Pictures
COOKING WITH
SUSTAINABILITY
Stephanie Farah
•
Applied Theories in Sustainability
•
Professor Scott Boylston
•
2011
Contents Introduction 3 Timeline 4 Kiss the Cook 6 Know your Ingredients 8 Measurements 10 A Note ABout Greenwashing 13
First Course
15
Second Course
23
Third Course
39
Afterword Glossary Resources
49 52 53
Systems Thinking Craving Seafood?
Cradle To Cradle Biomimicry Industry Ecology Natural Capitalism Doing Democracy
Fostering Sustainable Behavior Hidden Connections
19 20
27 30 33 34 37
43 44
picture
Introduction
SUSTAINABILITY IS THE CAPACITY TO ENDURE
Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. You know how it is with cookbooks: for any dish you might imagine, there are dozens of recipes, many of them claiming to be the “right way.” There are probably well over 100 recipes for ‘sustainability’, but putting it into practise isn’t so easy. Great chefs often treat a recipe as a starting point for improvisation, with sometimes transcendent results. This book reviews what ‘sustainability’ actually means in real-world terms and discusses the practical strategies that you can utilize in your own way. Sustainability is both a vision and a process. It encompasses the triple bottom line of environmental protection, economic development, and social progress.
Introduction 3
Timeline 1972 - Club of Rome publishes Limits to Growth. The report is extremely controversial because it predicts dire consequences if growth is not slowed. Northern countries criticize the report for not including technological solutions 1962 - Silent Spring by while Southern countries are incensed Rachel Carson brought to1992 - Earth Summit. UN because it advocates abandonment of gether research on toxicology, Conference on economic development. ecology and epidemiology to Environment and Develsuggest that agricultural opment (UNCED) held in 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy pesticides were building to Rio de Janeiro, under the Carter authorizes study leading catastrophic levels. This was leadership of Maurice to the Global 2000 report. This linked to damage to animal Strong. report recognizes biodiversity species and to human health. for the first time as a critical characteristic in the proper 1987 - Our Common Future 1970 - First Earth Day held functioning of the planetary Brundtland Report Report of the as a national teach-in on the ecosystem. It asserts that the World Commission on environment. An robust nature of ecosystems is Environment and Development estimated 20 million people weakened by species extinc- weaves together social, economic, participated in tion. cultural and environmental peaceful demonstrations across the U.S.
1971- Greenpeace starts up in Canada and launches an aggressive agenda to stop environmental damage through civil protests and non-violent interference.
issues and global solutions.
1979 - Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurs in Pennsylvania,USA. 1985 - Antarctic ozone hole discovered by British and American scientists. 1986 - Accident at nuclear station in Chernobyl generates a massive toxic 1973 - OPEC oil crisis fuels limits to radioactive explosion. growth debate. 1989 - Exxon Valdez tanker runs aground dumping 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
Introduction 4
1999 - Launch of the first global sustainability index tracking leading corporate sustainability practices worldwide. Called the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Indexes, this tool provides a bridge between those companies implementing sustainability principles and investors looking for trustworthy information to guide sustainability focused investment decisions.
1993 - World Conference on Human Rights Governments re-affirmed their international commitments to all human rights.
1995 - World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen,Denmark. First time that the international community has expressed a clear commitment to eradicate absolute poverty.
2001– Terrorists representing anti-Western, non-state interests and ideologies, bomb the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the first serious attack on U.S. soil since 1814, thus marking the end of an era of unhindered economic expansion. Repercussions are felt throughout the world, as stock markets and economies stumble and the United States gears up for a war on terrorism with its first target being terrorists’ networks in Afghanistan. 2002 - World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
1997- Signing of the Kyoto Protocol
1995 - World Trade Organization established.
1998 - Unusually severe weather. China experiences worst floods in decades; two-thirds of Bangladesh underwater for several months from torrential monsoons; Hurricane Mitch destroys parts ofCentral America; 54 countries hit by and 45 by drought; Earth hits highest global temperature ever recorded.
