Australian designers have said this is the beginning of the "biological age." A conference in Melbourne has heard that their professional attention needs to be diverted from creating items society really does not need - such as stackable chairs that turn into a piece of sculpture, fancy sunglasses and exotic cars.
　
What they want to see are designs that harness the forces of nature, through buildings covered in plants that can draw dioxide" class="hjdict" word="carbon dioxide" target=_blank>carbon dioxide out of the air, and floating cities that preserve fertile land for farming.
　
Mick Pearce, a Zimbabwean architect living in Melbourne, has been inspired by the humble termite.
　
"Rather like blood circulating in our veins, inside the termites nest it is air that is moved by external temperature and pressures," Pearce explained. "The termites nest is a system like our bodies. It's self regulating temperature-wise and that, in a way, is an excellent model for a building. It's an extension to our metabolism, if you like, and this means you can do a building and use far less energy."

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