Editing Tim Smit (section)

==Career==
He worked as an archaeologist before working as both a songwriter and producer receiving seven [[Music recording certification|platinum and gold discs]].

In 1987 he moved with his family to Cornwall and became involved with Rob Poole, John Nelson and [[The Lost Gardens of Heligan]]. Smit wrote a book about the project.

[[File:Sir Tim Smit, The Green Interview.webm|thumb|right|Tim Smit in conversation with [[Silver Donald Cameron]] about his work.]]
With architect [[Jonathan Ball (architect)|Jonathan Ball]], he jointly created the [[Eden Project, Cornwall|Eden Project]], near [[St Austell]], an £80 million initiative to build two transparent [[biome]]s in an old [[kaolinite|china clay]] pit near the village of [[Bodelva]].  The biomes contain different eco-climates; rainforest and Mediterranean. The outside area is also described as a biome and has areas such as "Wild Cornwall". Eden aims to educate people about environmental matters and encourages a greater understanding and empathy with these matters. Smit raised the funds and the site design was by [[Nicholas Grimshaw]]. Smit has claimed that The Eden Project has contributed over £1 billion into the Cornish economy.<ref name=personally>{{cite web|url=http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/tim-smit-kbe-sir|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054021/http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/tim-smit-kbe-sir|work=Personally Speaking Bureau|title=TIM SMIT KBE, SIR {{!}} Co-Founder of the Eden Project|archive-date=4 March 2016}}{{self-published inline|date=April 2022}}</ref>

Smit's book about the creation of the Eden Project, ''Eden'', was published in 2001 and updated on the 10th anniversary of the opening in March 2011.

Smit was appointed an honorary [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2002 New Year Honours]] and awarded the Kilgerran Award of the [[Foundation for Science and Technology]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 2003 |title=Re-creating the Garden of Eden |journal=FST Journal |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=6–7 |publisher=The Foundation for Science and Technology |location=London |issn=1475-1704 |url=http://www.foundation.org.uk/journal/pdf/fst_18_02.pdf |access-date=28 July 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foundation.org.uk/events/pdf/20031007_summary.pdf |access-date=28 July 2010 |title=Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Award Lecture – Summary |date=7 October 2003 |author=Jeff Gill}}</ref> In 2006 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Design degree by the [[University of the West of England]] "in recognition of his outstanding achievements in promoting the understanding and practice of the responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, which have made a major contribution regionally, nationally and internationally to sustainable development, tourism, architecture and landscape architecture".

Smit has been outspoken in his views on issues such as [[social enterprise]] and [[entrepreneurship]]. In a 2008 interview, he said:
<blockquote>
Britain is crap at being entrepreneurial because (a) it's a risk averse country, and (b) the stigma of failure is so high that if you fail you're considered to be a loser. Entrepreneurism is a word that has been stolen by people who don't understand it. The truth is that people who are entrepreneurial take risks, and risk is something that is un-British, and if you're successful with it they'll hate you for it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yourbusinesschannel.com/show/ideas/158/business-television-show---celebrity-entrepreneurs-5-what-it-takes-to-succeed|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929233705/http://www.yourbusinesschannel.com/show/ideas/158/business-television-show---celebrity-entrepreneurs-5-what-it-takes-to-succeed|website=yourbusinesschannel.com|title=Business television show – Celebrity Entrepreneurs 5: What it takes to succeed|archive-date=29 September 2009}}</ref>
</blockquote>

In the early 21st century, Smit became a Social Enterprise Ambassador.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100512144114/http://socialenterpriseambassadors.org.uk/ambassadors/ambassador-details?page_no=2|work=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|title=Social Enterprise Ambassadors|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref>

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 2001 when he was surprised by [[Michael Aspel]] at the [[Eden Project, Cornwall|Eden Project]]. {{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Smit was appointed Honorary [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (KBE) in January 2011 in recognition of his services to public engagement with science.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-12238072|publisher=BBC News|title=Honorary knighthood for Eden Project boss|date=20 January 2011|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref> In May 2012, the award was made substantive when he became a British citizen, allowing Smit to use the title "Sir".<ref name=personally/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=60173|supp=y|page=32|date=16 June 2012}}</ref>

In November 2016, Smit was awarded an honorary Doctor of Education degree by [[Bournemouth University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/2016-11-09/faculty-management-celebrates-its-new-2016-graduates|publisher=[[Bournemouth University]]|title=Faculty of Management celebrates its new 2016 graduates|date=9 November 2016|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref>

Smit is one of the backers of the Eden Westwood project, a joint project between the Eden Project and developers Westwood to build a 175-acre (71 hectares) leisure and tourism destination at Junction 27 of the [[M5 motorway|M5]] in Devon. The development was included in the Mid Devon Local Plan which was adopted in July 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/eden-westwood-surf-lake-m5-4328112|work=DevonLive|title=Surf lake beside the M5 in Devon is getting closer|first=Daniel|last=Clark|date=20 July 2020|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.edenproject.com/media/2014/11/eden-project-heads-westwood-into-devon|work=Eden Project|title=Eden Project heads "Westwood" into Devon|date=4 December 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2022}}</ref> In January 2021 Smit submitted plans for a development in [[Lostwithiel]] consisting of an orchard with 3,000 fruit trees, a pottage garden, a multi-use building with cookery school, microbrewery, distillery, cider press and 20 accommodation units.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-55720166|publisher=BBC News|title=Eden Project's Tim Smit plans cookery school in Lostwithiel|date=19 January 2021|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref>