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Art & Design Perspectives III, School of Art & Design, University of Michigan
I love food. All kinds of food, all textures and flavors (except maybe oysters, oysters are truly disgusting). Naturally, I spend a lot of time thinking, and reading about food. I read “In Defense of Food” before coming to school this semester, and World Changing (around page 50) devotes quite a few pages to this same issue. The main point of both is basically “make sure your food comes from responsible, ethical places”, pared with “no really, a tomato from a farm down the road really is tastier than one in Kroger”. Hard to follow the advice as a student, when the extra time (and occasionally cash) required to eat that way is hard to come by. I wonder what would be the best way to communicate the benefits to students without sounding like a food snob?
ReplyDeleteBig Green Buildings and Skyscrapers and the Editt Tower
ReplyDeleteHere’s the idea: The majority of our cities’ skyscrapers are bad for our environment, depressing to look at, and unhealthy to occupy. Luckily, a number of highly innovative architects and engineers are doing something about it, by creating buildings that are easier on our earth, healthier for the people inside them, and aesthetically stunning.
The Editt Tower (currently in the planning stages) is a twenty-six story building that functions almost as a collaboration with nature. Plants grow along the walls of the tower, as well as inside the structure itself. The building will have an on-site water purification system and will continually recycle its own water supply. (Water could be flushed down the toilet, cleaned through the filtration system, and then used in the irrigation systems that keep the plants alive). The building’s plans also include the ability to collect rainwater, and to be largely run on solar energy.
(More information on page 245 of World Changing, and at http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/10/15/editt-tower-by-trhamzah-and-yeang/ . All information was taken from these sources as well. )
Krista Boyd
ReplyDelete7 responses (#1)
Cars and Fuel
September 21, 2009
I agree that we need to shed our DEPENDENCE on foreign oil. And it’s no secret that our cars and the constant burning of fossil fuels are damaging our planet. Take Michigan for example. When I first moved here the first thing I thought about was man, this state allows any and all cars to be on the road. It seemed that everywhere I looked there were a lot of classic cars, which I’m sure contributes greatly to the deadly poison that is hurting our planet. It seemed to me that Michigan didn’t care about how much carbon dioxide your car produced, as long as it starts up, you could drive it. I mean seriously, you don’t even have to go through an emission test to see how much carbon dioxide your car produces.
Now, lets compare that to Washington State, where I’ve lived before, you couldn’t even drive your car unless your car went through an emissions test and passed. If you fail the test, you couldn’t drive your car. I think all states should require everyone with a car to have an emissions test.
In the book World Changing, the chapter on Cars and Fuels, brought up a good point about the layout/urban planning of our cities and suburbs. It was stated in the chapter that the layout of our cities is one of the reasons why we drive cars more than we ride bikes. I agree with that statement somewhat. I believe that even if the layout of our cities were tailored towards bikes, people would still drive cars as much as they do now because cars are more convenient. Why ride your bikes to the store, when you can drive and get there in less time? As an American I’ve grown to realize that I love convenience more than anything, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. Americans love convenience.
Also, the chapter on cars and fuels brought up another good point about switching to a more fuel-efficient car, a greener car. One of the solutions was make more cars that drive on E-85 fuel. I was all for that until I learned more about E-85 fuel in lecture today. The more demand for E-85 fuels the higher the prices will go for anything that contains corn because E-85 fuel contains corn and so do a lot of other things. Such as the food we eat.
Natalie Freilich
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response (1/7)
Bright Green Computers
Computers don’t seem too wasteful besides the amount of energy used to power them – one always figures that everything is virtual so how is it harming the environment? Or how can the internet be destroying our environment? It’s not tangible. But the real truth is that it is tangible. Even the most virtual information is tangible. How? Through servers. All of that virtual information has to be stored or passed along somewhere. Servers and computers alike use many materials that are harmful to the environment. Heavy metals such as lead are used in their productions plus not as degradable materials for the cases and so on. Being a computer fanatic, I was amazed by the section in WorldChanging about computers. Not only can we cut back on how environmentally destructive the production of computers is but we can make them even faster and more efficient. The best piece of information that I even shared with my roommates at the time of reading was the following: “…[Sun Microsystems] claim their UltraSPARC TI gives the best performance-per-watt of any CPU on the market, and said in a 2005 press release that if just half of their entry-level servers from the last three years had been UltraSPARC TIs the impact would be equivalent to pulling a million SUVs of the road.” For the amount of information available on the web, we need insane amounts of servers. Businesses such as Morgan Stanley of SmithBarney require unbelievable amounts of storage and backup space for their clients’ information and all of their business proceedings. Now with these advancements of making servers greener and almost a 100x as capable we can enormously decrease our impact on the environment. Because the quality hasn’t been deterred, but in fact increased, the customer base will stay the same if not expand. A new production plant in Colorado makes it even cheaper and cleaner to produce it here in the States. Three birds are killed with just one stone – it’s crazy. It’s saves the environment, it makes computers cheaper and more accessible, and lastly it even brings JOBS back to the US instead of constantly outsourcing them. Society would have us believe that we need to carry on living the way we do and that there are no other options. Just like that, with no sacrifice to the quality of the product. Just a little bit of redesign in the production process.
Post 2/7:
ReplyDeleteSometimes when we thing of technology, our minds immediately go to robots, and spacecraft, genetic engineering; things that seem straight from Sci-Fi. I always think it’s really interesting to find innovations that are low-tech, but still extremely innovative. World Changing described two inventions using very simple pottery that have improved the lives of people in impoverished countries. The first (on page 169) describes the pot-in-pot refrigerator, which uses the basic principal of evaporation, to keep food cold. The second is a water filtration pot made of clay infused with sawdust and colloidal silver. Both instances have created huge positive changes in the local communities (Nigeria and Latin America). It’s amazing that something so simple can be so beneficial, I wonder if most of our world’s issues are better solved if we think simple, instead of through space-age technology.
World Changing 3:
ReplyDeleteThe section in World Changing that really caught my eye (on page 198) was titled “Kill Your Lawn”. To summarize, this section basically said that lawns not only decrease local biodiversity by introducing homogeneous non-native species, but also typically require lots of chemical fertilizers (increasing runoff), and additionally are a largely unnecessary use of our time. Some really cool sounding alternatives included turning your lawn into a garden to grow your own food (ties into the sustainable eating we’ve been discussing); planting native flowers and grasses, or at the least letting your lawn relax into a more “natural” state. I was attracted to this because I’ve never really liked lawns in the first place (even when I was quite little). It might be a huge paradigm shift to not care about lawns (seeing as it’s a stereotype of the American dream), but who could argue with the time and money it would save to let your yard go au naturel? Or at least re-directing that time and money to a garden that would yield produce to feed your family. Seems like a win-win situation to me (the only issue would be getting picky neighborhood ordinances to comply)!
Healing Polluted Land (World Changing 250)
ReplyDeleteWeekly Statement#2
Developing further inside of a city is more environmentally sound than expanding a city around the outskirts. This because the inner city has already been developed, and making the best possible use of this land is preferable to clearing more land for development, and destroying further natural ecosystems. The problem is, much of the land already developed within cities has been rendered unusable due to industrial pollution.