1994 - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) enters into force. 1997 - UN General Assembly review of Earth Summit progress Special session acts as a sober reminder that little progress has been made in implementing the Earth Summit’s Agenda 21 and ends without significant new commitments.
2000 - Increasing urbanization. Almost half of the world’s population now lives in cities that occupy less than two per cent of the Earth’s land surface, but use 75 per cent of Earth’s resources. Introduction 5
Kiss the Cook! “Designers have become a dangerous breed” -Victor Papanek,
Design for the Real World
“What design can and must do is the proposal of a new life image and lifestyle that is compatible with the environment in daily life, home life, global life, and life in the workplace...The solution is in interdisciplinary and international collaboration in all fields of design” - Kenji Ekuan Introduction 6
“The ethics of responsibility are not only the intentions behind a given action but also its implications and results...Designers make choices in response to particular circumstances and situations and ignore other possibilities ” -Ezio Manzini
“I look for what needs to be done. After all, that’s how the universe designs itself” - Buckminster Fuller
“A wicked problem is where there are essentially contested values. Not accidentally contested, not arbitrarily contested. But essentially contested, meaning that there are fundamental differences that cannot be resolved. That to resolve them would be to violate the truths that have been discovered by different people” - Richard Buchanan
Introduction 7
Know your Ingredients!
Everyone has the capability of being creative, but just what does that mean? Who is creative and who decides what creativity is in the first place?
CREATIVITY is a key driver for personal fulfillment and world eventsyet most people’s understanding consists merely of stereotypes, assumptions, and clichÊs. There is a lot to know about creativity: what it is (and how it differs from talent and genius), conditions that encourage its emergence, creative people’s complex personality traits, and what a creative experience looks and feels like. Creativity is possible if you believe in what you are doing, but you have to test it against what the domain is thinking.
Introduction 8
Who: Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, Masaccio, etc What: The Renaissance When: 1400 -1425 Where: Florence, Italy Why: According the book “Creativity”, the Renaissance was successful not only because of a rediscovery of ancient Roman methods of building and sculpting, but also because the field of art became popular at the same time. What was deemed as the “New Athens,” Florence had become one of the richest cities in Europe. However, the Renaissance really flourished because the people of Florence (both high and low class) were so seriously devoted to the outcome of the artist’s work, that the artists were pushed to perform beyond their previous limits. Taking an astonishing 50 years to complete, the “Gates of Paradise” by Ghiberti changed the western world’s conception of decorative art. Without community support and constant supervision, this work might not have had the same effect. As Arnold Hauser said “In art of the Renaissance, the starting point of production is to be found mostly not in the creative urge, the subjective self- expression and spontaneous inspiration of the artist, but in the task set by the customer.” Introduction 9
Measurements
Introduction 10
Process choices, material choices, transportation choices...every design decision affects the overall impact of a product or a service to the environment. One technique to measure the potential impacts of developing a product is the Life Cycle Analysis. By using an existing inventory of energy and material inputs, the LCA measures the overall process of a product or service and how it effects the environment. Life Cycle Analysis- the examination of the materials and energy consumed and emissions produced at each stage of a product’s life: production, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and disposal. Certifications are a way for the public to measure the eco-friendliness of a product or service. Some examples of certifications are: The Forest Stewardship Council’s certication is a voluntary, market-based tool that supports responsible forest management worldwide. FSC certied forest products are veried from the forest of origin through the supply chain. The Forest Stewardship Council’s certication is a voluntary, market-based tool that supports responsible forest management worldwide. FSC certied forest products are veried from the forest of origin through the supply chain.
