They call him “Yoda for scientists.” But to Bio4Climate’s Jim Laurie, John Todd has always been a wonderful mentor, and a friend. They first met at the New Alchemy Institute in 1988, when John was building systems of bacteria, microbes, plants, fungi, and animals—self-organizing communities capable of breaking down toxic wastes from agricultural and septage lagoons. It changed the trajectory of Jim’s career as a scientist, steward, and curious mind. Guided by John’s breakthroughs in these eco-machines, Jim went on to design and construct his own living ecosystems, capable of breaking down toxic industrial pollutants like ammonia, chloroform, and BPA. In 1995, John Todd designed an EPA-backed Vermont Eco-Machine housed in a greenhouse, and Jim moved to Vermont to operate it. That greenhouse treated municipal sewage to a high standard, even through the bone-chilling New England winters. These were not just experiments in biology; they were critical turning points for Jim, moments when he saw firsthand that nature, when nurtured (if not always fully understood), could often repair humanity’s worst environmental damage. John’s words still guide Jim to this day. “When you include all kingdoms of life, nature is self-organizing and relentless.”
Posted: April 29, 2025