Luckily there is a way to turn these “brownfields” back into healthy productive land. There are a number of plants that feed on the toxins that have been left behind by factories. Spores from mushrooms, for example, have been able to turn hazardous waste into fertilized soil, as well as clean up marine oil spills.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteConnie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Art Meets Technology (p.96)
Post #: 1
Combining art and technology is a great way to explore new innovative experiences but there are just some ideas that might be too obscure. Such as the Hug Shirt, this t-shirt re-creates the sensation of being hugged by a loved one over the phone. The shirt applies pressure and warmth of a real hug. Now that is just a bit too creepy for my taste. But as for using cell phones for reasons other than calling people is an idea that can go really far. The iphone is a perfect example of this idea; people can play videos, music, and even games all in one phone. Cell phones are basically stuck to a person’s hip nowadays, why not make them more functional than just for entertainment purposes? What if phones could sensor or carry information about a person’s health condition or have a small epinephrine needle inside for people with fatal allergies? Maybe even check heart rates for the elderly. Perhaps the carbon-sniffing robot invented by artist Sabrina Raaf could be worked into a cell phone to detect the air quality in an environment.
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Lighting (p.160)
Post #: 2
The way a space is lit affects the feeling of every atmosphere. As a film major I know how important lighting is, the color temperature from lights can totally effect the mood of a scene to create a warm toasty room to a cold dark jail cell. I believe light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a great way to light a room. Many LEDs are capable of changing color temperatures with a flick of a switch. LEDs also last much longer and are much more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. LED lights are already being put to use in Ann Arbor streetlights. By working LEDs into the everyday household they not only provide a nice atmosphere but also save the consumer money.
Finding alternate ways of re-emitting light from the sun is a fantastic way to conserve energy. The energy curtain is one of my favorite projects research studios of Sweden’s Interactive Institute are working on. The curtain stores sunlight during the day and emits it at night. This is a perfect idea that is taking wasted energy and turning it into something functional. The more inventions that recycle energy, like the Energy Curtain, the cleaner the environment will be.
World Changing Statement (1/7)
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the Introduction of Stuff, Questioning Consumption, and Consuming Responsibly. I especially enjoyed reading the Consuming Responsibly article because it actually taught me how I can take action. Instead of informing me on what the world is doing wrong, and how we are ruining our earth, this article showed me how I, as an individual, can do my part in saving the earth. For example, the section of “How to Buy Better Clothes” showed me what kind of clothes to look for. I also learned that a U.S made shirt is not necessarily sweatshop-free. “There are also sweatshops right here in the United States (p.36).” This article also introduced me to “greenwashing,” which is when corporations “brain-wash” consumers into thinking that they value the environment when they actually don’t. It told me how to avoid companies that use this method to sell their products by evaluating their advertisements and looking out for statements that are too vague, aren’t verified by a credible third party, or doesn’t respond to specific questions.
World Changing Response (2/7)
ReplyDeleteThis week in ADP, I learned to appreciate creative designers because of the way they can affect our living. Therefore, I chose to read about “Shelter” and “Green Remodeling.” One fact that astonished me especially was that remodeling a kitchen or bathroom just once can generate the equivalent by weight of four years of weekly curbside recycling. This just shows that we can use our homes to its fullest potential (“Homes are tools.” Pg. 139) and create better environmental outcomes than what we’re doing now. We think that recycling is enough, but a simple remodeling can save us money, energy, time, and the environment. Another fact that I found interesting was about reclaimed wood: “People who know wood understand that the best-quality timber comes from old-growth trees, whose wood is much harder, and generally has a smoother and more uniform surface.” This quote stood out to me most because I took a wood class last year and had to buy my own wood for a project. The scale was pretty large (5 foot tall plywood sheets and 3 ft by ½ inch by 6 inch cherry wood) and I bought brand new wood from a hardware store. I did not realize it then, but I could have just gone to the re-use center to get stronger, better wood for less money and without sacrificing trees.
World Changing #4
ReplyDeleteMost of the chapters I’ve read in World Changing so far have been extremely interesting, but a lot of it is information I was at least partially aware of. The article I just read absolutely blew my mind. It’s on page 286, and talks about the vitality in slums. When I think of slums I think of people living in horrible, miserable conditions. This made the case that while the situations are pretty dire, its those exact situations that help the people in the community band together to fix some of their problems. Interestingly, in an Indian slum called Vikas Sagar, the women of the community stated that when the initially came to the place they were illiterate, but having the support of the community they formed a way to teach themselves. Obviously we shouldn’t take this to mean, “Well, if they’re doing alright then we shouldn’t bother helping the poor”. However, I think we (as a society) could take a cue from bottom-up self-starting attitude to improve some of the situations we have here in the United States.
World Changing #5
ReplyDeleteThe section about creating business value from sustainability was interesting, but I was left a little disheartened. The article makes the case that green practices ultimately help a company but as for those measures succeeding, it claimed that marketing strategically is the main way to get consumers on board. What is disappointing is that for American consumers, we have to be fooled into buying green, with assertions of better performance or saved money. I’ve seen this on a wash-machine commercial, where it states that the money saved on the water bill can “buy the dryer”. While “green” has been a growing trend, it’s still frustrating to realize that consumers won’t buy something beneficial to the environment unless it also benefits our wallets.
World Changing #6
ReplyDeleteI’ve grown up living down the road from a small family farm; I even worked there for a few years during high school. That farm is a huge part of the culture in my town, and provides produce for my family for most of the summer, a very sustainable option. However, I think many people fear that it will one day be sold. The section “Future of the Small Town” on page 503 gave me some hope. It said that the Midwest is one of the “appropriate” locations for wind farms, which farmers can install. Wind farms generally end up being financially beneficial, whether an energy company leases the land for the turbines or the farmer is able to sell the energy directly. I also didn’t know about conservation easements, which is a legal agreement that restricts how land can be used. This results in a charitable donation to the landowner from the local land trust, and the ability to lease the land to someone willing to farm it. I don’t know if the farm in my area will do either of these measures, but its good to know that there are systems in place that give the option to protect smaller farms in our country. In the face of some of the atrocities we’ve seen in large agro-business, it seems crucial to keep these smaller farms around and working.
China’s Green Leap Forward
ReplyDeleteWorldchanging (2/7)
Although not seemingly obvious, China is the environmental disaster of our planet. After all our readings in Collapse and the movies we watch, China seems to be the problem. It is not just due to its sheer size and population but due to the production that occurs there. It not only has to supply its own people with the products they demand but the outside world economy as well. In fact, they are the main producers of majority of the daily objects used by the West. The environmental toll on China is devastating. As stated by WorldChanging, seven out of the ten most polluted cities in the world are in China. Not only that, acid rainfall occurs in more than a third of the country. If China wants to attain the Western standard of living, it is through different means than it is using now. Old factories that are very environmentally unfriendly amass in the country and lax government restrictions have led to undrinkable water sources and health problems in the Chinese population. Western countries such as the U.S. and Europe began their industrial revolutions much earlier than everyone else and therefore did not know or have the technology capable to be environmentally friendly, hence they worked with what they had until the point we have reached today. China, on the other hand, is just starting its industrial revolution at a point where tons of safer and environmentally friendly technologies are being developed. They can afford to skip the entire coal mining and usage that the U.S. had done during the 1800’s and employ the new technologies for production, which are much cleaner.
Unfortunately, the government does not want to fund this readily, and keeps to its old habits by allowing the polluting factories to exist and function. Now the government spends billions of dollars in order to restore environments that are destroyed by production in order to save their people. Although new technologies are expensive, they are a worthy investment. Investing in these environmentally safe technologies can eventually lead to less “natural” disasters and save the Chinese government billions in the long run. The only thing impeding this change is the fact that the Chinese government makes a lot of money off of their economic productions now, however unhealthy and unsafe.
The scariest part is how quickly China became an environmental ruin and a health hazard for its people in the last ten years or so. While for now the damage is contained to its borders, I fear that it will soon spread and affect other countries including our own. The “fire” will soon spread to the U.S. when China will not be able to handle its own environmental problems. The Chinese government should take more drastic action now in order to curb horrendous events later. Isn’t it a bad sign if already the drinking water is lethal and pollution related diseases are ravaging the people? How long before China has a true wake up call and realizes that the money it earns now from production will do it no good later in the long run? It is hard enough to employ change in the United States with only 350 million people. Now imagine how hard it is to change a billion people.
