Sustainability
Beyond the Tipping Point
08/07/1008:38
Watch out for my review of the film, Beyond the Tipping Point over the next few days...
Read more at: beyondthetippingpoint.com
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Good design
12/12/0919:10
It’s great to find like folk elsewhere in the world who, like thomas.matthews are equally passionate - and importantly, concrete - about the way in which sustainability can offer tremendous potential to projects, to clients, suppliers and the general public.
Check out the website at: www.designcanchange.org and check the resources section for some outline tips on how design transforms the world.
Greengaged on film
06/10/0917:01
This was the week that was ‘Greengaged’. For further information check out our blog posts at Greengaged.com.
Greengaged 09 website is live
25/06/0918:35
Greengaged, the sustainable design hub for the London Design Festival is returning for its second year with some very exciting plans. Don't wait until the event in September, get online to find out more, join the community and enter the debate on the fabulous new and improved website. The event is being developed by thomas.matthews, Kingston University and Re:Design in association with the the Design Council.
Check out the site at greengaged.com
Read the more recent DesignWeek article
Keep it, kept it, share it
04/04/0911:03
Looking for the latest gadget? Got to have that iPhone (yes, it can be a tough choice!). We are ‘programmed’ to ‘need’ the latest badges of post-post-modernity, sometimes it is useful, and at other times it represents desire, pure and simple. Imagine for a moment that it is now cool to have only as much as you require to enjoy life, and no more. Straightforward idea, and one which many belief systems have constructed themselves around.
Enter a straightforward project called, Kept. The idea being that you take pride in valuing what you have around you, avoiding having more and more stuff produced to satisfy a desire. Of course, a natural response might be, ‘loss of a commercial reason will kill development’ (based on the creation of desire as a drive for commerce). The challenge to move to a post-consumer world is baffling to some, and to others a new kind of self-control might be well considered, bearing in mind the fierce effect now being felt by the actions of the banking profession.
Projects like Kept shouldn’t be viewed as a full answer, but it does perhaps offer an opportunity for us to rethink the way we individually calibrate our concept of ‘desire’. One thing is for sure: we won’t create any type of paradigm shift to benefit the world by consuming more stuff. The development of the commercial service sector has surely only just been born. And with that, the practice of design continues to redefine itself.
Read more about the project and subscribe at: www.kept.it
Serious about sustainability
12/03/0919:03
When the subject of ‘sustainability’ comes up, it’s not often dealt with through humour. In fact, ‘sustainable’ isn’t a particularly compelling word in many ways; think about its use in other contexts, how would you react if your partner suggested your relationship was ‘sustainable’, not exactly excitement city is it!
From another point of view the ‘S’ word has been used for so long by the greenerati – scientists and longstanding campaigners and many others – who, whilst rightly passionate, aren’t necessarily the ones with facility for PR. Perhaps this has given the term associations of ‘boring’, too alternative, etc. Personaly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the term: a word will take on new meaning, having potential to change over time: we simply need to see it as a fully 4-dimensional reality, give it a fuller life, broader meaning. Let’s understand its possibility, its massive relevance to every part of our lives, and also through humour, why not. Just maybe being sustainable doesn’t need to be that serious-a-deal after all... (so long as you watch where you recycle your plastic bottles that is!)
Designs on Christmas
18/12/0800:30
There’s no end of virtual Christmas cards this year, and generally you have to ask if it’s as much inspired by thrifty thinking as much making a step towards becoming more sustainable. Most companies’ physical cards are leave something to be desired at best and their virtual versions seem to follow the same character; so it’s nice when the fellows at the Design Council do something a little bit more enticing.
Are you ON for Christmas? The Design council have decided to focus on the small things which have a larger affect. Hopefully this shows a central commitment recognise the indelible link between ‘good design’ and ‘sustainable design’, how many Christmas tree lights will it manage to turn off by converted web visitors, that fact will remain in darkness unfortunately. But it’s great that the sustainable message will mean something for larger numbers of companies. Check out the Design Council’s virtual Christmas card
Recent statistics show that one billion Christmas cards, weighing 20,000 tonnes, will end up as waste this Christmas.
Positive, Neutral, or Responsible?
