WS 7 Imagining the Future p. 535 Paul DiStefano

This article brings up a very interesting topic, “hope.” We all know that things are bad and that we need to do something, but not many of us actually do anything. We think that these problems are too big for us and that there is no way we can make a difference. This is the wrong way to think. If everyone does his or her part, it is not just one person making a difference; it is the world making a difference. When we just hope for a better future nothing happens. We just sit back and pray that a higher power will come save the day, when it is us that has to do the saving. It is good to imagine and hope that our future will work its way out, but it’s the action that actually does something.

WS 6 A Personal Action Plan p. 513 Paul DiStefano

I thought this article was very well written. It explains that obviously not everyone is an environmentalist. That most people have their plan and that they know who they are and what they want to do. People have their jobs and their interests and that is what is important, but if you become the “environment aware” version of that person, then we will all take a step in the right direction. Being conscious is what is needed in order to change the world, not becoming an environmentalist. All we need to do is make “changing the way we live” a part of our plan, and doing the small stuff that no one thinks will help, and we will be on our way to a better future.

WS 5 Landmines p. 218 Paul DiStefano

This article has really made me aware of how terrible landmines are. Obviously they are terrible because of how deadly they are, but they do much more to the world in general. They only cost about three dollars to make and kill over a thousand people a month. There are still about forty five million still scattered worldwide. They tear apart our planet and are extremely expensive to have removed. No matter what, these landmines are doing harm to the earth, even if they never go off. They are one of the worst things ever created and the only way to truly get rid of them is to design a way to remove them with less destruction to land and our wallets.

WS 4 Landscaping p. 198 Paul DiStefano

This article was very interesting to me. It explained that lawns are absolutely pointless and that we should change the way we think about landscaping. Lawns are an endless cycle of fertilizing, watering, and energy, and serve almost no point in our lives. They have almost nothing to do with nature and are a waste of time and energy. We are wasting space, and money on an area that could be put to good, helpful, and productive use. It would be much more purposeful if we were putting that effort into maintaining a garden, or anything else that would actually make a difference. Unlike a boring lawn that serves almost no purpose except that we think it looks good.

WS 3 Biomimicry p. 99 Paul DiStefano

With technology being as big as it is these days, and will be in the future, artists have really stepped away from nature. Long ago nature had a much bigger role in artist’s work. Using much scenery and use of outdoor space, you can tell that nature was one of the biggest inspirations for artwork. Times have changed however, and with much more focus on computer graphics, design, and technology, nature has lost touch with much art. I believe that even with technology in the rise, nature should still have a bigger impact in our artwork and in our lives. Our land did not form to us, but we formed the land. We did not change to fit our surroundings, but we fit it to us. Our land is much more important to us than many stop to think about. It is the reason why we are alive and even able to create new technology. We cannot continue to ignore how we are treating our planet. If nature played the same role it did many years ago, today, then maybe people will realize what’s going on and make a difference.

WS 2 Art Meets Technology p. 96 Paul DiStefano

Artists are designing the future, and as technology advances, artists have the responsibility to design in an environmental friendly way. This is a very important statement that I believe all artists have to realize. With technology souring in the art field, many of us have turned away from our environment. The world is becoming all about “faster, smaller, and smarter,” and as designers, we are required to think that way. However, when thinking this way, we have to still be conscious of our future. What will happen tomorrow? Or what will happen twenty years from now? These are questions we have to ask ourselves in order to be positive contributors to our world.

WS 1 Questioning Consumption p. 32 Paul DiStefano

This article addresses the points that we talk much about in lecture, and that is consumption. As Americans we have always been about “stuff.” We think that the more “stuff” we have, the more successful we are. This is a way of life that we have to break away from. We are at the point where our world is getting smaller and smaller and the only way to keep from destroying it, is to consume less. Consuming is obviously very important and we need to do it in order to survive, but we have to know when we are consuming too much. We have to consume only the amount that we need, and less of what we want.