Copyleft
ReplyDeleteWorldChanging (3/7)
As an active user of many computer programs, and a voracious hunter of new programs that get specific computer tasks done, “freeware” is a golden word. Along those lines, “copyleft” is also very well looked upon. Information should be available to all especially now in this day and age when it can be so easily accessible.
Earlier in history, books and libraries were not as common and information could be outdated. Misinformation was somewhat of a common occurrence. Due to technological limitations people were not as informed especially if they found themselves in remote locations. Under today’s circumstances however, it is a complete different ball game. Majority of the world is now connected by cell phone, landline, or some other technology to the rest of the world. Access to the Internet is in most major cities or areas available and the information can be updated in the blink of an eye. With these new capabilities and the people of the world more mobile, there is no reason why anyone should be misinformed. Misinformation is very dangerous and can lead to further environmental destruction as is currently happening today in certain parts of the world.
Not only copyleft will help with the spread of information throughout the world, but it also allow collaboration. The Internet has already helped with connecting many peoples of this world and presenting a new and constant flow of information for anyone on it. But now people can change from being inactive observers of world information to active participants who have easy access to “editing” or participating in the process or change. In turn, others will be able to freely build off of the last person’s information and add more to the mix. The amount of positive change the world can benefit from this collaboration and free spread and involvement of information is endless and infinitely beneficial to everyone. With technology being now widespread, everyone can now become active particpants aware of their surroundings and contributing to new solutions from how to make software more efficient so that in turn hardware can be made more efficient and cleaner so less toxic garbage is produced. There is a whole chain of reactions that results from this oncoming of the copyleft and it opens many new doors to new situations and hopefully, eventually a better world where everyone can agree on saving the environment and getting along with each other or reaching compromises.
World Changing #7:
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the article about the “Barefoot College” (page 359) in India, I was struck by the line that said “respectfully merged modern technology with traditional knowledge”. This section of the book discusses an entirely sustainable campus in India where urban educated people work in collaboration with the locals. The school is committed to providing an education for all ages in a variety of different specializations. Aside from this just sounding like an interesting place, I think the idea of modernity and tradition together is intriguing. For all the new technology we have in our modern society, the green movement seems overall to be about simplifying our lives. Many “green” practices are really just thinking about how to live the way our great and great-great grandparents did. Obviously, technology has a place, but I think that looking to the future might involve more looking backwards. This I think is a good thing.
Lotusan
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing (4/7)
I think this is one of the most interesting and coolest things I’ve ever read about. German scientists for the company ISPO have taken the qualities of a lotus leaf and applied them to paints and shingles. The way a lotus flower works is that it has these “crags” off which a water drops roll off of and collect the dirt that doesn’t really stick to the surface because of those crags. These paints not only mimic the lotus leaf but also are highly water resistant making it a very efficient paint – you don’t have to paint as often. When you don’t have to paint as often, you don’t produce as much paint which in turn saves the environment.
I watched the company video to see how it works and they also show how the paint is beneficial – it is lower maintenance and no need to clean it as often, it is not necessary to keep changing coats. It by far outlasts any paint on the market. Dirt simply rolls off the surface just as it does on the lotus leaf. They even demonstrated how on the lotus leaf the dirt and water came off as well. The surface of a building can stay dry and clean. There is no need to waste extra money and water simply rinsing down your home or car to keep it clean.
Besides being environmentally conscious, I think it is amazing that nature can be so proficient in itself and provide us an example to follow or mimic such as with the lotus leaf. I think if more products mimicked nature and were more “natural” in themselves, our impact on the environment would be reduced by a lot. Since they are developing this paint for cars, less soap and chemicals will be released into the environment that were dumped through car washes. Less pollutants coming out means our water can be less polluted and overall our environment will be healthier. I’m surprised they haven’t discovered more of nature’s hints already and begun to employ them in our everyday lives. Nature has set itself up to be efficient and not harmful to itself. Doesn’t it make sense to copy the best of what nature has to offer? I feel that there should be even more government funding in order to inspire other companies to do likewise and not only would we learn how to mimic nature but we would learn more about our surrounding environment.
Emerson Schreiner
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response #3
Nanotechnology, page 106-107
Nanotechnology is essentially the same as technology, just much, much smaller. The advantages of working at a molecular level include: using far less materials, and therefore having far less waste, and having more control over the material and therefore being able to produce much purer materials.
Here’s a crazy possibility: Being able to produce an organic computer. Much of nanotechnology also applies to DNA, and as our understanding of how to manipulate at a molecular level increases, so does our ability to manipulate DNA. The writers of World Changing think that this could lead to organic computers that compute using their biology and not electricity. Whoa.
Emerson Schreiner
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response #4
Educating girls 316-318
Educating girls in developing nations increases their understanding of contraception, which helps lessen the inflation of an already rapidly inflating population. It also increases their understanding of their own rights, making them more likely to stand up to sexual harassment, abuse, etc. even if they are cultural norms.
Unfortunately, very generally speaking, in many developing countries the education of girls is very low on the list of priorities, under the education of boys, and (obviously) the need to eat. In addition to this, a young girl is often thought to be more useful as a laborer than a student, and often her income is needed to help sustain the family.
The World Bank has set up a program to help offset the income issue. In some situations (for instance if you threaten suicide . . .The actual parameters are not clear to me) they offer a $10 a week allowance to girls who attend school. This money is only accessible to the Mother of the girl, and can ensure the affordability of her education.
This is only a solution to a very small part of the problem though, and the education of girls in developing nations is still very much an issue today.
Emerson Schreiner
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response #5
Land Mines 218-220
Though generally not used anymore (most countries have signed, though perhaps not ratified, the Ottawa treaty, which bans the production and use of all anti-personnel mines. It should be noted that the United States has not signed the Ottawa treaty) there are still at least 45 million landmines currently deployed. It is estimated that they kill 1,500 people a month.
But landmines do not only kill people directly, they also end the useful possibilities of the land in which they occupy. Not only can people not walk through these areas, they cannot be used for farming, or any other form of development.
And mines, though extremely cheap to manufacture and deploy, are very expensive to remove, and it is, obviously, a very dangerous task to do so.
In recent history, several innovations have made the removal of mines easier. There is the MineWolf, which essentially functions as a half tractor, half tank. It removes mines by detonating them while its driver is safe within the heavily armored vehicle. Unfortunately, the MineWolf, while efficient, is expensive to make, and by setting off the mines instead of diffusing them, it releases all the toxins that they contain.
Another solution, at least for the locating of mines, may be achieved with bioengineering. A plant has been developed that changes colors when it comes into contact with NO2, a chemical that is found in the earth around landmines.
Emerson Schreiner
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response #6
Reinventing the Refugee Camp 207-210
Refugee camps are an inherently difficult situation. They must be created quickly with little or no preparation or warning. Because of this, they are often disorganized, dirty, and depressing, where access to basic necessities is not guaranteed.
The Lifestraw is a quick solution to the problem of sanitary drinking water. Liquid drunk through this straw is filtered for most harmful bacteria. They cost only $4, and can last for about a years worth of drinking water.
The idea of a Compostable Tent City seeks to eliminate the negative after-effects on the environment in which a refugee camp occupies. ‘Tents” in a "compostable" tent city are actually made from a treated cardboard that is infused with desired seeds. Once the usefulness for the structures is no more, they can be torn down and turned into gardens.
