Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Natural places, untouched by man made noise pollution, are practically nonexistent in the modern world. Unfortunately, the lack of quiet in today’s world doesn’t bode well for our health; noise pollution is tied to an array of health problems like cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and attention disorders. Our guest today, Matt Mikkelsen, is a sound engineer, audio recordist, and documentary filmmaker who also serves as the Executive Director of Wilderness Parks at Quiet Parks International, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save quiet for the benefit of all life. Preserving these places for our own calm and respite - and for the biodiversity and habitats of other species - is absolutely vital. In this episode, we chat with Matt about his work governments all over the world, the importance of true listening, and finding hygge in the wilderness. Show NotesQuiet Parks InternationalGordon HemptonQuiet Parks International CertificationQuiet Parks International AwardFollow Quiet Parks on InstagramFollow Matt on InstagramKey Words: Quiet, Silence, Wellness, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Environment, Noise, Noise Pollution, Parks, State Parks, Park, Conservation, Land Conservation, Climate Change, HyggeBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Picture this: you’re at the office and you’re having a terrible day. We’ve all been there at one time or another. So … where do you go to cry? That is the question that designer Oliver Heath poses to all of his prospective clients. More often than not, the response he gets back is the bathroom. From Oliver’s perspective, this answer reflects a larger issue in the built environment, especially in the workplace: a lack of spaces specifically designed with restoration and wellbeing in mind. Oliver is the founder of Oliver Heath Design, an architecture and interior design practice that focuses on health and wellbeing in the built environment and he is one of the leading experts on biophilic design. In this episode, we chat with Oliver about his approach to nature-inspired spaces, the fascinating and approachable white papers he has co-authored with Interface, and why we need to design with individual needs in mind. Show NotesDesign a healthy home: 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing by Oliver HeathOliver Heath DesignBiophilic Design Courses from Oliver Heath DesignWhitepapers, Reports & Guides (Oliver Heath Design x Interface)Interface14 Patterns of Biophilic Design (Terrapin Bright Green)Exploring the Nature Pyramid by Tim Beatley (The Nature of Cities)Oliver Heath Design InstagramOliver Heath Design TwitterOliver Heath Design FacebookKey Words: Nature, Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Sensory Experience, Biophilic, Biophilic Design, Biophilia, Restorative, Attention Restoration Therapy, Wellness, Wellbeing, Built Environment, Office, Work, Covid-19Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week we’re diving into environmental economics, specifically how global economies can start valuing nature and shift to a model that is greener, more inclusive, and more democratic. Have you ever wondered why many environmentally damaging industries receive government subsidies while natural raw materials are treated like inexhaustible resources? What about businesses who maintain the status quo even though their bottom line would benefit from incorporating more sustainable practices? We’re tackling all of this and much more with economist Edward B. Barbier. Dr. Barbier is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at Colorado State University, where his main expertise is in environmental and resource economics as well as international environmental policy. He has served as a consultant and policy analyst for a variety of national, international and non-governmental agencies, including many UN organizations and the World Bank. His latest book, Economics for a Fragile Planet, provides solutions and action items for building a green economy. Show NotesEdward B. BarbierEconomics for a Fragile Planet by Edward B. BarbierA New Blueprint for a Green Economy by Edward B. Barbier and Anil Markandya Paris Climate AgreementAdopt a carbon tax to protect tropical forests (Nature)The Water Paradox: Overcoming the Global Crisis in Water Management by Edward B. BarbierSeveral states will follow California’s lead in banning gas-powered car sales by 2035 (The Hill)Inflation Reduction ActHow to Help People in Jackson, MS Right Now (The Cut)Key Words: Nature, Climate, Climate Change, Economy, Economic Systems, Fossil Fuels, Fossil Fuel Industry, Emissions, Democracy, Deforestation, Natural Resources, Sustainability, Environment, Environmental Policy Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Is it important to know the cultural context of a place? How do landscape architects help connect us to nature? This week we’re talking all about Native American ethnobotany, environmental ethics, and finding the right balance between wildness and order with Dr. Alfred “Alfie” Vick, the Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Ethics at the University of Georgia and Director of the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. With Alfie as our guide, we explore the cross-section of landscape architecture and Native American studies, the changes he’s observed in the fields of landscape architecture and biophilic design, and he even reveals a hot tip for combating poison ivy naturally. Show NotesUGA Environmental Ethics Program About Alfie VickThe Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective by Rachel Kaplan and Stephen KaplanLos Angeles River Revitalization ProjectFlight Path and Lost Waters with Urban Designer Hannah Palmer (Biophilic Solutions Podcast)State Botanical Gardens of Georgia - UGAKey Words: Native American, Indigenous Wisdom, Plants, Botany, Ethnobotany, Landscape Architecture, Landscape, Environment, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Climate, Climate Change, UGA, SerenbeBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week, we’re exploring the rise of the single-family home and its many pitfalls, including the isolation brought on by large homes on expansive plots of land, exclusionary zoning that exacerbates social issues, and environmental factors like resource-intensive turf grass, massive energy usage for few people, and the necessity of cars. Luckily, however, new trends in housing are reshaping the way we live - from co-living spaces with shared utilities, resources, and perks to chic tiny homes to eco-conscious villages like Serenbe that encourage community, wellness, and biophilia. Our guest is Diana Lind, author of ‘Brave New Home', which investigates how the single-family home became synonymous with the American Dream before delving into the paradigm shifts making housing more accessible and environmentally aware. Diana is a writer and urban policy specialist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Architectural Record and Next City, where she also served as Executive Director and Editor in Chief. Currently, she is the incoming Communications & Publications Director for the Penn Institute for Urban Research. Show NotesBrave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing by Diana LindAbout Diana LindAgainst the White Picket Fence (New York Times)WATCH: Five Things Diana Lind taught us about housing (Philadelphia Citizen) Ideas We Should Steal: Treat Homelessness as a Health Issue by Diana Lind (The Philadelphia Citizen)Key Words: Urban Policy, Urban Planning, Housing, Housing Crisis, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Health, Zoning Laws, Suburban, Suburbia, Tiny Home, Environment, Climate Change, Climate Policy Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