WC#7 – Thinking Differently About Water: German engineering (pg. 191)

The Germans have been engineering and designing to catcht rainwater to use it as a main source of water, since the 70s. They have installed many prototypes in Germany and have proved that rain water can provide for up to 51% of household water usage. Although many worry it may not be a great source for drinking water, this 51% is for toilets, washing clothes, and smaller uses of water at home.
I’ve thought about catching rainwater since I was a child, and though, today, it seams plausible I do see some problems that may occur. Rainwater is not as clean today as it has been, then again…65 million years ago it was black. Nevertheless it isn’t completely safe to drink without major filtration. Furthermore we’re going to take water from the water cycle and displace it to a different location, like into the sewer? Unless everyone has a septic tank that filters the water back into the cycle, which I assume almost no one in the city does. I think there are many possibilities with this idea but it needs much more development and as of now it is not very eco-friendly do to the disturbance in the water cycle.

WC#6 - Building a Green Home (pg. 147) Ryan Thurmer

I feel like when many of us think of what we can do to reduce our emissions, or become more environmentally conscious we don’t think of our home right away. We definitely think about our cars, our light bulbs, even the cleaners we use then we might think about the actual structure that we live in as something that is causing the same problems our cars are. Worldchanging thinks of a home as an appliance, after we use it and we are done with it, we move on. When the kids are out and the house can not be improved any more by remodeling we move on. Creating homes with this in mind with give us a head up on climate change. Using carbon natural homes, prefabricated homes, and modular homes that can be easily built, redesign, and taken down. This forward thinking in design is what makes a product a great design. Especially in design, but even more so in architecture, we have to think about what will happen to this when we are done with it, then our designs will be worldchanging.

WC#5 Producer Responsibility - Pop-apart Cell Phones (pg 119) Ryan Thurmer

This article surprised me, since this idea is so brilliantly simple. Apparently today most electronics and cell phones are not recycled because it costs more to pay someone to take them apart and sort the parts than the parts are actually worth. What if these electronics took themselves apart…in one second?! Nokia is developing a phone, and has a prototype for a phone, that does just this. The points that need to pop apart have a “memory alloy spring” to push apart the plastic parts and electronic components. Under a certain laser’s temperature these springs release and the phone is dissembled, in under two seconds. As a student in design I thought this is just what designers need to be designing, finally we are realizing that most of our designs end up in the trash at some point, and that all of this trash is causing loads of problems. Why not design products specifically to be recycled, or that even recycle themselves? In the mean time designing for repair rather than designing to “break then buy a new one” is something everyone can start today. These are definitely all steps toward closing the linear path of production making it a circulating system.

WC#4 - Copyfight (pg. 337) Ryan Thurmer

As an artist, or creator of anything, the opposition to copyright comes, initially, as a shock; especially in our culture, which puts such an emphasis on valuing the ownership of material things. Why wouldn’t we also try and put a price on an idea? It seems almost natural at this point. But groups such as Creative Commons and the starters of the Copyleft movement have, for the last few decades, begun to lift this Copycurse that was originally meant to increase creativity and the building off of history. Though I do not think is a good idea to leave the problem of intellectual property law closed at either end, (either completely open to all, or completely confined to the maker.) I do believe Creative Commons, however, has the most flexible and useful system. Creative people can pick and choose what exactly their Creative Commons license entails such as “open for all use but sale, and the author must be given credit…” Having open-endedness like this is the only way to find true freedom in creativity while allowing the creative people to allow or deny access to their work, instead of having a law predetermine this everyone.

WC#3 - Green Remodeling: reuse centers (pg. 142-145) Ryan Thurmer

It doesn’t take an environmentalist or a genius to understand the benefits of recycling. This article focuses on the benefits of Reuse Centers in terms of building renovations, however a look at the stock of any Good Will or Salvation Army will show you practically everything you can see or have ever used can be RE-used. I specifically like this article because I am a big believer in recycling, and producing/buying as local as possible. THIS DOES BOTH! Utilizing reuse centers employs a local workforce, recycles functional objects back into our production system that would have otherwise been thrown out, and in many cases this center is linked to, and supports a charity. This is why I tend to buy clothes that are ether second hand, or made in America. I try to do this with most things I own or use, while still keeping functionality in mind.

