This interview is packed with hydraulic sex appeal! Eco-Machines are integrated ecosystems engineered to treat wastewater effluent, purify polluted waters, and harvest nutrients through a series of biodiverse aquaponic matrices. John Todd of John Todd Ecological Design is the son of Dr. John Todd, co-author of the book, From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design... an amazing book that sparked my journey through sustainable water systems years ago, before I ever knew what "aquaponics" was. In this interview, we talk about the evolution of Solar Aquatics and Living Machines (now called Eco-Machines) from the development of aquaponics to an integration of multiple systems using floating island Restorers, mycelial networks for mycofiltration, and value-added Nutrient Harvesting systems. This interview also touches on some case studies the John Todd Ecological Design company has worked on to restore contaminated rivers, ponds, and watersheds using their integrated biomimicry engineering. Eco-Machines removed 97% of the petroleum hydrocarbons in the Fisherville Canal in Grafton, MA... and 19 out of 20 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, antibiotics, and other contaminants from the waste-water at the Omega Institute! We talk about the importance of wetlands as hurricane buffers and natural aquaponic systems, our "planetary kidneys." And lastly, we discuss the power of polycultures, the multiple functions of algae, wastewater treatment on Sir Richard Branson's island, value-added nutrient harvesting, fertigation, and low-impact development strategies for dealing with drought in California. Packed with content on water filtration, absorption in the landscape, biodiversity, and watershed management!