Introduced in 2005 by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), Cradle to Cradle certication is an industry benchmark to help designers and customers specify and purchase products to meet their sustainability goals.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certication system, providing third-party verication that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water eciency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Introduction 11
Introduction 12
A Note about Greenwashing Greenwashing is the practice of giving a false green or a false sustainable image. It is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. NSF, an independent, non-profit group that certifies products and writes standards for sustainability, offers these 10 tips to help consumers avoid what it says is the all-too-common problem of “greenwashing.” 1. Look for meaningful claims. Be cautious of products making generic claims of “100% natural” or “environmentally friendly” with no backup. 2. Avoid products that make irrelevant claims, i.e. that a product is “CFC-free” (CFCs were banned more than 20 years ago). 3. Look for a seal or certification mark from a recognized, independent third-party specializing in green claims. Check with the certifier to verify the product is truly certified. 4. Check out the product’s packaging. While a product may be green, is the packaging green as well and can it be disposed of in an environmentally safe way? 5. Don’t be misled by pretty pictures or use of earth-friendly colors on product labels. Just because a product label shows a forest doesn’t mean the product inside is green. 6. Look at the ingredient list on the product. A long list of ingredients or ingredient names that are difficult to pronounce may be harmful to you or the environment. 7. Avoid products where fragrances are a key ingredient. 8. Read product usage instructions and avoid those that display warnings on the label, such as “caution” or “use in well-ventilated area,” which typically indicate that the product is hazardous to you and/or the environment. 9. Question percentage claims, such as “this product contains 50% more recycled content.” Fifty percent more than what? 10. Be cautious of hidden trade-offs. For example, many products today are more energyefficient but may still be produced from hazardous or non-recyclable materials.
Introduction 13
First Course cover page
First Course
“Design is continuously inventing its subject mattergood designers possess honed skills of observation, analysis, invention, shaping or giving form, and communications” Victor Margolin, The Politics of the Artificial Once you have a grasp of the type of ingredients and techniques you will be needing for this book, you are ready for the first course. As design has become completely integrated into our daily lives, it is helpful to take a step back and investigate how we got to this life of “stuff ” in the first place. At the turn of the 20th Century, Industrial Revolution well underway, a specific type of lens was place on the world. Ever expanding, our society consisted of markets in which profit became the main agenda. There was no room for sustainability. Its inability to make economic growth a main element of its framework caused many businesses to ignore it altogether. We have to review the values of materialism and technology and question whether we are truly better off in a consumer world and what the real costs are in such a realm. Margolin pursues these ideas by stating that when we observe the excessive demands that economic growth places on the planet, we soon discover there is little room left for a sustainable environment; it is only through design that we can truly foresee a more hopeful future.
“All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as a system—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time. When you think of the world as a system over space, you grow to understand that air pollution from North America affects air quality in Asia, and that pesticides sprayed in Argentina could harm fish stocks off the coast of Australia. And when you think of the world as a system over time, you start to realize that the decisions our grandparents made about how to farm the land continue to affect agricultural practice today; and the economic policies we endorse today will have an impact on urban poverty when our children are adults. We also understand that quality of life is a system, too. It’s good to be physically healthy, but what if you are poor and don’t have access to education? It’s good to have a secure income, but what if the air in your part of the world is unclean? And it’s good to have freedom of religious expression, but what if you can’t feed your family? The concept of sustainable development is rooted in this sort of systems thinking. It helps us understand ourselves and our world. The problems we face are complex and serious—and we can’t address them in the same way we created them. But we can address them.” International Institute for Sustainable Development
First Course 17
Systems Thinking We are all interdependent. Everything we do influences everything and everyone else. A systems framework integrates science, religion, human values, and nature. As humans, we have the gift of language and self reflection, however we still remain a part of the larger system of the universe. Progress, according to Ervin Laszlo is our ability to survive by using creativity and mutual adaptation within society. Laszlo maintains that, in order to understand nature, we need to understand ourselves, since we are part of that system. In Donella Meadows, “Thinking in Systems”, all systems have behaviors and rules. As Meadows writes, “The trick...is to recognize what structures contain which latent behaviors, and what conditions release those behaviors -- and where possible to arrange the structures and conditions to reduce the probability of destructive behaviors and to encourage the possibility of beneficial ones.” Known as leverage points, specific ways to intervene in a system are introduced in this framework.
serves:
Business Leaders, Policy Makers, Teachers, Designers, etc
nutrition:
People- Excellent, Planet- Excellent, Profit- Excellent
ingredients:
Organization- recognizing our knowledge in terms of systems Natural System - any system which does not owe its existence to conscious human planning and execution Astronomical Systems, Biological Systems, Ecological Systems, and so on
1. Transcending Paradigms 2. Paradigms - goals, structure, rules, delays, and parameters of the systems 3. Goals - the function of a system 4. Self-Organization - the evolution or change of a system 5. Rules - parameters of a system 6. Information Flows - access to the knowledge needed to understand the system 7. Reinforcing Feedback loops - the original system monitoring itself 8. Balancing Feedback loops - outside systems to monitor the system 9. Delays - how much time is needed before change can go into effect 10. Stock and Flow structures - the flexibility of a system 11. Buffers - Stabilization of a system 12. Numbers - amount and quantities measured
1st course 19
Craving Seafood? While it may seem that there are plenty of fish in the sea, it’s a different story just below the surface. Simply put, we’re removing fish from the ocean faster than they can reproduce. More boats on the water and more effective fishing practices have worked together over the last 60 years to shift the advantage to fishermen. Decades of overfishing have driven fish populations to levels so low that recovery, when possible, is a long-term proposition. In just the past decade, Atlantic populations of halibut, bluefin tuna, swordfish, haddock and yellowtail flounder all joined this list of species at all-time lows. The cod fishery, once a backbone of the North Atlantic economy, collapsed completely in the early 1990s. The breeding population of Atlantic bluefin tuna has been declining steeply and may disappear completely in a few years without significant, immediate management changes. Other harmful effects of fishing—some of which are preventable with modifications to gear—impact the oceans, including the accidental catch of unwanted species (bycatch) and habitat damage from fishing gear. The husband of Donella Meadows, created an interactive approach to understanding a holistic view of the world. Fish Banks is a role-playing game developed to inform people to experience the “tragedy of the commons”, and the way human nature leads us to look at the short term, and in so doing, can destroy resources critical for long term survival.
1st course 21
picture
Second Course title First Course cover page
Second Course
“Sustainable development is not a fixed state but a process of change� Our Common Future
The second course is usually the heaviest, heartiest, and most complex or substantive dish on a menu. In this book, the second course consists of different strategies developed to bring sustainability to the forefront. Design is about reacting and responding to the physical world. According to Richard Buchanan, there are four areas where solutions can develop for designers: Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Service Design, and Systems Design. But as I mentioned in the previous chapter, a systems perspective is actually necessary for all types of design. In order to understand nature we need to understand ourselves first, since we are part of the system. And not just our individual selves, but how we fit into the community (both local and global). This is where the idea of Co-Creation comes into play with an emphasis on collaboration.
2nd Course 25
The Dapperbag is a bag for taking your fruits and vegetables home from the streetmarket. It is easy to take with you, and easy to close, with a system that everybody knows from traditional plastic bags. At home, the Dapperbag converts into a storage basket.
2nd Course 26
Cradle to Cradle Have you ever thought about eating your own trash? No? Well, that is exactly what a healthy ecosystem does! In nature, waste equals food. And this concept is the very idea behind Cradle 2 Cradle (or C2C). The phrase “Cradle to Cradle” was first introduced by Walter Stahel in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until more then twenty years later that the architect William McDonough Second Course text 2 was heralded for making the term mainstream. This concept addresses the need for examination of the entire life cycle of a product, including manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. The Cradle 2 Cradle thinking questions all materials with the goal of eliminating any toxic substances associated with the project. However, this framework does not address the social aspects of production nor does it offer any financial solutions to its participants. While the C2C certification process has had some success, the concept does not describe detailed instructions for achieving zero waste and instead places greater emphasis on technological solutions.