Emerson Schreiner
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing post #7
Kill Your Lawn 198-199
I’ve always thought that lawns were insane, I’m glad that I now have science behind me. Traditional lawns soak up water and energy, and they consume an absurd amount of environmentally unfriendly pesticides. Yet, they do little more than “look good” by suburban standards.
So let’s kill our lawns and replace them with gardens. Gardens are more beautiful, and if filled with the right plants, can be very productive.
If gardens seem like too much work, planting natural wild grasses is a pleasant alternative to the non-native grass species that most Americans have on their property. They require no pesticides, and generally, Mother Nature will supply the water.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKrista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing #2
November 7, 2009
Buying Better Food Page 53-57
In the book World Changing I read the section on Buying Better Food. After reading that chapter it reiterated what Professor Trumpey was talking about in his lecture on knowing where your food comes from, the distance it had to take to get here and the advantages of buying locally grown food. In addition to that, that chapter really got me to second-guess where I’m buying my food and where it comes from. In the chapter Buying Better Food, it helped me to really understand the pros of buying locally and the cons of buying food that had to travel miles to get here. For example, in Professors Trumpey’s lecture, he mentioned that the average food in America travels about 1400 miles. That’s a lot miles, but it still didn’t wake me up, I still didn’t realize the impact of what that food actually went through to get here. After reading Buying Better Food, I now realize and understand that the food had not only traveled hundreds of miles to get here, but from its travels, it carried the planes and trucks fossil fuels, the hard work of the laborers who had to grow the food, and package it for shipping and who is likely under paid. Lastly, that produce item likely carried many pounds of pesticides and preservatives coatings that kepted it intact during the long journey from whatever farm in the world to your table. That’s a lot luggage for one piece of fruit or even a box of fruit. As society a lot of us don’t stop to think about the travels of our food and if we didn’t know that our food had to travel many distances to get here, a lot of us don’t even ask questions about our food. I’ve learned that while it is convenient and cheaper to buy food that is shipped in from other countries, its not always the best thing to do. Yeah it may be more expensive to buy locally, but at least you know exactly where your food was grown and who grew it. More importantly, its going to taste a heck of a lot better if you buy locally than buying something that took 1400 plus miles to get here.
Krista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing #3
November 7, 2009
Landscaping/Kill Your Lawn 198-199
In the chapter Landscaping/Kill your lawn they talk about healthy alternative ways to maintain your lawn other than paving with it with cement or using tons of pesticides to keep it looking good. The main and only alternative they offer is to turn your lawn into this massive food producing garden, while I think that it is a good idea because you save money on food and it’s healthier for you and your lawn, but I have to disagree with it to some extent. I feel it’s kind of extreme to turn your whole lawn into this massive garden. While there are pros to doing this as I listed above, there cons that follow. For one, who is going to have the time or the money to maintain a garden the size of your entire yard? Not many people are going to have the time. Number two; I feel that turning your entire lawn into a garden only appeals to a certain class a people. A family of four trying to make it, probably middle class or so will not be able to something as expensive as they are proposing that people with lawns should do. I’m all for having a simple garden, but when you start talking about turning your whole lawn into a garden and maintaining that…. that’s a bit extreme. While some people will do the whole lawn conversion, the majority of people stick to what defines them and their house. What I mean by that is, the majority of people want to be noticed, they want that luscious green yard even if its through using tons of pesticides, they want to look better than their neighbors and that’s just how it is. People want to be noticed.
Krista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing # 4
Conserving Water 187-189
November 15, 2009
I can honestly say that when it comes to conserving water, I am guilty as sin, I don’t. I keep the water running while I brush my teeth, and I take forever-long showers. I guess you can say that my mindset is like a lot of other un-informed people when it comes to the importance of conserving water. We think that the U.S. can’t possibly run out of water. It’s sad to say that the majority of people don’t think about conserving water, and I know for me…it’s the furthest thing from my mind. After reading the chapter on Conserving Water, I’m not convinced yet that there is an urgent need to start conserving water, but what I am is informed as to why I need to start conserving water. What I realize that with every change you make takes more money out your pocket from going green to conserving water. For example, in the chapter conserving water, they mention that by changing your bathroom fixtures i.e. the toilet, and shower to a low flowing system, in the long run will save you more money. That sounds great in all in a book, but I hate to pull the ole economy card; with the way the economy is today nobody and I shouldn’t say nobody but, a lot of people are not going to be thinking about changing bathroom fixtures to conserve water. I mean if you think about it would make sense to do it because in the long run they would save more money, but realistically not a lot people have remodeling bathroom money lying around. And besides if is and was cheap to switch to a low flow bathroom system, it is not highly publicized. Meaning there are no commercials out there/ no advertisements. Basically everything boils down to affordability and money.
Laura Gillmore
ReplyDeleteWC #1
Consuming Responsibly, pg. 35
This section of the book discusses how we should consume responsibly. If we have trouble avoiding buying new things then we can at least buy smartly. The section focuses on the idea of smart consumption and how we can buy better clothes by trying out alternative fabrics. These alternative fabrics would be sustainable materials. I had no idea that becoming green meant to go as far as looking at the specific materials in our clothing. One of the materials we should watch out for is conventional cotton. According to the book, conventional cotton is not as natural as we think. It is made up from a process that uses pesticides and fertilizes. To be more specific: “one-third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers – chemicals that permeate soil, run into the water, and pollute entire ecosystems with heavy toxins” comes from one single cotton t-shirt. That being said, good alternative materials are organic cotton, modal and lyocell (made from plant cellulose), bamboo fiber (has great versatility and durability), merino wool (re-grows on sheered sheep quickly), and hemp (most ubiquitous natural fiber).
Laura Gillmore
ReplyDeleteWC #2
Doing the Right Thing Can Be Delicious, pg. 51
This section discusses the various things in our century in the United States that have produced harmful effects to our environment and health. Industrial farming pollutes our environment and bodies. It has polluted our environment through the use of chemical pesticides, monocultural producing, and confining animals in feedlots. It pollutes our bodies by leaving us with chemical residues from these farm chemicals. Fast food and junk food has also affected us through obesity-related diseases, cancer, and hormonal problems. However, there are things that we can do to fix what we eat. This section shows us how we can change what we eat and it can taste better too. The Slow Food Movement is a cause against fast food cuisine. It’s a movement that focuses on supporting local famers, cultural customs, organic agriculture and giving people alternative ways to feed themselves without relying on fast food. The section suggests organic food, which does cost more but is worth it. Organic food is not soaked in chemical pesticides or fertilizers, comes from sustainable farms that grow a variety of crops, and overall tastes better. Crop rotation provides good nutrients in the soil and is an overall healthier system of food production.
Laura Gillmore
ReplyDeleteWC#3
Craft it Yourself, pg. 91
This section discusses the DIY culture. DIY stands for “do-it-yourself” which allows creativity, and makes design accessible. The DIY process has been around for years but it became popular in the late 1990’s. It allows cheaper ways to create solutions for the everyday things we have at home. Whether DIY is used for those who need to repair something or for people who want to build something that is unique it causes people to feel that they have “made a mark on the world”. This is because they are making it with their own hands. What I found most interesting about this section is that it mentions that the DIY concept rooted from contemporary artist Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp made his works from everyday objects. Overall, the DIY culture provides imagination, uniqueness, and reuse.
World Changing Response (5/7)
ReplyDeleteTrees for a Green LA (p. 256)
Growing more trees will make an environment cooler. This is a true statement that I myself can testify to. Approximately forty trees of varying size surround my house in New Jersey. Many of them are old skyscrapers whose canopies cover the house roof. It is always a few degrees cooler in my yard than in the surrounding areas in my town and the forecast temperature. If trees can significantly cool my backyard, then it is entirely possible for them to cool an entire city covered with them. It would be the perfect way to reverse the “urban-heat-island” effect that plagues many cities such as L.A. By planting more trees, environmental effects could be almost eliminated. Less energy would be spent on air conditioning, which in turn would not release as many greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.
