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Biological Concepts as a Source of Inspiration for Efficiency, Consistency, and Sufficiency

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  • Olga Speck

    (Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT—Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
    Plant Biomechanics Group @ Botanic Garden Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Martin Möller

    (Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT—Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
    Oeko-Institut, Institute for Applied Ecology, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Rainer Grießhammer

    (Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT—Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
    Oeko-Institut, Institute for Applied Ecology, 79100 Freiburg, Germany)

  • Thomas Speck

    (Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT—Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
    Plant Biomechanics Group @ Botanic Garden Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

Sustainable development is a global challenge addressed by the 2030 Agenda with internationally adopted goals. The consideration of the three major sustainability strategies of efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency can guide us toward more sustainable policy approaches, product manufacturing, service offers, and consumption lifestyles. We select the growth form “liana”, which has evolved several times independently, to identify traits of lianas and general biological concepts derived therefrom. Even though sustainability is an anthropocentric approach and does not exist in biology, we can attribute biological concepts to sustainability strategies. The biological concepts of lightweight construction, modularity, function-related tissue formation, and trade-off can be attributed to efficiency; the concepts of zero waste, best fit, and damage repair to consistency; and the change of growth form and the concept of less is more and good enough to sufficiency. We discuss the analogies between parasitic architecture and the “structural parasitism” of lianas on host trees and between polymers with switchable autonomous properties and ontogenetic changes in the lianescent growth form. Efficiency can be analyzed quantitatively and consistency qualitatively, whereas sufficiency, as an aspect of human consumption patterns, cannot be mathematically measured. Biological concepts can thus serve as a source of inspiration for improving sustainability in the technosphere.

Suggested Citation

  • Olga Speck & Martin Möller & Rainer Grießhammer & Thomas Speck, 2022. "Biological Concepts as a Source of Inspiration for Efficiency, Consistency, and Sufficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8892-:d:867526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    2. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
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    4. Rafael Horn & Hanaa Dahy & Johannes Gantner & Olga Speck & Philip Leistner, 2018. "Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Möller & Rainer Grießhammer, 2024. "Streamlined benefit analysis of products based on the Sustainable Development Goals: Integrating the voice of society into life cycle sustainability assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(3), pages 397-409, June.

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