle" product flow. [William McDonough, "Cradle to Cradle" (North Point Press: New York, 2002).] This alternative product flow can be characterized as "reuse": returning consumer products to the environment as biological nutrients, or to industry as technical nutrients that can be infinitely recycled.

Biomimicry

Biomimicry refers to the mimicry of natural systems of production and recycle that are found in nature. Translated to a dynamic system, biomimicry does the following: ["See" [http://www.biomimicry.net/ The Biomimicry Institute] ]

#Considers waste as a resource
#Diversifies and cooperates to fully use the habitat
#Gathers and uses energy efficiently
#Optimizes rather than maximizes
#Uses materials sparingly
#Doesn't foul our nest
#Doesn't draw down resources
#Remains in balance with biosphere
#Runs on information
#Shops locally

Green chemistry

The New Industrial Revolution will be incorporating ideas from nature to mimic the ideas and innovations found there. One example where this has been done is with a product called [http://www.stocorp.com/allweb.nsf/lotusanpage Lotusan.] This product mimics the lotus flower leaf's ability to repel dirt and water on its surface and can be applied to buildings for that purpose. Another example of harnessing nature's powers to remedy modern problems is the use of a fungus to remove sulfur from oil. [Colin Barras, "Newly discovered fungus strips pollutants from oil" (New Scientist Tech October 8, 2008) [http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn14898-newly-discovered-fungus-strips-pollutants-from-oil.html?feedId=online-news_rss20] ]

Alternative Energy

From the well-known to the more exotic, alternative energy will continue to take the place of traditional fossil fuels during the next century. This change is needed not only to curb global emissions of greenhouse gases, but also due to the reality that fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable resources.

Some of the obvious alternative energy sources are: solar power, wind power, and tidal power. Proponents of natural gas often consider it an alternative energy source, but most environmentalists see it as just another form of fossil fuel that will increase greenhoue gas emissions.

Other sources of alternative energy may come from geothermal power, and biofuels from corn, rapeseed, biomass, and algae. [Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy', CNN.com/technology [http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html] ]

Architecture

Examples of architectural innovations that are occurring during the New Industrial Revolution are earthships, buildings using green building materials, skyscrapers with garden rooftops for natural cooling, and a general departure from present-day architecture. To be distinguished from "modern" architecture with energy-intensive heating and cooling systems, during the New Industrial Revolution society will witness a complete paradigm shift in building technologies. Utilizing the heating and cooling properties of the sun and the earth, new buildings will be not only more energy efficient, but will have improved indoor air quality and will incorporate natural elements. Architect William McDonough and his team helped put these ideas into motion in Chicago with the installation of a garden roof on City Hall. Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley foresees a whole city covered with green roofs that will not only keep the city cool but will also produce solar energy, grow food, and provide sanctuary to birds and people. [William McDonough & Michael Braungart, "Cradle to Cradle" 83 (North Point Press, New York 2002).]

Earthships

Earthships are earth-sheltered buildings made of tires rammed with earth. Windows on the sunny side admit light and heat. The open end of the "U" shaped structure faces South in the northern hemisphere, and North in the southern hemisphere, so that the house will catch maximum sunlight in the colder months. An Earthship is designed to interface with its environment wherever possible and create its own utilities. Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a "honey comb" of recycled cans separated by concrete. The walls are then usually thickly plastered, using the pull-tabs on the cans as a lath to hold the adobe and stucco. This is known as a tin can wall. The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated.

Permaculture

While the first Industrial Revolution may be characterized by advents in agriculture, such as large-scale monoculture and other such "advances", the New Industrial Revolution represents a departure from the paradigm of large, industrial agriculture where goods are shipped long distances and are treated solely as commodities. Permaculture is essentially "permanent agriculture".

Examples

One example of the New Industrial Revolution is a German corporation that manufactures a paint that mimics the surface of a lotus leaf, allowing buildings coated with it to stay cleaner longer, and resist mold and mildew. [Douglas Gantenbein, "Back to the Drawing Board," "Plenty" 64 (April/May 2006).] Aviation experts are using biomimicry in their examination of the small bumps on the flippers of humpback whales, which allow the animals to glide through the water with less drag, and are trying to build them into airplane wings in order to allow for faster and more fuel-efficient flights. ["Id." at 66.]

See also

*Biotechnology
*Earthships
*Green building
*Information age
*Nanotechnology
*Permaculture

References

Further reading

*David C. Korten, "The Post-Corporate World" 215 (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publisher, 1999).
*Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins, "Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution" (2008 Rocky Mountain Institute).

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6247199.stm EU plans 'industrial revolution']
* [http://thenextindustrialrevolution.org/ The Next Industrial Revolution]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/oct/03/conservatives.greenpolitics Tories call for new industrial revolution to tackle climate change]
* [http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/05/mcdonough200805 Industrial Revolution take two]
* [http://natinstiscimedia.blogspot.com/2008/01/biotechnology-begins-new-industrial.html Biotechnology Begins a New Industrial Revolution]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/12/11/ybrural111.xml A new industrial revolution - in the countryside]
* [http://ifnews.if.fi/en/latest-topics/liability-newsletter/the-new-industrial-revolution-of-nanotechnology.html The new industrial revolution of Nanotechnology]
* [http://www.pewclimate.org/press_room/speech_transcripts/transcript_technolog.cfm Technology and Climate Change: Sparking a New Industrial Revolution]
* [http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199810/environment The NEXT Industrial Revolution]

Videos

* [http://www.joshspear.com/item/nutrition-the-new-industrial-revolution/ Nutrition: the new industrial revolution?]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/18 Janine Benyus TED Talk: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature]
* [http://www.globalonenessproject.org/videos/peoplesgrocery The People's Grocery]