serves:
Businesses, Designers
nutrition:
People- Below Average, Planet- Very Good, Profit- Average
ingredients: Technical Nutrients - materials not found in nature and should not be put into nature Biological Nutrients - materials found in nature and can be put back into nature
1. ELIMINATION OF TOXIC MATERIALS - If you are a designer, you have the unique abil-
ity to decide the ingredients for your product or service. Decide whether you are dealing with technical nutrients, biological nutrients, or both. For example, while paper comes from a natural resource (trees), if it has been bleached with chemicals that it should not go back into nature. Note: Biological and Technical nutrients should never be mixed as this will negatively result in a “Monstrous Hybrid”!!! 2. WASTE EQUALS FOOD - This concept may seem self-explanatory on the biological side of things, but if you are dealing with technical nutrients it may be a bit fuzzy. Basically, technical nutrients should be cultivated in such a way that can be reused over and over again in a “closed loop” system. For instance, car manufacturers have come up with ways to make the disassembly of cars efficient as they can reuse the materials from old cars in the new cars being made. 3. UPCYCLE MATERIALS - While recycling may seem clean cut, it actually is a very grey area. Within the realm of recycling is the idea of downcycling and upcycling. Downcycling takes materials and transforms them into a product of lesser value. White paper being downgraded into newspaper is an example of downcycling. On the other side, upcycling is the act of taking a material and turning it into something of greater value. Taking wood from a deconstruction sight and building a playground is one example. 2nd course 27
The Hannover Principles is a set of statements about designing buildings and objects with forethought about their environmental impact, their effect on the sustainability of growth, and their overall impact on society. They were first formulated by William McDonough and Michael Braungart for planning Expo 2000 in Hanover and are presented in a copyrighted 1992 document. HANOVER PRINCIPLES, 1992 1. Insist on rights of humanity and nature to coexist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable condition. 2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. 3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. 4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human wellbeing, the viability of natural systems and their right to coexist. 5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance due to the careless creation of products, processes or standards. 6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes, to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste. 7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. 8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve problems. 9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. 2nd course 28
“Design is a signal of intention” William McDonough
Biomimicry Biomimicry represents an innovative way to think about nature as a source of inspiration and to evaluate design decisions based on nature’s principles. Even though the concept of biomimicry has been around as far back as human existence has, the term didn’t become popular untilrecipe JaninefiBenyus wrote rst course 2 the book “Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by design”. In her book, Benyus describes this idea as a “science” and gives many examples of people who Second Course recipe 2 looked to nature to create systems and materials that were in fact better than many of the existing technology out there. For instance, spider silk is fascinatingly stronger than kevlar or steel, but the challenge is replicating this material in a way that can be utilized on a large scale. As we talked about with Cradle to Cradle, nature has no waste, so biomimicry employs the best of all worlds. By looking to nature for answers we aren’t sacrificing our natural resources. This concept re-imagines design with nature as our teacher. The recipe below follows the “Design Spiral”, developed by Carl Hastrich with the Biomimicry Guild.
serves:
Designers, Engineers, Chemists, Biologists, Businesses, Teachers
nutrition:
People- Good, Planet- Very Good, Profit- Good
ingredients: Solar Power - Plants have been harnassing the sun’s energy in the act
of photosynthesis since the beginning of time. This renewable energy source should be a top priority for today’s world with the depletion of fossil fuels and eminent danger of nuclear power. Self-Assembly - Forget the assembly line, Jeffrey Brinker (Sandia National Lab) has mimicked the abalone’s self-assembly process to create an ultra-tough optically clear glass in a low-temperature, silent manufacturing process. Green Chemistry - This is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. The List goes on.... visit www.asknature.org for more inspiration
1. DISTILL THE DESIGN FUNCTION - First, figure out what your design is going to do. Is it going to fill a specific void or need? Or is it exploring completely new territory? Decide, why you are designing whatever it is you are designing. 2.TRANSLATE TO BIOLOGY AND DISCOVER NATURAL MODELS - Observe whatever the function of your design is in nature. For example, if you are developing a new type of steel, look to Spider Silk. 3. EMULATE NATURES STRATEGIES - Develop multiple prototypes that meet your needs by refering back to your natural model. Explore as many of these examples as possible.
