FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, visit: http://challenge.bfi.org
Contact: Matt Barron, Tel: 718.290.9283, Email: challenge@bfi.org

BUCKMINSTER FULLER CHALLENGE IDEA INDEX LAUNCHED

JULY 14th, 2008 NEW YORK CITY — The Buckminster Fuller Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the much-anticipated Buckminster Fuller Challenge Idea Index, an interactive, searchable database of entries to the 2008 Buckminster Fuller Challenge.

Launched last September, The Buckminster Fuller Challenge is an annual international design competition awarding $100,000 to a solution that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems in the shortest possible time while enhancing the Earth’s ecological integrity.

The winning entry to the 2008 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, Comprehensive Design for a Carbon Neutral World: The Challenge of Appalachia, submitted by Dr. John Todd, was selected by a distinguished jury and Dr. Todd was awarded the prize at a conferring ceremony at the Center for Architecture in New York City on June 23rd, 2008.

“Our goal for the Challenge from the beginning has been to shed light on the many solutions out there to some of our most entrenched problems,” explains Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Director of The Buckminster Fuller Institute. “It is our intention that the Idea Index become a highly effective resource for those seeking solutions, designers engaged in solving problems, and the funding community looking to support innovative projects. We hope the attention provided by the Index results in as many of these ideas as possible being implemented.”

The 2008 Buckminster Fuller Challenge call for proposals elicited nearly 250 ideas for solving world problems. Each participant was given the choice to opt-in to the Index following the conclusion of the selection process. 159 individuals or team have participated in the launch of the Idea Index with solutions tackling problems ranging from the energy crisis, hunger, transportation, housing, and everything in between The Idea Index will become an invaluable tool for problem solvers around the world to promote their ideas, network, find support, and take action.

“The Idea Index will extend the reach of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge and inspire others to submit entries. This is a time when innovation for creating the sustainable future to which we all aspire is more urgent than ever,” said Hazel Henderson, 2008 Challenge juror and author of Ethical Markets: Growing The Green Economy.

The Idea Index will grow and evolve as additional Challenge cycles are completed and new entries are added to the database.

The interactive tools of the Idea Index allow users to share information, resources and critical feedback, create synergies between projects, and receive comments by the general public. The open source set of tools enables Index users to post comments, contact the team/individual directly, and contact the Buckminster Fuller Institute about funding a project. The Idea Index presents a fully searchable database of socially-responsible initiatives, in all stages of development, in need of further funding and support.