Although improvements in technology are in many cases making products more energy efficient, and less hazardous to our health, it is important to consider buying something new for a slight change in function, over keeping a perfectly working product until it breaks. Then perhaps we should consider enhancing that product through upgrading rather than replacement, to keep our garbage out-put at a minimum.

WC#2 - Philips: Durability Trumps Green (pg. 390-391) Ryan Thurmer

The actual title of this article should really be: Philips: Durability Trumps Green Despite Hazardous Chemicals and Hidden Costs in Buying this Product. Netherlands’ based Philips found out that in order to sell green products to Americans they have to be able to do something else, since a products effect of the environment is the fourth or fifth factor in an American’s mind while purchasing a product. Philips has been manufacturing CFL lights since 1978 but really only became popular in America in the last 5-10 years. This is because, according to the article, when companies like Philips changed the name of the product from EARTHLIGHT to MARATHON sales increased because the marketing is now based on performance and function rather than its effect on the environment.

Ironically, though, these CFLs contain enough of a percentage of mercury that they have to be disposed of properly (with a monetary cost) and are in fact illegal to throw out in some states. Good luck trying to get that out of your carpet when they break. Don’t get me wrong using less energy for the same amount of light is a great idea but, at what cost to our health? Yes they use less energy, but they are hazardous to us to a point. Now if they can replace mercury alloy in dental fillings, thermometers, felt manufacture, primer composition (in ammunition) and the like...I’m confident we will see CFLs w/o mercury in World Changing 2.0.

WC#1 - Space Elevator (pg. 533-534) Ryan Thurmer

The space elevator is a probable Earth-to-Space transportation device that would allow for easier, cheaper, access to space. I had previously heard of such a system prior to reading this in WC, and was able handle some of the carbon nano-fibers a group here at U of M is using to build a prototype. As awesome and farfetched as the idea of a Space Elevator may sound it’s extremely important that we follow through with the idea, and space exploration in general! The development of the space program has brought to Earth tons of scientific data about Earth our moon and beyond (such as some evidence for a changing climate), and countless innovations that we use on Earth every day: smoke detectors, enriched baby food, modern pavement, in-ear-thermometers, better cardiac pacemakers, scratch-resistant glasses…etc.

world Changing Response 7 Pete

World Changing Response #7

Designing a Sustainable World pg. 83

Ah! A How to for my education! How convenient! This was actually probably the most interesting article I read, it was extremely to the point and made a great deal of sense. Of particular point to me was “Product design isn’t merely architecture for small things; it’s a field in which a whole set of dynamic and unpredictable factors must be considered.” (pg. 84) While this may be for me simply a rallying point around design, it’s telling to think about the impact that the objects we design and how they impact the environment. Manufacturers produce designed consumer objects by the thousands and they are sent out into the world and the consumer may use them as they like. The designer has little control over how they are used, where they are used and how they are disposed of when they break. But the designer has complete control on the objects ecological footprint when the object is in the design stage. The designer can pick sustainable materials, design for less material waste during the manufacturing and design the object to use less energy over its life cycle.

The problem with designers thinking sustainably is designers getting caught in the trap of messing about with purely technical details. This often falls into the range of strengths of a materials science engineer and relinquishes the designer’s greatest strength. Designers have the power to create objects of “sheer gorgeousness”(pg 84) that consumers simply cannot resist. The designer can create sustainable objects of beauty that are indistinguishable from or more desirable than their unsustainable counterparts. They have the power to make sustainability mainstream, something the consumer doesn’t even have to think about; the beautiful products are the sustainable products.

world Changing Response 6 Pete

World Changing Response #6

Chinese Cities of the Future pg. 271

This was a very eye-opening article for me after a semester of evil, environmental China. It was interesting to see a China that knows that they have a problem and are actively moving to fix this problem. They have seen immense economic growth over the past 3 decades (the “Chinese Miracle”) and this rapid growth has come at a huge ecological cost. The Chinese have achieved their growth with outdated technologies, over consuming of materials and poor management of materials. This has lead to ecological issues that transcend simple quality-of-life issues; pollution kills people and slows the economic growth of Chinese cities. China has produced so much pollution that it has effectively called its economic vitality into question.

