Business
& Labor
Edward O. Wilson: The Father of Biodiversity
(greensource.construction.com - 06/2006)
By Alex
Wilson and Jane Kolleeny
Edward O. Wilson, an entomologist
and biologist, is known for his work in the fields of ecology
and evolution. He initiated a debate on sociobiology when
he suggested that behavior can be evaluated from an evolutionary
framework. He is credited with coining the term “biodiversity”
in the books The Diversity of Life and The Future of Life.
With the publication of these and numerous other books and
articles he has become one of the most important thinkers
of this century. Dr. Wilson answered questions from the
editors at GreenSource.
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| Wilson is currently a
professor at Harvard, where he earned his PhD. He won
Pulitzer Prizes for his books, On Human Nature in 1978,
and The Ants in 1991. In 2000, he was named one of the
top 100 environmentalists by Audubon and Time magazines.
Photo © Jim Harrison, Harvard. |
GreenSource:The
green building movement is seeking to minimize the impact
of buildings on the environment, by focusing on limiting land
development burden, protecting indoor air quality, and controlling
energy, water, and materials use. From a big-picture, biologist’s
perspective, what do you think the priorities of this movement
should be? For example, should the top priority be reducing
energy consumption to slow down global warming, or is it more
important to prevent rain forest destruction to protect biodiversity?
Edward O. Wilson:
I don’t think in terms of priorities, because all of
the big problems and all of the solutions are interlocked.
Moreover, it should now be obvious even to supply-side economists
that the economy will be boosted by technological innovations
to reduce material and energy consumption. A smaller ecological
footprint and improved quality of life go hand in hand, and
they are the key to future American economic leadership—as
was demonstrated by the information technology revolution.
GS: You
coined the term “biophilia.” Could you explain that
concept and describe how it can inform building design?
EOW: It
means the innate propensity to affiliate with the natural
living environment and a wide diversity of other life forms.
The idea has received a lot of scientific support, and is
even in use in preventive medicine and hospital design. One
well-documented principle of immediate relevance to architecture
is this: when people are given a completely free choice of
habitation, they consistently (across cultures) choose three
features. They want to live on a prominence, overlook parkland,
or be located next to a lake, stream, or other body of water.
GS: The
AIA recently came out with a formal target of reducing the
energy consumption of new American buildings by 50 percent
by the year 2010. This would be a dramatic step, but does
it go far enough? How much would we have to reduce carbon
emissions to have a significant impact on global climate change?
EOW:
If the AIA goal were reached, it would be a huge advance for
the United States and provide an example for the world. Obviously,
a lot more has to be done in all sectors of life; for example,
an energy revolution in the automobile industry and a shift
to dispersed wind farm and solar systems as quickly as possible.
Even then, and even if the Kyoto agreement were fully implemented,
we’ll be seeing a lot of climate change in the decades
ahead—mostly unfavorable.
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