2nd course 30
Learning from Humpback Whales How to Create Efficient Wind Power
An industrial park in the town of Kalundbork, 80 miles west of Copenhagen in Denmark, was the rst example of industrial ecology.
Industry Ecology
How can the interests of both industry and ecology be met simultaneously? Industry has developed over the last three centuries by systematically exploiting and suppressing the natural world. Along with Biomimicry, Industrial Ecology uses nature as a key metaphor. Based off of the 1970s idea of Deep Ecology, Industrial Ecology is a response to the shallow ecology system of today’s world. The idea that everything has intrinsic value prompted the concept that complexity allows for a healthy system. Industrial Ecology is an interdisciplinary framework for designing life’s parameters as living Secondwith Course text 2 systems interdependent natural systems. This balance of environmental and economic systems is achieved by understanding the local and global ecological constraints.
serves:
Forward-thinking scientists, Engineers, Entrepreneurs, Academics, and Policymakers People- Good, Planet- Very Good, Profit- Good
nutrition: ingredients: Type 1 Systems- is exemplified by mid-twentieth century industry in the
developed world, and is characterized by linear, one-way flows of materials and energy where the production, use, and disposal of products occur without reuse, or recovery, of energy or materials. Type 2 Systems- to which the developed world is slowly moving, is a natural progression from a Type I ecology that some internal cycling of materials exists, but there is still a need for virgin material input. Furthermore, wastes continue to be generated and disposed of outside the economic system. Type 3 Systems - are most similar to natural systems. It is characterized by the complete internal cycling of materials. Material is highly conserved while no waste materials are released. This system is not linear! 1. WASTE IS A RESOURCE - The same idea of a closed loop system that Cradle to Cradle promotes. This also includes take back laws, power cogeneration, and building to disassemble. 2. DIVERSIFY AND COOPERATE TO FULLY USE THE HABITAT - Significant changes in products and packaging, working with other companies for collaborative initiative, and filling unoccupied niches. 3. GATHER AND USE ENERGY EFFICIENTLY - Recognize non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) and focus instead on solar power and other forms of alternative energy. 4. OPTIMIZE RATHER THAN MAXIMIZE - Quality vs Quantity. The idea of reducing our material needs as being the first step towards greater fulfillment. 5. USE MATERIALS SPARINGLY - Dematerialization. Create systems that support service-flow economies or multfunctional products. 6. DON’T FOUL YOUR OWN NEST - Decentralization. By using materials sparingly you aren’t releasing unnecessary toxins into the environment. 7. DON’T DRAW DOWN RESOURCES - Don’t over fish! The best predator is one that does not eliminate its prey. 8. REMAIN IN BALANCE WITH THE BIOSPHERE - A holistic approach to our ecosystem is not only much for efficient but necessary for our very survival. 9. RUN ON INFORMATION - Awareness and education are key to having a successful closed loop system. But it is not enough to just be aware. We must use this information to change. 10. SHOP LOCALLY - Localization is imperative to a successful economy. Proximity saves energy!
2nd course 33
Natural Capitalism People have become an abundant resource, while nature is becoming scarce the traditional definition of capital is accumulated wealth in the form of investments, factories, and equipment. Badly designed infrastructure, population growth, and wasteful over consumption are recipe ďŹ rst course 2 the primary causes of the loss of natural capital. Second Course recipe 2
serves:
Government, Corporate, Senior design makers in business, civil society
nutrition:
People - Good, Planet - Good, Profit - Good
ingredients: Human Capital - labor, intelligence, culture Financial Capital- money, investments Manufactured Capital - machines, factories Natural Capital- resources, ecosystems
1. Radical Resource Productivity - Slows resource depletion, lowers pollution increases employment with meaningful jobs 2. Biomimicry - Redesign industrial systems on biological lines 3. Service and Flow Economy - Incentives to put into practice both resource productivity and closed loop cycles 4. Investing in Natural Capital - Society must work toward resource productivity now, without waiting to resolve disputes about policy.
