S U S TAIN Ho w t he pr og r ession of tec hnolog y wi l l e f f ec t the envir onemnt
I went to the wood s b ec a u s e I wi s hed to l i ve d el i b era tel y, t o f ro n t o n ly the es s ential facts of l i fe, a nd s ee i f I co u l d no t l ea rn wh a t i t ha d t o t e a c h, and not, when I came to d i e, d i s co ver tha t I ha d no t l i ved . - He nry D a vi d Tho rea u
w il l sw o r l dw i de w e b . t um b l r . co m / / willb a rre t t 123@ g ma il.com // W rit ing a nd We b 2.0
“You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.� You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.
- Nelson Mandela
- Nelson Mandela
PART ONE Sust ainability in an Urban Setting
U r b a n g a r de r n s are popping u p al l over. F ro m b u s s el i ng ci ti es , to s m a l l , qu a i nt hom e s , t v ur b a n g a r d ens and l iving roofs are b eco m i ng s o m e o f th e m o s t co m m o n way s of lo w ering u rban air temp era tu re, p r o vi d i ng g r eenery i n p l a ces d ominated b y s k ys c ra p p ers a nd ta xi s , and giving peopl e a p l a ce to g ro w a nd s u s ta i n.
URBAn & wind Urban sustainability isn’t necessarily a new concept. What is new, is the strength and respect it has been gaining in the past ten years or so. Not only have individuals been taking initiative to maintain a small garden in the city, but whole metropolitan areas themselves have pledged to apply more sustainable practices throughout their city. This has lead to growing roofs in Chicago, a plethora of small-scale urban gardens in Portland, and c ountless community gardens throughout the county. The benefits from these agricultural practices are countless. Urban gardens provide food for the grower, as well as a source of income if they choose to sell at a local farmers market. Likewise urban sustainability lowers surrounding temperature and creates a more bio diverse environment in the surrounding area.
Like urban gardens and living roofs, wind generators are being implemented all over the country, and world, in many different ways. From small, personal wind turbines, to fields with them as far as the eye can see, wind turbines are becoming an increasingly popular way of generating power in a sustainable manner. Perhaps one of the largest and most well known off shore wind farms resides off the coast of the Netherlands in the North Sea. Costing 200 million euros, the 36-turbine farm will produce electricity for 100,000 homes in Amsterdam. Below is a picture of the Twelve West building in Portland, OR. The building is mixed use, and the first of it’s kind in Portland. The four turbines provide roughly 1% of the buildings energy.
PART TWO Sustainable Products for the Future
(phot o court e sy of n au . com )
Creating sustainable products means using materials that can be fully reused once the product has reached the end of its life. It means creating a culture committed to sustainability and exploration. It means being able to take the risk of running independent from recourses we have been using and abusing on for so long.
“The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.� - Albert Einstein
PRoducts Although there are companies who are dedicating themselves to creating sustainable products, they are far too uncommon, and far too expensive for the average consumer. One company at the forefront of the sustainable product movement is a clothing company based out of Portland, OR called Nau. Nau’s honest approach to clothing design with sustainable fundamentals has made their company a favorite for people who appreciate well-designed, sustainable, outdoor apparel. However, Nau’s clothing is not without its faults. If you choose to purchase Nau clothing, be prepared to spend upwards for $100 for a t-shirt alone. Nau’s high prices are derived primarily from the fabrics they choose to use, in order to keep sustainability the number one priority in their gear.
Although they state clearly that a fully sustainable fabric does not exist, they do explain the criteria for one that may come close. They evaluate each fabric off of three areas of criteria: Beginning of life/End of life strategy, the Restricted Substances list, and Traceability. Each of these points of analysis dictate weather or not a product is made and transported in a sustainable, and ethical manner. However this often leads to hand made, small run fabrics, transported with the fewest amount of detours possible. Visit http://www.nau.com/ to read more about the fabrics Nau is using in their clothing.
Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves, dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world. -Henrey David Thoreau, Walden
S U S TAIN
WORDS & DESIGN BY WILL BARRETT WILLBARRETT.ORG WILLBARRETT123@GMAIL.COM