Today’s complex water challenges require technologies that address the interconnection among water, food, energy, climate, and health. The Living Technology Institute (LTI), a new nonprofit organization, has been established to advance innovative, ecological technologies based on a whole-system approach to water.
Living technologies adapt ecosystem processes (“eco-mimicry”) and augment natural functions through the latest ecological science and engineering. The result is cost-effective, practical water infrastructure for sustainable communities, economies, and environments.
LTI is designed to complement and collaborate with other organizations that share a holistic view of water and work toward integrating natural and human ecosystems. As part of its mission, LTI will:
- Form partnerships with organizations that create or need innovative ecological water technologies
- Develop pilot projects to validate new technology applications.
- Conduct educational programs.
Will Kirksey, LTI executive director, said, “People intuitively understand that water is the foundation of life and the medium tying all life together; yet conventional engineering and economic analyses treat water as just a commodity. Solving our water challenges requires understanding water at multiple levels and building ecological infrastructure that reflects that understanding. Our goal is to find and advance those practical, cost-effective ecological water treatment and reuse technologies.”