2nd course 34
Doing Democracy Beginning with an overview of social movement theory and the MAP (Movement Action Plan) model, Doing Democracy outlines the eight stages of social movements, the four roles of activists. Doing Democracy provides both a theory and working model for understanding and analyzing social movements, ensuring that they are successful in the long term. Second Course text 2
serves:
Communities, Grassroot Movements, politically engaged citizens, activists, organizations
nutrition:
People- Good, Plante- Average, Profit - Average
ingredients: Citizen- shows how the movement advocates for the common good
and stands for widely accepted values Rebel- protest injustice, often through nonviolent direct actions such as marches, rallies, petition campaigns, civil disobedience, street corner vigils, pamphleteering and group visits to public officials and hearings. Social Change Agent- movement organizers, focus on public education, nurture future leaders, and organize segments of the community. Reformer - work closely with mainstream institutions negotiating for change by filing lawsuits, testifying at hearings, lobbying, etc.
1. Normal Times - problems exist, but are largely unrecognized 2. Proving the failure or limitations of existing institutions - recognized by a few and efforts are made through mainstream channels 3. Ripening conditions - growing awareness. 4. Take-off - clearly on the public agenda with hot debate. Spurred by a “trigger event” 5. Perceptions of failure - those who believed change would be easy suffer burnout, leave the movement or become more aggressive 6. Building majority public support - public education campaigns and “next step” strategies, innovations in framing show how the issues affects all segments of society 7. Success - broad public support. Power-holders supportive if only for pragmatic reasons 8. Continuing the Struggle - implementation of agreements 2nd course 37
Second Course title First Course cover page
Third Course
“Imagine the design that makes all oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, provides habitat for hundreds of species, accrues solar energies as fuel, makes complex sugars in food, and creates microclimates and selfreplicates. How many of our buildings have made oxygen lately? So the goal as a human artifice would connect itself once again with the natural world and it would become a propitious and productive, meaningful part of it.� William Mcdonough
“Design itself can be used as the vehicle of critique and as a means of communication for drawing attention to the inadequacies of current assumptions. Sustainability demands diversity because sustainable approaches are so strongly associated with the specifics of place, region, climate, and culture. ” Sustainable by Design Despite what you might think, there’s ALWAYS room for dessert. 3rd course 41
Fostering Sustainable Behavior “Community-based social marketing draws heavily on research in social psychology, which indicates that initiatives to promote behavior change are often most effective when they are carried out at the community level and involve direct contact with people. The emergence of community-based social marketing can be traced to a growing understanding that programs Second Course text 2 that rely heavily or exclusively on media advertising can be effective in creating public awareness and understanding of issues related to sustainability, but are limited in their ability to foster behavior change.� www.cbsm.com
serves:
Business, Designers, policy makers
nutrition:
People - Very Good, Planet - Good, Profit - Good
ingredients:
Commitment- Good intentions to action Social Norms - Building community support Social Diffusion - speeding adoption Prompts- Remembering to act Communication - creating effective messages Incentives - Enhancing motivation to act Convenience - Making it easy to act Developing Strategies revisited
1. Selecting Behaviors - Too frequently, environmental programs are delivered simply because someone felt it would be worthwhile to promote a specific behavior. If we are to make greater progress in fostering sustainability, we need to be more rigorous in how we select behaviors. 2. Identifying Barriers and Benefits -To create an effective community-based social marketing strategy, you must be able to sort through the competing theories. In doing this, you will discover the actual barriers that inhibit individuals from engaging in the activity, as well as what would motivate them to act. 3. Developing Strategies - Effective design will not only help ensure the success of a program, but can also serve one other important purpose; cementing funding support. 4. Piloting - In the pilot, you test the effectiveness of the strategy with a limited number of people. Essentially, you want to know, before committing to using the strategy throughout a community, that it will work effectively. 5. Broad-Scale Implementation - In implementing the strategy broadly, advertising and local media can be used to create additional awareness that would have been undesirable during the pilot. 3rd course 43
HIDDEN CONNECTIONS
The concept map on the next page displays my understanding of how designers fit in with sustainability. It’s important to not forget about the current state of things under the expansion model. It is this drive for globalization and technology that has brought us to where we are today. You can not change things for the better without fully realizing the current state of design. Design is in a constant state of flux and is dictated by where we have come from and where we are going. Make your own recipe for sustainability by starting with a concept map!
