Look Who it Was Random video

Can bugs be a fix? | Gemma Thomson | TEDxCanberra

684 views · Published 13 November 2018 · 15:45 · Indexed 26 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

Watch on YouTube

Gemma Thomson is an entrepreneur and innovator who is applying an interesting solution to an old problem: dog waste. Households in Australia are more likely to have a dog than they are to have a human child. Most of us dispose of the waste generated by our 'best friends' by sending it to landfill, which creates a significant waste problem. In fact, dog poo constitutes about 4% of waste in landfill each year. Gemma is using dung beetles in urban environments to manage and divert dog waste from landfill and help green our gardens at the same time. Gemma is a holistic problem solver. She brings her experience together with a passion for research and unites people with the world they live in. She takes traditional methods, modern science, and combines them with a creative perspective to come up with real solutions people can put to use everyday.

Gemma believes in the environment and ecosystems, especially their ability to sustain themselves, and support us. From here she challenges some of the most common assumptions of everyday life, finding more logical ways of dealing with the things we thought we had solved - like dealing with our dogs’ poop. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

More from this channel