10/12/0822:57
This content of the post (below) is actually a steal from Andrew Zolli; I don’t make a habit of lifting complete quotes without comment (in fact this is a first) but I liked his idea of addressing the ‘Carbon Neutral’ term we are all now getting ‘familiar’ with.
Andrew is a futurologist I linked up whilst at Bruce Mau Design half a decade ago, I remember thinking then what a fascinating line of work it must be to reflect on and plot the future everyday.
And if you are wondering, the above model depicts the fullerene: one of the eight different molecular configurations which can be formed entirely of pure carbon. And now, here’s the post:
Carbon Positive, Carbon Negative, or Carbon Responsible?
“To some the glass is half empty, to others half full. It appears this question of perspective is also afflicting those looking at going beyond carbon neutral. Two terms are being used interchangeably despite being opposites: carbon positive & carbon negative.
In both cases people are referring to offsetting or sequestering more carbon dioxide than is emitted. To date, neither Wikipedia nor Google definitions has weighed in on this matter.
As the point is to leave less CO2 in the atmosphere than you put in, we at Z+ think it makes sense to call it carbon negative.
We are however willing to concede that offsetting beyond neutrality is a positive thing to do!”
Text by Andrew Zolli, from the Z+ blog
Just DO something
12/11/0800:19
I’ve just come across what looks like it was an interesting lecture series, thankfully the site contains a good amount of info too lead the casual reader down a long, and interestingly winding path.
Check out the site for more info at dolectures.co.uk
Climate Safety: Keep your eye on that big old ball
09/11/0814:24
image: George Monbiot
Interested to hear what any of these speakers have to say? Wish I was around for this talk, it should be fantastic!
Caroline Lucas
George Monbiot
Jeremy Leggett
Kevin Anderson
Tim Helweg-Larsen
A short and simple summary of the latest climate science followed by a discussion of what we’re going to do about it.
On Thursday 27th November from 7-9pm, The Public Interest Research Centre will present the Climate Safety report at Friends Meeting House, Euston, London.
The ‘Climate Safety’ report gives a clear and simple summary of the latest science, and shows how our current handling of the problem has exposed us to serious and growing risks. Modelled on the Australian ‘Climate Code Red’ report, ‘Climate Safety’ delivers a clear message that to have any chance of maintaining a safe climate, we must rapidly decarbonise our society, preserve global sinks, and address the problem with an unprecedented degree of seriousness.
Even with a commitment to 80% carbon cuts by 2050, “Climate Safety” warns that our current policy response does not match up to the scale of the challenge. Come along to this event which promises a discussion exploring ways to get beyond ‘politics-as-usual’, and to achieve ‘a full emergency response’. Worth a punt isn’t it.
If you are interested to come along then take a look check out climatesafety.org
Following the talk you can now download the climate safety report here
City Eco Lab
07/11/0811:19
In the words of John Thackara....
“If you know of another event about city-regions and design that includes permaculture, mushrooms, spin-farming, fritzing, open money, peak protein, alternative trade networks, dry toilets, sustainable urban drainage, alternate reality games, watershed planning, seed banks, de-motorisation, and VeloWalas – go to it. That way I won’t suffer remorce for my encouragement of long-distance travel. Otherwise, here are highlights of the encounters and presentations planned for the event”
Aimed at encouraging visitors to think about ways to interface with a sustainable world, the event will run from 15-28 November in St Etienne.
If you’re passing through the ‘Massif Central’ area of France you could do worse than check it out. For more info: biennalesaint-etienne.citedudesign.com
There is still a sense that sustainability is this ‘otherworld’ which we need to be forced into making a connection with. To some extent that’s understandable (ideas about Permaculture have ‘only’ been talked about for the past 30-40 years), people obviously take a little while to take new ideas on board.
I hope that the exhibition activates a positive change in the visitors who experience it. I also wish for a parallel approach that actually puts the knowledge and tools in peoples lives. Is it a dream to imagine a real life strategic project to promote social change, along the lines of Jamie Oliver’s ambitions to instigate change in the way society eats, but more successful than that. Aren’t we in danger of perpetuating the issues of sustainability as a freakshow, something which is put on display and shown to be ‘different’.
Perhaps I should just go and check it out, I might just find something new there, who knows.