But China has seemed to recognize this and is actively moving to curb the flow of pollution. For example, on average Chinese buildings use 2 to 3 times as much energy per square foot as equivalent buildings in the Western world. But many Chinese ministers are trying to change this. Qiu Baoxing, China’s Construction Minister has proposed the worlds strictest green building standards. Buildings now being built are required to save 65% more energy than previous standards of building. China also is investing in model green cities with help from Western design firms which strive to build local for the area (using local renewable resources) and operate on a closed loop energy system.

All this growth is of course powered by largely economic concerns, James Carville’s adage “It’s the economy, stupid” certainly applies. China realizes that a nation that does not wisely control its resources can never succeed over a long period of time and that inefficiency is expensive. They are actively moving to repair their economy, even if the steps are small at first, and this was quite a change from the China that is ruining the world and does not care about it that we had learned from lecture. I believe that it is very beneficial to see two sides of an issue and I am glad that I read this article to get a glimpse of the side not offered in lecture.

World Changing Response 5 Pete

World Changing Response #5

Producer Responsibility pg. 119

Producer Responsibility was an interesting article for me as a design student, especially designing for disassembly and design for repair. It’s challenging to think about putting together as much as taking apart and I found it interesting that designs that are easy to take apart, are the easiest to put together. Things that dissemble easily are designed for two purposes, which accounts not only for the time an object spends occupying our lives but also for the time it takes to remove that object and return it to a little pile of metal and plastics, full of potential and waiting for the next step in its life.

Designing for repair was interesting to me as both a creative person who loves to work with his hands and as a bicycle mechanic. It actually reminds me of the repair manifesto, repairing before discarding. Everything is always going to break at some point in its life, you have to not only design to make this happen as little as possible, but so that when it does eventually happen, design to make parts repairable so that the object is not lost by one piece failing.

World Changing Response 4 Pete

World Changing Response #4

Open Source pg. 127

Ah, open source. I really only have ever thought of it in as relation to software. Programs such as Mozilla’s Firefox and Thunderbird, Audacity, Open Office, and the operating systems Linux all come to mind when thinking about free, open source software. Open source software is, at its core, free access to the source code, the base code of a program, and the freedom to do with it as you please. It was interesting to me to have this principle applied outside of the software world, cultural and intellectual ‘goods’ are increasingly easily applied to the open source world. That is, they are free or they will show you how to make it yourself. An example in the article was the open-journal movement. The profit oriented scientific journal requires high fee’s be paid by the academics who write the content. Recently, there has been a push for open, free online venues funded with small percentages of their research funds. Once this research has been published in the free online journal world, it’s free for anyone to use or read. The author excellently points out that is makes quite a bit of sense considering that most research is publicly funded in the first place.

Personally, the open source movement draws parallels to the Do It Yourself movement and websites such as Instructables.com and diynetwork.com. These sites have large catalogues of tutorials for how to make or do almost anything yourself. For instance, diynetwork.com has a large catalogue of home improvement how to and related projects and instructables.com caters to the hands-on maker. These sites, and their related movements are just physical extensions of the software open source world.

