Robert Frenay

Robert Frenay was an American author and lecturer who described and advocated a green or ecologically conscious approach to technological development and development of human civilization. Robert began his professional life as an artist and photographer, an architectural draftsman and graphic designer. After spending some time as a jazz critic, jazz magazine publisher and jazz event coordinator, he went to work for various periodicals doing article research. He ended up as a feature writer and contributing editor at Audubon Magazine after heading up an effort to raise money and acquire property for a green community plan in upstate New York. He covered developments in nature and technology for the magazine.

Robert left his editing position at Audubon and wrote his first book, Pulse: The Coming Age of Systems and Machines Inspired by Living Things. The book advocated recycling of all waste, greater control of corporations to prevent pollution and waste, government support of environment-based technology development. His view was a positive vision of future industrial, military, agricultural and commercial technological developments. While the basis of his book was a single idea, he reflected that idea throughout history, cultural philosophy, technological change and invention as he “charted the shift from machines to biology bolstered by computers: a type of ‘new biology’ in which human systems and machines meld to form new possibilities”.

Robert died in 2007.