"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." - R. Buckminster Fuller
The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) has announced GreenWave as the winner of its 2015 Fuller Challenge - "Socially-Responsible Design's Highest Award." The non-profit is responsible for designing the world's first multi-species 3D ocean farms with the intent to "restore ocean ecosystems and create jobs in coastal communities by transforming fishers into restorative ocean farmers."
"GreenWave’s integrated model shifts the practice of aquaculture from growing vulnerable monocultures to creating vibrant ecosystems, which produce higher yields," said BFI. "The infrastructure is simple: seaweed, scallops and mussels grow on floating ropes, stacked above oyster and clam cages below. From these crops ocean farmers can produce food, fertilizers, animal feeds, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biofuels and much more. The farms filter harmful pollutants out of water, sequester CO2, support biodiversity, and are thus designed to restore rather than deplete our ecosystems."
"As a lifelong commercial fisherman, I could never have imagined being graced with the honor of being the 2015 Fuller Challenge recipient. GreenWave is proud to take Fuller's vision of ecological design into our oceans. We hope that our model of 3D ocean farming will be a catalyst for the restoration of ocean ecosystems, mitigating of climate change and helping feed the planet. The Fuller Challenge prize enables us to continue working to lay the foundation of a new blue-green economy,” said GreenWave Executive Director Bren Smith.
Learn more about the project on its official website.
