The “Queen of the Forest Canopy” epitomizes innovative scientists uncovering previously unexplored wonders in the forest canopy. Her imaginative passion inspires and enlists people from all walks of life, transforming the truth of trees into environmental and social healing.
This speech was given at the 2013 Bioneers National Conference.
To learn more about Nalini Nadkarni’s work, visit her website.
Native American global leader and Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network Tom Goldtooth shows that at the root of indigenous survival is gratitude for the generosity of Mother Earth and biodiversity. He contrasts this worldview with neo-colonial approaches such as genetic engineering, patenting of life, dirty energy extraction, and “Free Trade” that leads to exploitation, poverty, violence and international discord.
This speech was given at the 2001 Bioneers National Conference.
A leading national expert on botanical medicine and integrative approaches to health care, Dr. Low Dog challenges America’s healthcare system. She advocates for a holistic approach drawing from the best of traditional herbalism, nutrition and modern medicine. She shows how nature-honoring lifestyles can address and prevent these problems and weighs the efficacy of alternative modalities including medicinal herbs.
This speech was given at the 2001 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Ecological Medicine, Vol. 1 and Indigenous Essentials, Vol. 1 Collections.
At the En’owkin Centre, a First Nations-directed educational center, educator Jeannette Armstrong illustrates how the community organizes itself by the “Four Societies” practice in relationship, action, tradition and vision societies. All voices are heard and valued equally. These reciprocal relationships are the foundation of Okanogan peace technologies for conflict resolution, democracy and community.
This speech was given at the 2002 Bioneers National Conference.
Iroquois elder and global indigenous leader Oren Lyons describes the authentic origins of the U.S. Constitution in the ancient Iroquois “Great League of Peace.” He weaves the story of the Peacemaker and how leaders are raised and chosen, with decisions based on seven generations and women choosing chiefs. He warns climate disruption should motivate us to “raise up our leaders.”
This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers National Conference.
Percy Schmeiser was targeted by Monsanto’s gene police, who claimed he was using Monsanto’s patented genetics, even though Schmeiser had never used any Monsanto products. His crop, unbeknownst to him, was genetically contaminated, ruining his 50-year-old seed-breeding program. Refusing to capitulate, the victim was charged with the crime. But Monsanto picked on the wrong guy. Schmeiser took the case to the Supreme Court and became an international spokesperson against the injustice and bio-vandalism of genetic engineering.
This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers Annual Conference.
Because agriculture is the single most environmentally destructive human activity, transforming our food and farming systems is central to restoring both the environment and human health. Kirschenmann has been at the forefront of identifying the challenges to agriculture and the course needed to build a more adaptive and resilient food system. His bird’s-eye view has informed a new ecological farming model that is steadily gaining traction, one local watershed at a time.
This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Ecological Food and Farming Collection, Vol. 1.
Democracy is eroding because the damage caused by the corporate elite is legal, but that may be changing because of Thomas Linzey and his allies. He has shown true genius at devising creative strategies to achieve democratic control over corporations. He has worked with local communities to demand and assert their rights over corporate rights.
This speech was given at the 2004 Bioneers Annual Conference and is part of the Food and Farming, Vol. 1 and Democracy, Human Rights and the Rights of Nature, Vol. 1 Collections.
Billy Parish, co-founder of Solar Mosaic, discusses how alternative energy technologies can be revolutionary not just for powering our communities but also for returning power to the people on many other levels.
This is an excerpt from Parish’s talk at the 2013 Bioneers National Conference. Watch full talk at http://youtu.be/09R-sTTeVVA.
In this lyrical exploration, John Todd shares the essential principles of ecological design and reveals how mimicking nature’s forms and processes can lead to breakthrough design. He reveals the design secrets behind his award-winning eco-industrial park in Burlington, Vermont, and his strategies to clean up bodies of water from the marshes around Lake Champlain to the canals of Venice and South China. The main allies in his natural sewage treatment systems are native plants that help grow and feed bacteria, break down carcinogens, and sequester metals to produce clean water. His job is not to find a simple solution, but to evolve a technological and social framework that functions like a symphonic movement.
Applying the lens of nature-inspired design, Janine Benyus shares some of nature’s brilliant answers to the world’s most pressing environmental concerns, illustrated by inspiring real-world applications. Her Biomimicry Institute is guiding business transformation – the Next Industrial Revolution – by bringing biomimicry to the design table, and it’s starting to transform how businesses design and manufacture products. A waste-free, nontoxic, ultra-efficient technology is possible, if only we keep reminding ourselves to ask how nature would do it.
This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers Annual Conference.
Growing up in Cleveland, Watson would notice black ash from the smoldering river raining down on him as he waited for the bus. Industry and government’s failure to address the pollution crisis followed him into his adult life when he learned about Buckminster Fuller’s idea of using nature’s design strategies to leverage energy and create significant positive effects. In state government and the private sector, Watson’s leadership has since manifested in urban planning, wind energy development, and launching community gardens and farmers markets.
This speech was given at the 2008 Bioneers National Conference.
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