Guides to sustainability for designers
28/10/0819:02
Not so well known in the UK as it could be, this is a really interesting site giving designers some of the equipment required to work more sustainably. For more information check out Re-nourish.com
Worth a check is another project by Sophie of thomas.matthews in collaboration with Caroline Clark (lovely as a tree), and Nat Hunter of Airside, take a look at their approach at threetreesdontmakeaforest.org
Googled: it's a long, long post...
01/10/0809:45
Yes, another project with 'good' ambitions; to 'change' the world, or create a step change in peoples attitude and action. Often a project will give space for reflection, and most often it results in a series of ideas, some old, some new. One of Google's current projects is the 10 to the power of 100, based on many ideas contributing to a manifesto for change. 10tothe100 is a competition project being run by Google, submit your ideas before 20 October, 2008. Project10tothe100.com
It reminds me of the various editions of the Whole Earth catalogue, initiated by all round inspiration, Mr Bucky Fuller, and published (rather a short time before I entered this world) in 1969:
A rather worn copy, of the increasingly rare 'Whole Earth Catalogue'.
Pages have the layout of a typical catalogue of products of the era (think about warming up your Gestetner machine!). The frontispiece informs the reader, "The Whole Earth Catalogue functions as an evaluation and access device. With it, the user should know what is worth getting and where and how to do the getting."
Under the title, "Purpose", the text goes on to say, "We are as gods and might as well get good at it. So far remotely done power and glory--as via government, big business, formal education, church--has succeeded to the point where gross defects obscure actual gains. In response to this dilema and to these gains a realm of intimate, personal power is developing--power of the individual to conduct his own education, find his own inspiration, shape his own environment, and share his adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the WHOLE EARTH CATALOGUE."
I wonder how Bucky would change his approach if he was blogging himself, and advising the people at the Google project (above). The above paragraph could be talking about the current scope of the Internet. Never before have we had so much capacity to change the world, so many tools within easy reach. To what degree does the power still remain in the word, getting traction on new ideas is still the challenge to engineering social behaviour change.
I wonder if Patrick Leavens was able to push forward this idea. It still offers an interesting and potentially viable alternative to the Internet experience, Internews/Internet. Shame that now google has to engage people with a competition that crowns an individual winner, rather than expecting that they'll enter out of good will for change...
Design the world: solutions to water crisis: competition
30/09/0820:06
Another fascinating and ambitious competition from the people at Aspen, lets see more ambition changing events like this, certainly it makes a more relevant focus than the usual, 'design a poster', water is going to be one of the most highly contested resources over the next few decades. Aspendesignchallenge.org
The future for designers
29/09/0819:13
“We won’t have a future which needs design.” That’s enough to get even the most aesthetic designers out of their shells surely? It’s interesting to see the range of approach here to the question of our changing attitude and action towards the development of sustainable design. There’s a confusion from some of those interviewed about how to get to grips with sustainability, lets look to people showing by example as well as raising the level of debate.
Ken Robinson speaks
26/09/0810:01
When I first encountered the challenging mix of wit and tell it like it is approach of Sir Ken Robinson, I must have emailed and recommended it to almost everyone I know. This guy has some really solid inspirational thinking on the relationships of creativity, innovation and culture, and the way in which society continually fails to promote it, particularly within education (however the points are more broadly socially relevant too).
Here is Ken's talk at TED, which - by the way - is an amazing site crammed full of inspirational thinkers and doers from all walks of life, check them out after Ken's talk at ted.com
And if you liked that, take a look at Sir Ken speaking at the RSA
...and now, a book alert: ‘The Element’, to be published in January 2009. Sure to be a fascinating investigation into the potency of creativity, a must read (I can't wait!). Glad he's dropped the 'Sir', replaced by the Ph.D (now that must be an old fashioned Ph.D rather one driven by the current funding takeover of higher education).
Design and sustainability: resources
23/09/0823:47
Here are a few organisations working in the
intersections of design and sustainability. I don’t
usually throw up a set of links without further
detail, but I’m working through a list of things I’d
like to comment on, for now see what you make of this
mix:
bc.gdc.net/practivism/
AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
designcanchange.org
bc.gdc.net/practivism/
AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
designcanchange.org
Sustainable Branding
10/09/0808:32
How
can socially responsible businesses build authentic
brands for a
more sustainable future? That's the question at the center of an
upcoming workshop series entitled "Branding for Sustainability"
featuring top executives from:
Gap Inc. (September 17 in San Francisco)
Whole Foods (September 22 in Austin)
Eileen Fisher (October 20 in New York City)
For further information take a look at brandingforsustainability.com
more sustainable future? That's the question at the center of an
upcoming workshop series entitled "Branding for Sustainability"
featuring top executives from:
Gap Inc. (September 17 in San Francisco)
Whole Foods (September 22 in Austin)
Eileen Fisher (October 20 in New York City)
For further information take a look at brandingforsustainability.com
Hey old bag!