I think it is amazing that The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has created a program called Trees for a Green LA, where a resident can receive up to seven trees all for free! It is a great initiative that beautifies while it saves the environment, which the book rightly states. It is a win-win situation for both the residents of L.A. whose property values have been raised due to the neighborhood beautification, and for the general good of the city when electricity use and greenhouse gases have been decreased. Not only is this program free, but one can choose from thirty different species of trees that can beautify their home as well as classes that show how to get the maximum shade from your trees and planting strategies for success. The benefits of planting trees around our houses are countless and some of them include less soil erosion and generating more oxygen. The dirty air that is trapped by smog and tar and asphalt is now counterbalanced by the production of oxygen by the planted trees.
This is such an easy fix to a lot of environmental problems, I think it should be mandatory in cities across the board. Homeowners can think of this as free landscaping in a way. Before English settlers took over the American land, especially in the mid-west, there were plenty of forests and very little clear land. It is probably why the overall temperatures back in the day were cooler and more bearable to be in. It is amazing how much cutting down trees can affect our environment. So now that we have done our damage by cutting down so many trees to build our dwellings and buildings, it is now time to give back and plant as many trees as possible around us. The benefits are basically endless. One more benefit that was not mentioned by the book is that in areas that flood easily, having a lot of trees planted will prevent flooding. The trees’ roots will suck up that excess water and use it for its own good. I speak also out of personal experience in that. My parents once cut down a beautiful large tree because it was blocking an area or something of the likes. The next time it rained, our floor flooded because there was no large tree to soak up the water. Maybe if we plant enough trees we can wipe out entirely the effects of global warming.
WorldChanging (6/7)
ReplyDeleteReshaping the Burbs/Greyfield Redevelopment: From Dead Malls to Vibrant Town Centers (p.240-41)
How many times have we passed by a rundown strip mall in the outskirts of town or the not-so-hot town next to us? Perhaps countless. In order to make up for lost space, developers build or sprawl further on undeveloped land to create newer and better structures. In my own town, there was a rundown strip mall where there was once an old cinema. One or two stores still survived, but it looked shabby for a strip mall in the center of town. A few years ago, developers decided to turn that land into a money making profit. Apparently, the parking lot for that strip mall was acres big. The project was more than merely revamping the strip mall but creating an entirely new town center. It has basically become somewhat a town within a town. Tons of houses and condos were built around the apartment buildings that house stores and shops on the first floor. While at first everyone was slow to accept the new largest structure in town, the stores and dwellings soon became popular. The farmer market is featured there every week and residents who live in the development have a short walk to the surrounding businesses both in and outside of the center.
I think beautification and utilization of a dead space is always necessary and most suburban towns should find a way to eradicate dilapidated strip malls that drain energy and space and take the opportunity to rebuild eco-friendly, community inviting locations. I personally believe the scale of the project in my town was too obnoxiously large, with too many houses crammed on the land. There could have been more land allocated to park land or some of the small woods could have been conserved. Like mentioned in the book, parking was solved with small streets with a few spots and the rest of parking was designated into a parking garage featured under the apartments. Also, out of personal taste and aesthetic, I disagree with making the houses vary between four models or types. Although they are clean and somewhat interesting to look at, the general feeling ends up being very generic and reeking of suburbia, but that is simply personal choice. These living options however, are very expensive since they are new and in a prime central location in town. In addition, on a day without traffic, my town is twenty minutes from New York City. Prices for some of the condos or apartments start at half a million dollars.
Either way, I am in accordance with making old, dilapidated strip malls become centers of communities and beautification. There is however, a fine line between turning them into mega centers (like in mentioned above) and actually involving areas for the community. It would be better for the health of the entire community if these places were not just places of exploitation and money but areas of recreation and nature as well as living and shopping. Unfortunately, that is not always in the money-making interests of the developers. It has to be up to the citizens to go to their town meetings to demand beautification without the complete commercialization.
"Doing the Right Things Can Be Delicious" & "Buying Better Food" [Response 1/7]
ReplyDeleteBuying locally may be expensive in the short run, but in the long run, we are presented with a much healthier diet. Purchasing our foods from a local farm helps farmers as well, because the money that we pay them goes directly into their pockets instead of a middle corporate man’s. “Doing the Right Things Can Be Delicious” suggests that consumers cut down on the convenience of fast food and enjoy the comforts of slow, home-cooked foods. Not only are home-cooked foods generally healthier, it helps preserve the cultural customs. Growing up, I’ve had the luxury of eating home-cooked food prepared by my grandma. Certainly, the preparation time is much more time consuming than eating out at McDonalds. Our society has grown more towards the attitude of ‘always on the go.’ After entering college and always seemingly busy, meals just seem secondary to everything else. Thus, my meals since entering college have been what one could consider ‘always on the go.’ The hassle of cooking at home as well as the time involved seems too great and practically unimportant. I have to admit that after a month of always buying food at chain restaurants makes me crave for home-cooked foods. Not to mention, home-cooked foods are much healthier in comparison to what I buy on the go. My mom makes an effort to buy as many organic foods as possible, but even so, she still has her doubts for whether or not the products we buy are genuinely organic. It is unfortunate that corporations are so heavily involved in the processing of foods. One would think that corporations already have enough money to sit on and would not need to manipulate its customers into thinking their product is ‘organic.’
-Daisy
"Art Meets Technology" [Response 2/7]
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting seeing the new types of technology infused artworks walking around on the streets nowadays. For example, the sensual Hug Shirt that allows the wearer to feel hugging sensations through electronic signals. However, what are the practical needs of a hug shirt? Sure, it may be fun to have while in a long distance relationship, I feel like this shirt would only create more nostalgia, or more longing for the loved one than reducing that need for physical activity. Another technology that has helped aid those in long distance relationships would be the webcam, though I think the ability to see a loved one’s face is much more practical than an object creating a false sensation. The game, “Disaffected!” reminds me a lot of the Sims and the other simulation games present in today’s market. As an avid Sims gamer, I can definitely see the frustration that comes along with trying to force your simulated character to deal with certain situations. However, I personally do not find an engagement with the world at large through playing these simulated games. I suppose one could argue that in Roller Coaster Tycoon, one would have to calculate accurately the velocity and acceleration of a certain ride he or she is building. But even so, the measurements aren’t accurate, and are just generalizations to make a fictional game seem more realistic. I guess I fail to find the critical thinking aspect in gaming, especially relating it to the world at large. I see it them as just something to pass some time or purely out of enjoyment.
-Daisy
"Water" & "Conserving Water" [Response 3/7]
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in Michigan all my life, the luxury of water never occurred to me as a resource in need of conserving. The first time I remember our water being at stake was when we were asked to limit watering our lawns to twice a week one summer because the temperatures were too high and the water companies could not accommodate the demand for water. Nowadays, we don’t even bother turning our sprinklers on during the summer and just let the rain quench our lawn’s thirst. Though this move was purely out of laziness to maintain a perfect green lawn in the heat of summer, the side effects have been tremendously gratifying. Among those gratifications, the amount of money my family saves on our monthly water bill would have to be the one that stands out most. The idea of a recycling shower is very clever; I’m interested in the technicalities in this product. However, I find the reHOUSE/BATH product a bit too much. I suppose the change is just too dramatic. For a society to have enjoyed showers and baths as a basic essential, I feel like the world would be traveling backwards, technologically speaking, with the reHOUSE/BATH product. Having to wash ourselves with a single can of water seems almost unthinkable. The low-flow water fixtures are particularly present on the University of Michigan’s campus. I find them quite practical.
