Ideas change everything

The natural building blocks of sustainable architecture

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Michael Green |

TED@DestinationCanada

• February 2023

If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to talk about construction. The four main building materials that humans currently use -- concrete, steel, masonry and wood -- have a heavy environmental impact, but what if we had a fifth option? Architect Michael Green proposes an entirely new, natural medium inspired by the structure of trees and plants. Learn more about the carbon-sequestering solution to our construction conundrum that's laying the groundwork for a truly sustainable future.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to talk about construction. The four main building materials that humans currently use -- concrete, steel, masonry and wood -- have a heavy environmental impact, but what if we had a fifth option? Architect Michael Green proposes an entirely new, natural medium inspired by the structure of trees and plants. Learn more about the carbon-sequestering solution to our construction conundrum that's laying the groundwork for a truly sustainable future.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Learn more about FIVE and get in touch with Michael Green Architecture.

About the speaker

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Michael Green wants to transform an industry that generates almost 40 percent of the world’s carbon emissions -- our built environment -- by creating cities made of natural, carbon-sequestering biomaterial structures instead of concrete and steel.

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Open: The talks of TED@DestinationCanada

This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with Destination Canada. Check out more talks from the event.

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About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

Read more about the TED Institute

Learn more about FIVE and get in touch with Michael Green Architecture.