How complexity leads to simplicity

How to deal with the fact that everything is connected to everything?
Eric Berlow: How complexity leads to simplicity Video on TED.com
Eric Berlow presents an interesting approach in this TED talk, but in 3 minutes he can only give a start to his concept. Might be applicable to sustainability problems.


More in depth information can be found on Eric Berlow's website. By the way a visually nice website.

Worldchanging: news service for the unimaginable future

TED talks are talks by bright and often eloquent people about ideas worth spreading.
An interesting TED talk by Alex Steffen, the founder of Worldchanging.com on the unthinkable and unimaginable future, the sustainable future. Most interesting part at the end, from 13:50 on.
Interesting quote of Alex Steffen: the tools to be used to save the world should be beautiful in themselves.

Achieving Net-Zero-Energy Buildings - ASHRAE

Youtube is not only about funny videos and music clips. Also ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers, posts videos on Youtube.

The ASHRAE video on how to achieve a net zero energy building shows in a short, but very clear way the subsequent steps you should follow to turn a typical office building into a net zero energy building. Also very clear and useful to keep in mind when designing low energy buildings. In fact, it is a video representation of the principle of the trias energetica.

Engineering for the ecological age

As some of you might know already, iTunes U gives you free online access to some of the most excellent lectures from highly reputable institutes such as MIT, Stanford, Oxford,... It is worth to browse in their offerings.

One of my favourite lectures is from John Ochsendorf from MIT. In his video lecture, entitled 'Engineering for the ecological age: lessons from history' he shows very interesting cases where lowtech materials are combined with hightech engineering. And positively he is a very gifted speaker. Look in iTunes U > MIT World > Engineering to find the lecture.
Skip the extremely boring introduction and start at 10:50.