-Daisy
"Lighting" Page 160 [Response 4/7]
ReplyDeleteThese new inventions of lighting are exhilarating to read about. For example, the sunlight transport system in Sweden. What I’m curious about is if this reemission has the same effect as the sun does. For example, a certain amount of exposure to the sun provides a person with a healthy amount of vitamin D. I think work places and schools especially should invest in building their offices with large windows to allow sunlight in. We are already under a grind machine of work and stress, it does not really help having to go home from work and have to continue to work without a decent amount of exposure to the sun. I think having sunlight beaming into one’s work place also calms and sort of manipulates the sense that one is working and enjoying the weather at the same time. The Energy Curtain is also a very clever idea. I think converting all of our power sources to solar power can be a very rewarding experience. Granted it may change our lifestyles dramatically, I think it will make us so much healthier and be able to enjoy the new aesthetics that come with solar power design.
-Daisy
"Vancouver" Page 231 [Response 5/7]
ReplyDeleteJust reading this chapter makes me want to move to Vancouver and live there. As a person who loves the convenience of the city and the cleanliness of the suburbs, Vancouver sounds like the ideal place to go. I really liked the idea of more people and fewer cars, and the methods that the city is going about approaching it. For example, city transportation is readily available, and it does not conflict with pedestrians and bikers because the train is an elevated rail system. The streets are narrow enough to discourage drivers, thus allowing pedestrians and bikers to be the predominant occupants of the streets. Also, grocery stores and shops are dispersed so that one’s house would be within a 5-minute walk. The problem with the University’s bus system is that pedestrians, cars, and buses are constantly fighting for the right of way. Traveling via bus on Central Campus takes practically the same amount of time walking. The only usefulness would be going to north campus. Also the structure of the bus seats is not very efficient in terms of packing as many people in it. The seats are unnecessarily large and take up more space than needed. Instead of having individual seats per person, possibly taking on benches to line the two sides of the bus like a subway so that the sitting space can accommodate anyone’s size. Also, there would be more standing space for those without a seat. That aside, I also really like the idea of building inward and rebuilding old broken down areas of the city. Perhaps if we took this approach to some parts of Detroit, we could make the city come alive again.
-Daisy
"Urban Transportation" Page 262 [Response 6/7]
ReplyDeleteThe elimination of private cars seems possible in cities, simply because there are stores, parks, restaurants, etc to cater to someone living there conveniently. Everything is within walking distance, and if one wants to travel some place, there are planes and Amtrak buses. In the suburbs, the nearest store for one individual might be 5 miles away, walking seems unpractical if that individual is tight on time. Also, motorcycles are usually stereotyped as unsafe, and there are many people who find bikers a nuisance. With adjustments in street design, for example, maybe creating a lane specifically for mopeds and motorcycles, and barring them from automobiles to protect them. Or even replacing automobiles with mopeds and motorcycles on the main roads, and then allowing buses to run freely in their own lane. People like efficiency, and sometimes efficiency sometimes means a loss in quality. If we could improve efficiency as well as quality of transportation, people may slowly give up private cars. Granted, there will be a select few who will still want to own their own private cars. Also workers can be geared towards producing materials for public transportation, or producing new ideas for new public transportation designs.
-Daisy
Shaili Das
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response 1/7
For my first world changing response I read the chapter Big Green Buildings and Skyscrapers. When I first began to read the chapter I found it very interesting. It reminded me of the NYC landscapes and how people are now growing green rooftops and how popular that has become in the past 10 years or so. Specifically the design of the edit tower seemed the most interesting to me. The fact that the environmental designers wanted to incorporate plant life to help void the separation that exists between floors in massive buildings seemed very smart to me. From reading culture jam Lasn’s main point was that because of technology people no longer have conversations with each other. With having railways covered with plant life, people could now walk down these stairs to their floor level and enjoy the plants and possibly have some small side conversations along the way. if buildings like these actually existed social dynamics within a work place would change drastically for the better. Lastly, this would epitomize how environmental design and technology could help bring the community together.
Worldchanging response (7/7)
ReplyDeleteEcoBrazil (p.201)
The reason a lot of people shy away from making their homes more “green” or environmentally friendly is due to the cost of new technologies and the total effectiveness and effort necessary to install these technologies. Architect Alexandra Lichtenberg shows that lots of money does not need to be spent to achieve this eco-home. Most importantly she shows that small architectural changes can make a huge difference. Because of this, eco-friendly homes are not reserved for the rich and the famous, but made more accessible for the average income resident.
Perhaps my favorite of the few techniques mentioned is the collection of rainwater. I always wondered why towns with a decent amount of rainfall do not make more use of it. It is a free resource that usually slips into drains and merely gets polluted. With collectors on house roofs, it can be utilized for the houses themselves. The parts of the house that do not need drinkable or safe water such as the toilet can easily use rain water, and gardens can be easily irrigated in this way as well. Areas that have less rainfall would not have to strain water supply for irrigation of gardens with these rain collectors. It is such a simple solution, I don’t understand why it hasn’t been implemented in more cities already.
Something that is largely overlooked and underestimated is ventilation. In major cities in Europe, if one goes to older apartment buildings (built in the early 1900’s or earlier), the ceilings are very high. Some reach approximately 15 feet. The hot air then rises, leaving the bottom air where the residents live cooler and manageable without AC. The new apartments have scrapped that architecture in favor of more cage like boxes for apartments in order to fit more residents. There is very little ventilation and AC is most definitely a necessity. When edifices are being built or rebuilt natural ventilation should be a requirement to be considered or a reversion to old practices in architecture of higher ceiling allowing for airflow. Not only would this save on heating and AC costs, but what I find more important is personal wellbeing. A dweller’s psychological and physical health can decrease in a stagnant home that has no airflow. Natural ventilation would allow a constant flow of fresh air that would keep the resident well refreshed in oxygen.
Some of Lichtenberg’s ideas require more work or can only be done during construction, but others like rooftop gardens that block absorb sunlight can save a lot of energy costs in AC or heating which in turn saves the atmosphere from pollutants and the likes. The water solutions include cleaner and healthier ways of cleaning the water as well as reusing what nature gave us (rainfall) and so on. Not everything has to be difficult, it’s only as difficult as we make it be. The population needs just a little shove from inspiration architects such as Alexandra Lichtenberg. Brazil is now the model city with these eco-improvements. It seems to be a success that should be implemented worldwide.
Shaili Das
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response 2/7
One chapter that I read that struck me as being very interesting was called Better Food everywhere. It surprised me when the author mentions how within the US 38% of hospitals have a fast food joint in their cafeteria. I found this very ironic and yet sadly enough I wasn’t shocked by it. A lot these decisions come down to money. Because the junk food is so cheap many people buy it. And because people by the food the franchises make more money than a healthier option would. And because the franchise makes more money they are willing to pay the hospital more rent. This same cycle is present in high schools and even some colleges. The key reason why schools can’t supply organic food is because people aren’t willing to pay for it. People, especially college students, are more likely to spend 1 dollar for a burger from McDonalds compared to a free range burger that would cost 5 times as much. The only way to break this cycle is to somehow cheapen the price of organic food so that everyone can afford it. Only then will people stop eating as much junk/cheap fast food and eat things that are better for them.