09/09/0809:35
It still stuns me
that such a high percentage of lunchtime shoppers
nipping out of their office for a hurried bite to eat
still insist on taking their sandwich and pack of
crisps away in a brand new, volumous, plastic bag --
in my case from the local Sainsburys -- only to throw
the bag into the bin a minute later as they enter the
park around the corner (it is summertime). Worse
still, the supermarket staff haven't cottoned on to
the idea that they could actually ask if the aimless
customer if they actually 'need' a bag. Lets see how
long it takes for this post to start to become
irrelevant.
You could watch this on your iPhone your in the checkout line: www.plasticbagfree.com
You could watch this on your iPhone your in the checkout line: www.plasticbagfree.com
Greengaged: the LDF sustainability hub
07/09/0819:21
The London Design Festival is about to kick off and thomas.matthews have been busy with [re]design and Kingston University to curate and launch the event's first ever 'sustainable design hub'. It's a free event, based at the Design Council. Featuring debates, workshops, exhibitions, seminars and master classes, it brings together an exciting mix from all sectors of the design industry with strategists, chemists and magicians to focus on sustainability issues, exchange ideas and carve out new roles for design.
To look at the programme and book your free place visit greengaged.com
100 months to save the planet ...and counting
30/08/0821:53
One of a number of similar projects which are great too look at, what is the barrier to signing up though. Real action needs personal motivation, which of these projects can hope to achieve that result? Not to diss the motivation of those who have developed the project, but when thinking about issues like ‘credit crunch’ we know that people don’t necessarily respond to logic until it’s too late. Particularly when they have the feeling that there is safety in numbers (if we’re all doing it one way, it must surely be right...?) Making the issue of climate change personal is perhaps the key, how does it affect YOU, not your neighbour. The Internet is becoming a great social network, but can it develop as a space to create personal motivation to make change on the ground....
Check out the site at onehundredmonths.org
The world according to design...
15/07/0818:02
I have to admit that I was originally curious, and concerned about the principles The Designers Accord being, as it is, an uncertified denomination of designers who would like to associate themselves with the issues of sustainability.
At a time when popular awareness is starting to understand terms like ‘greenwash’ there is obviously a commercial as well as ethical demand for design companies to step towards an understanding of their impact, both positive and negative, on the issues in sustainability. The idea that signing up to the label of the Designers Accord (DA) has been criticized for suggesting your company may have taken ambitious steps towards a sustainable future, yet in an unmonitored and uncertified way.
That criticism assumes of course that the DA is like so many other ‘membership’ organisations designed to give the client a supposed confidence in the members associated green credentials. Interestingly, the DA makes no claims to be anything other than a group of designers of very different backgrounds and standards with an interest in change. Whilst it has to be acknowledged that change ultimately comes out of action, a critical first step must surely be based around communication, and developing a forum to explore pathways through an unchartered future. Perhaps the DA is a first move towards establishing a community, but is it useful if it doesn’t demand an agreed, measured, certified adoption structure for its members.
‘Movement’ and the Internet also make bedfellows that can make people wary, largely because a culture of joining and subscribing must make ‘action’ follow along way behind the click of the mouse.
Bringing sustainable design practice to your own design company requires more than membership, to go further than that, at thomas.matthews over ten years work in the field of sustainable design means that the greater ambition is to go beyond even the expectation of certification (such as the popular ISO 14001).
Point your mouse towards designersaccord.org.
Seven ways to a greener life
04/07/0818:55
Do the Green Thing is a fun site designed to enthuse people about the ease of a more sustainable lifestyle, and the broader experience that results. It’s a creative exploration of the issues raised by climate change; nice design work from peepshow too.
See what you can do to green yourself up, take at look at dothegreenthing and have a smile or two at the same time.