World Changing #7 Kathie Chung

World Changing #7
Charting the Deep Oceans pg. 521
Kathie Chung

When considering the well being of our planet, the ocean is one of the most important environments that we should be concerned about because the base of the land that we live on lies underwater. With the advanced technology that we now have, scientists are able to explore the ocean’s depth more accurately and further with equivalent equipment similar to the ones that NASA uses when researching space. Thus, this advance in ocean exploration can be called the oceanographic revolution. This revolution informed scientists that the oceans are being harmed by pollution and global warming as well, such as the dead zones called hypoxic, which are areas where life can not survive due to lack of oxygen. Due to global warming, thermal inertia will cause the temperature of the ocean to rise further causing harm to the life in the ocean such as the coral reefs and planktons. Phytoplanktons and coral reefs are sensitive to the change in the temperature of the water, and due to global warming; the temperature in the water caused a heat shock, changing the color of the reefs to white. Due to the reefs being sensitive to such slight changes, scientists use and study coral reefs to research the actual harm that people are causing the environment such as with global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

World Changing #6 Kathie Chung

World Changing #6
Biodiversity: How Much Nature is Enough? pg. 491
Kathie Chung

I found this article on the preservation of biodiversity very interesting. More and more species of animals and plants are going extinct, mostly due to the affects of humans. Even though humans may try to clone extinct species, it will most likely not be the same because the instincts of different species are learned from their various ecosystems, and therefore the interaction between the species with other outside factors may change how the cloned extinct specie interacts. Frozen zooz, which are frozen genetic zoos from different species DNA, store DNA so that scientists can try to revive and record different species before they go extinct. One way to remember and commemorate those species that went extinct or are about to due to human intervention, tattoos is used as well as other forms of body art. However, even though there are issues of a variety of species on the bridge of extinction, involuntary parks such as the one in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, where there are no human interaction, is slowly starting to be inhabited by rare species that are on the brink of extinction.

World Changing #5 Kathie Chung

World Changing #5
Watching the Watchers pg. 447
Kathie Chung

In our modern society, technological advances in portable surveillance have made it easier for people to surveillance and be surveillanced through portable cameras, camera phones, and etc. Thus, our society now can be called “Panopticon,” which refers to a society being constantly watched. Such constant observation into the personal lives, many people see it as an invasion of privacy. So, the government and other institutions such not have the right to constantly observe their lives. However, what this book is asking is that who is watching the people who are constantly observing our actions? Therefore, with easy access to cheap cameras such as cell phones and etc., citizens, such as protestors during riots, are able to expose the physical abuse inflicted on them by police. This is called “sousveillance,” which means watching from below. As a result, constant sousveillance of higher corporate/ political officials can be constantly watched by the citizens whether they are doing harm to the environment or even lying about their proposals. Also, surveillance can be used to survey the environment such as atmospheric sensors and etc., to check the quality of air or even smog. Called an earth phone, this technology can also help people be more aware of the constant changes in the environment and therefore, can take action before more harm is caused.

World Changing #4 Kathie Chung

World Changing #4
Brands pg. 393
Kathie Chung

In our current society, consumers buy material and “stuff” based on brands. Thus, many companies try to develop customer loyalty through brands that makes consumers have an emotional attachment with the products that the company sells. Therefore, instead of buying products based on the necessity of it, people in modern society buy for just wanting that specific product. There are those companies that rejects branding their products, therefore, they are well known for not having a specific, distinguished trademarks, logos, or etc. However, though their point of rejecting branding their own products such as Muji, a Japanese company, they are still distinguished for not having a logo. Thus, they can still be technically be considered a type of “brand.” Though brands can help a failing economy by developing brands that value “authenticity,” the more a country makes their way into a new market of selling their products, in my opinion, the more pollution and trash will develop as a result. So, I think that there are both disadvantages and advantages to branding.

World Changing #3 Kathie Chung

World Changing #3
Travel and Tourism pg. 363
Kathie Chung

I chose this article because I found this subject a hard decision to make whether travel and tourism should continue despite possible economic downturns. Travel and tourism is one of the main sources of income for some economies, and therefore, they rely heavily on this industry for support of their economy. However, like the problem of logging and mining in Montana, while travel and tourism may help the society economically, this industry will cause harm to their environment as well. The airplanes emit carbon dioxide emissions into the air, which is one of the factors that is causing our climate to change, especially because these emissions are emitted in higher altitudes, they cause more harm to the ozone layer. However, I do not believe that people will take a considerable amount of action to protect the environment from the emissions due to the comfort and easy accessibility of airplanes when traveling. I believe that comfort is more important to many people rather than protecting the environment, because they cannot see/feel the affects of pollution at the present moment, and thus, continue to focus their energy on accessibility and comfort of travel. However, some companies may use the term of ecotourism, but they might not understand the meaning and concept of this term to the fullest. I agree that if all the planes were modified to run on bio-fuel as well as solar power, then it will be a win-win situation for both the people in costs, as well as the environment.