World Changing Response (3/7)
ReplyDeleteCities- Urban Transportation
After reading this chapter of World Changing, I realize that I am one among the huge population who are guilty of contributing to pollution via a private car. I have grown up in the suburbs of New York State (specifically in Long Island) where people are obsessed with their cars. In high school, it was all about who had the most expensive, brand name car. I, like everyone else in my class, received a brand new car when I passed my road test, and drove to school, which is ten minutes from my house, everyday. The parking lot was filled with Hummers, Escalades, SUVs, etc. Not until I visited my best friend’s eco-friendly college, Wesleyan College in Middletown, Connecticut, did I realize how spoiled and unconscious of the environment my generation was. Tara, my best friend, told me stories of people spraying graffiti reading, “Gas Guzzler” on her flashy Hummer, and people telling her how environmentally unfriendly her car was. (People at Wesleyan also don’t flush the toilet if they had just peed, and bring their own Tupperware/dishes to the dorm dining halls.)
Obviously no one from my area was happy when New York City started charging obscene amounts for private cars entering Manhattan. I also remember when my friends and I went to eat dinner together and we all drove individually to the venue, and never thought of the idea of carpooling.
I definitely do not agree with what my generation did regarding transportation. However, it was not our faults because we were completely unaware of the environmental problems that we were contributing to. Our society, not only ignored the problems, but also encouraged it. I remember when I was in 5th grade, my elementary school did not allow for me to walk to school although my house is two blocks away from it. Instead, they forced me take the bus or make my parents drive me (which they did). This is because there was a new exit being built off the nearest highway (the 495) that lead right onto the road that my elementary school was situated on. That road, Lakeville Road, is now one of the busiest streets in my town.
I agree with the chapter that our cars have utterly changed the urban and suburban landscape. My suburban town is turning into a city. When I went home over Thanksgiving break, there was a new plaza being built near my home, which will probably make the quiet road that it is being built on into a busy street.
This chapter made me notice more how important and easy it is to carpool. However, it is not easy to change my ways of preferring a car to a bus or bicycle just because of the society we live in. For example, I can never bike on Washtenaw Ave to class just because of the narrow sidewalk and busy street. Knowing my biking skills, I would either hit a pedestrian if biking on the sidewalk, and I would never bike on that street.
Connie In
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShaili Das
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response 3/7
People always say that having an eco-friendly house is tremendously expensive. According to the chapter in a world changing known as Ecohouse in Brazil this was not the case. Architect Alexandra Lichtenberg, designed an eco-friendly house in Brazil that is equivalent to, if not cheaper, than a basic middle class home. He used techniques to re-use the water by installing a filter system within the house itself. In addition he created a way for rainwater to be used as water within the house as well. This rainwater, which was free, saved the homeowners 28% of their water bill within one year. In addition, Lichtenberg took into consideration the location of the house and created a cooling unit without using ACs and other highly energy using systems. If houses like these are so possible and exist in places in Brazil a question I would like to pose is: why haven’t houses like these been built in the US?
Shaili Das
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing Response 4/7
For my third World Changing post I read the chapter called Brands. The numbers shocked me. “In 2004, the marketing consultancy Interbrand estimated the total value of the top one hundred global brands was 998 billion.” This was just money that went in advertisements and media. It is sad to see how much people associate brands with quality and how much people rely on them. I found the take that the Japanese company Muji took in response to all this branding propaganda very interesting. The brand Muji is a brandless company. They do not believe in putting a logo or a trademark on any of their products. Although this in itself becomes a type of branding I respect what the company is trying to stand for which is anti branding. Or maybe this was the companies’ plan all along: to gain sympathy from the consumer. Another company that has approached the idea of branding in a similar way is black spot. The company began when Nike was going through its lawsuits during the 1990s. They created a black canvas shoe and placed a white dot where the company logo would go. These tactics confuse the consumers with what their actual goal is. Are these companies fighting branding or are they creating a new way of branding all together?
Krista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing # 5
December 12, 2009
Green Remodeling 142-146
The chapter on Green Remodeling was very informative. When I first saw this chapter and wanted to read it, I instantly thought that it would be an expensive alternative to remodeling house a house for green purposes because most of the alternatives are, this alternative wasn’t like that at all. I loved the section on flooring. It talked about smart, and cheap ways of remodeling your wood floor.
The first alternative I liked that was brought up was taking the wood floors out of abandoned buildings, demolition sites, warehouses and old mills and use that wood for your house instead of pulling trees from the forest or even buying wood from companies who use deforestations as a means of getting their wood. When the author mentioned that alternative I instantly thought about the tons of abandoned buildings in Detroit. There are so many unused, run down buildings that are just sitting there. I thought that maybe the city could go through and recover the unused wood in each of those buildings sale to people who want to use that wood to remodel their house, which would be a good way to bring money into the city. I don’t know, it’s just a thought, but I feel it’s a good thought.
The second alternative I liked that was brought up was if people must use new hardwood in their houses; first contact the Forest Stewardship Council’s reliable monitoring and certification system for tracking the world’s forests. Furthermore, you would contact these people to insure that the wood you are going to buy for your home came from a responsibly managed logging operation. All in the entire chapter brought up some good points.
Krista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing # 6
December 12, 2009
Living well in a compact space 152-154
I found this chapter to be a good read. It’s interesting to think that the small your place is, the greener friendly it is. The chapter talked about this company based out of the UK who designs small compact apartments. The apartments they designed are literally 347sqaure foot. Now thinking about how small that is, most of us couldn’t even bare to think to live in such a small space, but looking out the layout in this chapter, for me I feel its do able.
Just image if everyone starting living in small compact living spaces, there would be a lot more land area for one and two a lot less energy would get used. Although it is a great idea to live in 347 square foot apartment that has all the necessities for living such as: kitchen, bed, and bathroom, I feel the UK will be the only ones who will make this small living spaces on a mass scale. Americans value and want comfort. And sorry to say, while it’s a good Idea, for now that’s all it will be as far as Americans are concerned.
Krista Boyd
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing # 7
December 12, 2009
Using Energy Efficiently 164-169
In the chapter Using Energy Efficiently, I will talk about what I feel to be one of the most important sections of this chapter. And that is the section on the Top Five Things You Can Do To Conserve Energy. I found some aspects of that list to be helpful. The first way they talk about how to conserve energy is to get your cooling and heating systems in your house checked out for problems such as: dust or dampness, and try to find the source of any drafts on may have in their house. I find that to be very helpful because a lot of homes I’m sure have openings and holes in their house that allows wind to come in and that could be a problem in winter. I say that’s a problem because if it’s the winter and you have a draft coming through your house, you are using more heat to keep you warm. The second way to conserve energy, which I find to be the most important, is the use of dimmers, automatic timers, and /or motion-detection sensors. I can’t tell you how many houses I’ve have driven by at night and seen the house well lit. To me that’s a waste of energy and I bet most of those house are not on any kind of automatic timer, and why should they be when they have the mindset that it doesn’t matter because “ can afford it to waste energy.”
"Copyfight" Page 337
ReplyDeleteCopyright is a touchy subject when challenged. On one hand, I’m all for sharing ideas and teaching others new things and collaborating, but on the other hand, if this were commercial; I would like to be paid for something. Copyleft is an interesting concept in that although it involves licensing as well, it is a method used to encourage innovation, promote cooperation, among many things. The problem arises when these copyright rules are international. When international, developing countries have a hard time trying to improve their countries. For example, as mentioned in the text, someone in South Africa could be lying in bed and dying of AIDS, but because South Africa cannot afford the economic penalties to manufacture their own HIV solutions due to copyright.