“A machine can be controlled, a living system according to the systemic understanding of life, can only be disturbed.� -Fritjof Capra
The Designer’s Role
3rd Course 46
Afterword
design is emerging as the interface between sustainability and innovation. it is a tool that can engage stakeholders, align economic, social and environmental considerations, and contribute to creative and user-centered solutions.
GLOSSARY Sustainable Wellbeing - prospect of living well while consuming less Local radical discontinuities - radical change in social expectations – shared spaces etc Solution - systems of tangible and intangible elements (such as products, services, communication but also: infrastructures, legal frameworks, and modes of governance and policy making) ezio manzini Social innovation - refers to new ideas that work in meeting social goals (Young Foundation) Anticipatory design science - the challenge of creating a sustainable world has moved from the realm of idealism to that of necessity Creative communities - groups of people who cooperatively invent, enhance, and manage innovative solutions for new ways of living Carbon footprint - Measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc Composting - Nature’s process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost Organic - Grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones Sustainability - Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) - include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and longterm adverse health effects. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions. Communities of Practice - for these self-generating social networks, referring to the common context of meaning rather than to the pattern of organization through which the meaning is generated Dynamics of Culture - the creation of a boundary of meaning and hence of an identity among the members of the social network, based on a sense of belonging, which is the defining characteristic of community Formal Structures - set of rules and regulation that define relationships between people and tasks, and determine the distribution of power Informal Structures - fluid and fluctuating networks of communications. These communications include nonverbal forms of mutual engagement in a joint enterprise through which skills are exchanged and shared tacit knowledge is generated
RESOURCES 1. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: HarperPerennial, 1997. Print. 2. Bruntland, G, ed., (1987). Our common future: The World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by the United Nations, governments and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment. Source: UNDESA, (2003). Find the Agenda 21 text at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm 3. UN Global Compact, (2005). What is the Global Compact? http://www.unglobalcompact.org/Portal/ Default.asp 4. Design is the Problem: The Future of Design Must be Sustainable by Nathan Shedroff; Rosenfeld Media, 2009. 5. Laszlo, Ervin. The systems view of the world: a holistic vision for our time. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 1996. Print. 6. Meadows, Donella H., and Diana Wright. Thinking in systems: a primer. White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub., 2008. Print. 7. Shedroff, Nathan, and L. Hunter Lovins. Design is the problem: the future of design must be sustainable. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Rosenfeld Media, 2009. Print. 8. Syrett, Michel, and Jean Lammiman. Creativity . Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub., 2002. Print. 9. Thackara, John. In the bubble: Designing in a complex world. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2005. Print. 10. Walker, Stuart. Sustainable by design: explorations in theory and practice. London: Earthscan, 2006. Print. 11. McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things. New York: North Point Press, 2002. Print. 12. Hawken, Paul. Natural capitalism: creating the next industrial revolution. Boston: Back Bay Books, 2006. Print. 13. Capra, Fritjof. The hidden connections . London: HarperCollins, 2002. Print. Resources
53