The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation are issuing a challenge to look to our planet’s living systems to help solve the greatest issue of our time—climate change.

With the new 2016-17 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge theme, Climate Change: Reversal, Adaptation, and Mitigation, we are mobilizing thousands of students and professionals worldwide to tackle climate-related challenges using biomimicry. The goals are to show how nature-inspired design can provide viable solutions to the current climate crisis and to bring much-needed solutions to market quickly, with the help of the grand prize—the $100,000 Ray C. Anderson Foundation “Ray of Hope” Prize.

“Nature provides excellent models for how to use carbon as a feedstock, buffer coastlines, minimize energy use, grow abundant food while sequestering carbon, manage heavy rainfall, and in general, adapt to changing conditions,” said Megan Schuknecht, director of design challenges at the Biomimicry Institute. “Nature also engages every actor in an ecosystem in meaningful ways, and we need to learn to do the same. Our goal with this challenge is to show how designs inspired by nature can provide viable solutions to address climate change issues, locally and internationally, while creating conditions conducive to all life. And we want to get those solutions to market as quickly as possible.”

Read more.