What is the deepest silence you’ve ever known? That’s the key question posed by Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn in their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. For Justin and Leigh, silence means many things beyond the literal absence of noise. Silence can be found in moments of calm, moments of awe, and self-transcendent experiences like witnessing a birth or death. When we venture out into nature, we hear nature’s sounds all around us but the feeling of calm and tranquility gives us the quiet contemplation we desperately need. In today’s episode of Biophilic Solutions, we chat with Justin & Leigh about the incessant noise and pace of modern life, finding silence to foster greater connection to the world and to each other, and why true silence is completely different for everyone. Show NotesGolden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise by Justin Zorn & Leigh MarzHow to Build a Culture that Honors Quiet Time (Harvard Business Review)The Busier You Are, The More You Need Quiet Time (Harvard Business Review)Is noise bad for us? The authors of ‘Golden’ on why silence is good for your brain (Salon)A new book considers what silence is and how it can enrich us (Boston Globe)Astrea StategiesKey Words: Silence, Quiet, Nature, Biophilia, Focus, Attention, Technology, Meditation, Mindfulness, Wellness, ActivismBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week on Biophilic Solutions, we’re talking all things highway transportation. Transportation infrastructure is one of the most damaging systems on the planet, both in terms of human safety and environmental impact. What solutions could we possibly employ to transform highways, making them safer, more efficient, and carbon neutral? It may seem like a pipe dream, but many solutions are right at our fingertips. Our guest is Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray, a stretch of highway in southern Georgia that acts as a living laboratory for some of the most innovative ideas in transportation. Imagine the impact of installing solar panels on unutilized right of ways, replacing resource-intensive turf grass with pollinator plants, or even being able to charge your electric vehicle by simply driving over pavement embedded with solar-powered cells? These examples barely scratch the surface of all the incredible work that’s happening at The Ray. Listen in and learn about how The Ray is revolutionizing a notoriously inefficient system to create a zero impact, zero waste, and zero death highway of the future. Show NotesThe RayAllie Kelly, Executive Director of The RayTechnology: The Ray TodayTechnology: Launching SoonTechnology: Down The RoadHow 3 Technologies will revolutionize roads and highways (TEDxAtlanta)Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Advances Expansion & Modernization of the Electric Grid (The White House)Key Words: Transportation, Department of Transportation, Highway, Technology, Energy, Clean Energy, Solar, Solar Power, Right of Way Solar, Electric Vehicle, EV, biodiversity, pollinator, biophilia, nature, net zero, carbon neutral, climate change, climate solutions, carbon emissions, renewable energy, infrastructure, highway infrastructure Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Monica and Jennifer share a biophilic summer reading list with books on climate change, self-discovery, and focus. They explore the impact of technology distractions on cognitive abilities and the benefits of connecting with nature. Embrace stillness, slow down in the summer, and enjoy reading outdoors while supporting local bookstores.

What does it mean to be an engaged citizen or an effective activist? How can we shift from anger to hope and then create meaningful change? We’re back this week with a special bonus episode, an off-the-cuff conversation with David Orr, renowned scholar of political and environmental science and co-editor of Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People. We chat about finding the right balance between anger and optimism, recognizing and overcoming the flaws baked into our system of government, and why we should be regulating tech. Show Notes Democracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People, edited by David W. Orr, Andrew Gumbel, Bakari Kitwana, and William S. BeckerDangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward by David OrrDon’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change by George MarshallAddiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas by Natasha Dow Schull Key Words: nature, biophilic design, biophilia, politics, political science, tech, technology, technology and politics, democracy, climate, climate action, climate solutions, social media Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week, we’re diving deep into the intersection of democracy and the environmental movement, why it’s imperative that all lawmakers agree to the rules of the game, and how biophilia might act as a bridge to the equitable, green future we want. We also weigh the merits of a circular economy and discuss what it means to be responsible citizens and stewards for future generations. Our guest is renowned scholar of environmental and political studies at Oberlin College David Orr, author of eight books, including Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward (2016) and co-editor of three others including Democracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People (2019). While at Oberlin, Dr. Orr led the effort to design and build the Adam Joseph Lewis Center, one of the first truly biophilic buildings in the United States. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Lyndhurst Prize, a National Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation, and a Visionary Leadership Award from Second Nature.Show NotesAbout David OrrThe Oberlin ProjectThe Adam Joseph Lewis CenterDemocracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People, edited by David W. Orr, Andrew Gumbel, Bakari Kitwana, and William S. BeckerDangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward by David OrrDemocracy in a Hotter Time, presentation at Elon University (YouTube)Design with Nature by Ian L. McHargThe Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by E.O. Wilson and Stephen R. KellertDr. David Orr and Dr. Miranda Yaver on the Stand Up! With Pete Dominick PodcastChildren & Nature NetworkLast Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard LouvDoughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate RaworthKeywords: Biophilia, Climate Change, Climate, Environment, Policy, Politics, Environmental Policy, Biophilic Design, Nature, Wellness, Democracy, Economics, Circular EconomyBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers