I recommend visiting the Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2010, and looking at some of the entries from previous challenges, particularly the winners from last year (2009).

Bucky with tensegrity mode

To cite BFI executive director, Elizabeth Thompson:

“There is a movement afoot–of highly motivated individuals all over the world seriously engaged in coming up with solutions to the mounting set of problems we face. These design pioneers and social innovators are not waiting for large scale institutions to deliver us to a sustainable future. They understand the critical role they play as the change agents for the future we all want to see. These are the people and projects we are excited to see submit an entry to the Challenge.

“We have an amazing line-up of the international systems thinkers and design pioneers serving on the jury. This year we plan to capture and publish some of the discussion leading to the selection of the winning solution as we feel it surfaces some of the most critical issues faced in trying to figure out which solutions are leverage points for turning the ship around.”

This is a solid location for folks to spend time, look, absorb, invent.