Posted by Harry
Announcements | 15 Oct 07 | Comments (4) | Stumble
Today bloggers around the web will be posting on the subject of the environment as I am now. There's lots to write about. From a design perspective there are new materials, new ideas and most importantly designers who are keen to design sustainable and responsible objects and products (almost every one we interviewed this year). Much has been written on sustainable design, and no doubt more is on the way here and on every other design blog for years to come.
The green message has moved beyond the fringe to the masses. Or has it.
I've acted:
- I've sold my car and now take public transit almost exclusively (when I can't bike)
- I've insulated my home to reduce energy consumption
- I've switched from oil to hydro electricity to heat my home to reduce green house gases
- I aggressively recycle and re-use
I'm no angel, the cost savings associated with these changes are substantial. Spending less also means my life is less stressful, as in one doesn't need to owe as much.
That said, there are still way too many cars on the road, too much garbage, the air isn't getting cleaner and a lot of the people I interact with are stressed as never before. Which means I'm clearly in the minority. And yet, paradoxically, the green message is out there, practically omnipresent, everywhere I look.
It may be massive cognitive dissonance.
Or maybe it's because the not-often-said first rule of ecological living is to consume less. Not the most popular message on any commercial media (of which this blog is one) and not easy to do as an individual when a lot of what we value now are things. Thus I posit that, instead of killing my livelihood, we should consume wisely. :). Make better choices, ie., buy fewer but better things, that last longer, that are sustainably made, that bring art into our lives. Ever notice how art never expires? Or how "loco" is now the acronym for low consumption...
Good posting Harry.
It's hard as a designer and design blogger to tell people to 'consume less' when we post new items everyday. But the quality of these items will no doubt allow us to avoid buying a replacement down the road.
Another option is to search out local designers that have low run products that are made in your own backyard as opposed to the Far East and all the energy and fuel it takes to deliver it to this side of the world.
I'm still pretty reliant on my car, but i've taken up longboarding this year which is great for short trips to the grocery store, coffee house, etc. as opposed to hopping in your car for a quick ride and burning more gas.
Every little bit helps.
Ha! "Loco" for low consumption- I love it.
I was thinking about this myself- I don't drive and have cut down on excess in general, but I guess I'm a big electricity-waster. We've done a lot around our home to not waste our resources, but almost everything I do is on one of two computers... or both at the same time.
I think that even if the majority of people are still sitting by themselves in their cars for their morning commute, wasting fuel and polluting our atmosphere, the more that "green" products are created, reported on, advertised, and lauded by important people (and celebrities, I guess), the better the chance of the message getting through to everyone.
Great message to pass on. I also have cut down on using the car. Use mainly the public transport to commute - I would only use the car during weekends to buy my food at the grocery store, and food can be used for composting :). I do consume less things by focusing more on photography and art - reading your blog :). And I always have to remind my roommate to turn off the lights when they're not used! Thanks again for passing on the message.
Message tres bien recu et apprecie. Nous gachons trop de materiaux pour de faux besoins. Je suis psychanalyste et je prefere acheter des meubles recycles. Je suis grand amateur de plantes et d'arbres et grand partisan de la protection de notre environnment.