World Changing #2 Kathie Chung

World Changing Response #2
Educating Girls and Empowering Women pg. 316
Kathie Chung

Rights of women have been an ongoing social issue that women rights activists have been battling over for decades. A woman’s role in society has always been subjugated beginning centuries ago. They were generally mostly seen as sexual objects/property, only useful for the reproduction of children. Therefore, women were generally not given an education, and if they were to receive an education, they were part of the privileged few, but their basic education and rights did not go to the same extent of those of men. I agree that one of the first steps for the achievement of human rights for women begins with educating girls so that they will have the knowledge of their own civil and human rights, which can cause women to become independent, free thinkers in a male dominated society. Even those girls that come from impoverished families that do not have the funds to educate the girls in the family should be able to join a program such as the one stated in the book (World Bank program). I also agree that with self-help groups, women will have an easier time to gain their rights from a male dominated society. The last section in which the book talks about using beauty salons as a tool for change; it may be a good idea for women to have a place in which to confide and seek protection from domestic abuse and etc., however, I found that it is ironic that women would go to a hair salon. I believe that women go to hair salons to look beautiful for their male counterparts and try to look the way that their society, which is male dominated, believes is the norm. Thus, I found it ironic that women would still go to a place that basically their male dominated society decided that this procedure of beautification was gendered towards women as a social activity, to seek prevention of domestic violence, establish a network of safety, as well as other problems women might be facing.

World Changing #1 Kathie Chung

World Changing #1:
Conserving Water pg. 187
Kathie Chung

I chose to read this particular article because where I am from; conservation of water is essential and a continuous pressing matter unlike Michigan, which has access to fresh water annually without the worry of drought and etc. such as when living in the desert area. It was interesting to read about the low-flow water fixtures, because my household and I believe most households in my neighborhood, installed a low-flow water fixture to conserve more water as well as save more money. Conserving water is a major concern where I am from, which is the Southwest. Even in the daily news channels, they have a separate section connected with the weather segment, when the best time to water the lawn and plants are of the day. This helps people save more water by letting the vegetation be able to better seep up the water before the water is evaporated into the air.

world Changing Response #7 Haley Weinger

Response #7:

Page 198: Landscaping

In this article about landscaping the author promotes utilizing the yard in a productive manner. An example would be replacing grass with vegetable gardens or naturally occurring plant life. The theory is an offshoot of saving water (grass needs constant maintenance) and a desire to use our resources in a way that will ultimately reduce our footprint. Having been raised in Florida, I am keenly aware of the need to plant only naturally occurring plant life. As a result of our annual hurricanes I have learned at an early age that only indigenous plant species survived the rain and strong winds of our tropical weather. When the hurricane season ends we plant vegetable gardens that can survive and thrive with virtually no watering aside from nature. The lesson in this experience is that you have to be aware of the natural plant environment and grow only those flowers, plants, and foods that thrive in the tropics. 

world Changing Response #6 Haley Weinger

Response #6:

Page 165: Using Energy Efficiently

This article combines the ideas of reducing energy waster, utilizing solar power, and consummation issues in the developing world. While the ideas were helpful and interesting as it relates to developed nations, it is not viable for those in third world countries to implement the ideas proposed without a “mentor” guiding them and funding the changes. The author fails to consider the cultural issues that play a big role in poor countries when seeking to implement change. Can it be done? Absolutely, nut on a big enough scale to make a difference would require the developed world to make this a priority. It seems unlikely that this will occur until out own culture cares about the environment, sustainability, and reducing out use of energy. Not a few individuals, academic institutions, and a handful of entrepreneurs but a politically significant group of people who are committed to change. 