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Going off the Grid (p. 179)
Post # 3
WOW! After reading this chapter and seeing professor Trumpey’s house made me want to have an eco friendly house. The thought of living off the grid is scary at first but to have people actually go through with it and be successful is really inspirational. I hope in the future more people will look into solar panels for their homes. I know I will definitely look into it for my own home. I thought the story of the man renting out solar panels in Brazil for $13 a month was so great. He found a way to provide a way to provide energy to a poor area without hurting the environment. The cost to buy all the technology is very high but I think it will be beneficial in the long run.
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Smart Grids (p.183)
Post #4
Smart Grids sounds like a great idea but I don’t believe it will happen anytime soon. It sounds like a very daunting and complicated task. I think combing the technology used to go off the grid to help develop is a smarter is much easier said than done. I guess I don’t really understand how a smarter grid would help the environment without having alternative sources of energy like solar panels or water turbines. The chapter also talks about smart appliances, which seems more realistic to implement. Making appliances more efficient is a good start to making a more sustainable grid.
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Urban Transportation (p. 262)
Post #5
I’m all for urban transportation systems. One of the reasons I love Ann Arbor so much is because you don’t really need a car here. In the summer I ride my bike everywhere I hardly use my car until I go back home. I think biking is really overlooked. I think people kind of forget that it is another form of transportation. Initially I even associated my bike as a childhood toy instead of an alternate form of transportation. In the winter I use the bus to get around everywhere. I was very surprised about how fast the bus transportation is in the city. It is especially hard to get anywhere in Michigan without a car. In the summer I’m actually planning on a biking trip across the state.
I really liked the part about the Bus Rapid Transit system. I wish more of it were used in Michigan. I thought giving the bus its own lane on the highway was a great way to get rid of any misconceptions that buses might be slower than private transportation. I also started noticing carpooling parking near highways around Ann Arbor. It makes me happy when I see them full of parked cars.
World Changing Response (4/7)
ReplyDeleteCommunity- Travel and Tourism
This chapter in World Changing was about the business of tourism. I found it shocking that more than 9 percent of all jobs are linked, directly or indirectly, to travel and tourism. This shows how much of a consumerist society we are. We pay to visit places. Vacations has become more about buying than about touring, visiting, and experiencing a new place.
The chapter also points at flying. Tourism is a main reason why the airline industry has grown so big. However, flying causes serious environmental consequences. I felt guilty about this since I fly between school and home. And to top that off, I fly two planes each way since non-stop flights are more expensive than connecting flights.
Sight-seeing can also bring negative consequences to the environment. The site at which people are visiting is made into a park or amusement park. For example, when I visited the Grand Canyon when I was young, I wasn’t about to explore the area through my own eyes. I had a tour guide telling me what to do and where to go. The paths were industrialized and man-made things were everywhere. Another time was when I went camping in Buffalo. My family and I had camped out in the forest where there were a lot of other campers around us. There were grills, bathrooms, and signs everywhere. I did not feel like I was actually in the woods but instead, I felt like I was at a park. When we camped there, people were making campfires and roasting marshmallows. Something I did not think about until now is that someone could have easily caused a forest-fire.
Almost every natural environment that’s becoming touristy is turning into some man-made form of entertainment. Hills are being flattened to create concrete amusement parks. Reading this chapter makes me want to travel the world before everything becomes a tourist site.
Connie In
World Changing Response (5/7)
ReplyDeleteBusiness- Green Marketing
The chapter, Green Marketing, in World Changing ironically taught me the opposite than what I learned in ADP3 this year. In ADP, more specifically in the book, Collapse, we learned that oil companies were promoting their greenness and care for the environment so that their company appealed to customers. However, in this chapter, I learned that companies actually care more about their product’s efficiency more than advertising its greenness. For example, World Changing says that Electrolux doesn’t go out of its way to market its products as environmentally friendly but focuses on promoting its products’ energy efficiency. It is steal the leading sustainable manufacturer despite its lack of effort to promote greenness. Research also shows that the company, Philips, didn’t have the environment as their top concern. They found that consumers were more willing to buy green products when combined with other benefits such as durability, which is what they promoted.
Whatever the case is, I think it’s great that consumers prefer environmentally friendly products over others. Whether the company’s motive is to appeal to consumers and sell or to actually create a green product, both motives do good to the environment. It’s great that companies are more willing to create green products now to please their consumers and/or the environment we live in.
Connie In
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Designing a Sustainable World (p.83)
Post #6
After reading this chapter and doing the My Stuff project it has really made me think about where all my stuff goes when I throw it away. I agree with the article that everyone is so concerned with what they want to buy next not where their stuff goes after they use it. I think designing for the entire life cycle of a product is a great idea but more awareness about recycling or how dispose of things would help even more. I know I don’t think about where is this product going to go after I’m done using this when I buy something new. I really liked the concept Joe mentioned in class about charging a fee to recycle computers in Europe. I’m not sure what the answer is but I think letting people know how they can reuse things is the first step.
Connie Huang
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing: Craft it Yourself (p.91)
Post #7
I love making things myself. Ever since I came to the art school I always look at things in stores and say, “oh I could make that.” When you do something yourself you also have an appreciation for how hard things are to make. For example, I have a new appreciation for some jewelry since I’ve had metals because I know how hard it is to solder something together. Reusing and making something yourself is a great way to recycle products. I love when I find a new way to reuse a product. For example, my house was running low on glasses so my roommates and I started saving jars or glass bottles from the food we buy. They don’t spill or break as much. I also started sewing my old bed sheets into pillowcases.
World Changing Response (6/7)
ReplyDeletePolitics- Direct Action
This chapter reminded me of the first reading we were assigned in ADP3 this semester, Derrick Jensen’s Beyond Hope. Jensen talked about how instead of sitting around and complaining about the environment and talking about it, we should take direct action. However, the chapter also reminds me of a group discussion I had in one of the ADP classes. This group discussion was directed towards advertisements in the media and how they are affecting us. The topic was about how media-dominated our culture is today.
One particular advertisement that came up in our discussion was PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign. PETA advertises thin, naked celebrities to try to send a message against fur. We disagreed with their ways of advertising and I especially thought some of the PETA ads were ridiculous. In all their advertisements, celebrities appear lying naked in some provocative way with a text message on the side that reads “I’m (insert popular celebrity name) and I am against fur.” This chapter explains that PETA does this to capture an audience. Yes: a naked celebrity does capture people’s attentions. However, their advertisements do not send any kind of message against fur. The text encourages people to stop buying fur clothing because their idolized celebrities don’t approve of it. But the advertisement doesn’t go farther than showing that a celebrity doesn’t like fur. I think effective ways of advertisements—to actually get people to take action—are humorous, clever ones, or emotional ones.
I agree with the rest of the chapter however. It brings up good points in how to appeal to the public as an eco-activist and not as an “ivory-tower idiot hippy.” For example, it tells us not to demonize people ruining the environment because its their jobs and it feeds their children, but instead to direct your protest against the bigger companies that run environmentally damaging operations.
Connie In
World Changing Response (7/7)
ReplyDeletePlanet- Climate Foresight
This chapter was a lot about global warming which is one of the biggest environmental concerns we have. Although the chapter talks about how global development and environmental sustainability are being interconnected to make efforts towards a better future, we are currently doing more damage than fixing and global warming will continue to get worse, just at a slower pace.
I can already feel the climate getting weirder. When I was younger, my family and I would be able to go out to the lake on Thanksgiving break and ice skate on it because it would be completely frozen. When I went home for Thanksgiving this year, we did none of that. The lakes were not frozen at all. I didn’t even need a jacket when I was outside. Being in college at Michigan too, I can already feel that it’s much warmer than last year. I remember is snowing in October last year, whereas this year, our first snow was not until December.
Overall, there is no one big company to blame, as the chapter suggests. We have a duty as a whole society to slow the pace of global warming and to take individual responsibility.
Connie In