Dr. John Todd Wins Buckminster Fuller Challenge Award
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 08.19.08
Image source: Buckminster Fuller Institute
We've profiled natural-resources design maven Dr. John Todd before, but now he's been recognized by a much higher authority for his pioneering work. Dr. Todd is the first recipient of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Award. Not to mention, the award comes with prestige, but also a $100,000 cash prize to sweeten the deal, as well as an OmniOculi sculpture artist Tom Shannon, which was commissioned for the event.
So what was the topic of study that earned such as serious prize? Well, Dr. Todd's work on Comprehensive Design for a Carbon Neutral World: The Challenge of Appalachia. Appalachia has been decimated by strip-mining for coal (which provides 50% of the electricity in the United States), but Dr. Todd provides an alternative solution to boost the economy of the region without relying on coal mining, which involves healing the land and the communities.
How do you redesign a community? Well, it involves four stages: Healing; Carbon Sequestration and the Creation of a Working Landscape; Creating a Renewable Energy Future; and Institutions and a Shared Ownership Culture. You can find more specifics on the winning proposal in the Idea Index. Winners of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Award are chosen because of their ability to think outside the box, come up with a solution that makes old systems obsolete, and improves both human well-being and ecosystem health. The two runners-up to the Challenge this year were The Barefoot College by Bunker Roy and Promoting Biogas & Training Bedouin Women by Kevin Leopold.
You may remember Dr. Todd from previous Treehugger articles on his work developing and installing wastewater treatment systems in the developing world. Dr. Todd is also the inventor of the Eco-Machine, received three merit awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency and was named one of the greatest inventors of the 20th Century.
Dr. John Todd runs John Todd Ecological Design, Inc., which uses nature to design solutions to wastewater and storm water treatment issues.
To find out information on the 2009 Challenge, send an email to the Buckminster Fuller Institute and include the word "subscribe" in the subject line. You can also search on BPI for entries to the Challenge, known as the Idea Index. Over 159 entrants opted to be included in the Index - hey, maybe one of these will spark the next great idea for solving climate change!
Thanks Tipster, Matt Kelly.
More on Dr. John Todd
The TH Interview: Dr. John Todd
Vermont Rest Stop Features A "Living Machine"
TH Event: Greening Rooftops For Healthy Cities
The Learning Barge
More on The Buckminster Fuller Institute
DIY: Tensegrity Tables
Another One Bites The Dust: Bucky Fuller's Union Tank Car Dome
The Buckminster Fuller Challenge
Richard Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- We Want Renewable Energy & Green Jobs Too: Native American Groups Tell Obama
- Corn Ethanol Is Stupid: 13 Year Old Weighs In On Renewable Energy
- Increased Coal-to-Liquids Fuels Usage Will Accelerate Climate Breaking Point
- Has Obama's Inauguration Speech Been Leaked?
I also entered this competition:
http://challenge.bfi.org/application_summary/12
I'm also fortunate enough to be on the same page as Dr. Todd's winning entry. Virtually speaking that is.
One would think that such an award would spur new work from such innovators as John Todd. Unfortunately, the money from that award will merely help pay previous costs on earlier projects. It will not help him fund the work on coal slurries and sludge that he needs to do to advance his Appalachian ideas. In fact, since coal slurries are classified as toxic wastes, the costs of experimenting with them are made more onerous by the regulations on handling toxics. John thought he would be able to do his research for ten of thousands of dollars but now will have to spend hundreds of thousands if not millions in order to proceed.