world Changing Response #5 Haley Weinger

Response #5:

Page 157: Furniture and Home Decor

This article focuses on buying or utilizing more environmentally friendly products with which to furnish out home. While recycled furniture, woods, paint, and chairs are highlighted it is obvious that once again an extensive amount of research is required of the consumer who is desirous of making healthy, green choices. The overall message is that we must be mindful and purposeful in selecting everything inside our home; however, the resources available to help us select safe, smart, healthy products are quite limited. The consumer of such products (like the consumer of every other product), has to focus on the items being purchased, their use, necessity, and the footprint caused by the manufacture of the item. Only after the consumer does an exhaustive analysis can smart choices be made—how many people will do this? Without laws regulating the health and safety of a product people are unlikely to be willing to study every purchase or consider the consequences of the wrong purchase. 

world Changing Response #4 Haley Weinger

Response #4:

Page 57: Better Food Everywhere

To change our culture to one that promotes healthy eating, growing our food in a sustainable manner and encouraging community gardens and urban farming will only occur if our circumstances “force” the issue. While the article makes reference to a program at the University of Berkeley with the first certified organic kitchen in the country, we as a culture do not seem to care/ embrace the necessity of such pursuits. There is a discussion in the article of hospitals getting involved in healthier, sustainable food availability but my own recent experience was totally inconsistent with this. As a patient at the University of Michigan hospital I as horrified to see the incredibly poor and unhealthy choices provided to both the patient and visitors/doctors. It was virtually impossible to eat in a nutritious manner with no fresh fruit or vegetables available. The message we are sending is—it’s all about the profit. The cheapest alternatives are always those that are offered in abundance. 

World Changing Response #3 Haley Weinger

Response #3:

Page 51: Doing the Right Thing can be Delicious

The concept of being deliberate in our food choices, avoiding industrial (polluting) farming and eating mindfully is at the core of a healthy food revolution. The faster we need to farm, eat, and function, the harder we are on our bodies, our environmental resources and our futures. I believe that the pesticides used in our food production and in our homes have lead to significant health problems perhaps including the spread of autism that has now become of epidemic proportions. We as a community can change a lot of this by insisting on eating only pesticide-free products, produced locally and in a healthy manner. When we as a culture will no longer choose the cheapest option (with the biggest footprint), then the business community will hear the message and sustainability will prevail.

 

World Changing Response #2 Haley Weinger

Response #2:

Page 35: Consuming Responsibility

How can we as consumers who care deeply about our environment make smart, purposeful choices that will reduce our footprint? The primary and most effective way to make a difference is by purchasing only products produced in the most environmentally friendly manner possible. The article describes and discusses various options in the purchase of clothes, comparing various textiles, fabrics and methods of production. With clever truly “green” entrepreneurs even big businesses may compete for the dollars consumers are spending for sustainability. It is difficult however to know what is a good purchase and when is a company simply using key words to market their products as environmentally friendly. While there are some basic concepts to help us avoid being manipulated, without dedicating ourselves to studying and understanding/ analyzing products (and all stages of their development), we are easily mislead making poor choices as we claim to be “green”. 

World Changing Response #1 Haley Weinger

Response #1:

Page 32: Questioning Consumption

This piece encompasses come reasoned arguments against excessive consumption (each year we are utilizing more of the limited resources in existence), with some political and social views of the evils of overconsumption and its negative impact on our “happiness”. The notions of product exchange and voluntary simplicity or mindful consumption were the most useful and practical concepts put forth in this reading. The idea of acting in an intentional focused and purposeful way when acquiring  “stuff” keeps us free of the financial, emotional, and environmental dangers associated with the constant purchases necessitated by our consumer culture. Staying aware of what we need, why we buy and how we can alter our behavior is key to the changing out own choices as well as those of others. Thinking about limiting consumption makes one realize that there is only an upside to attempting to shift perspectives.

 

Weekly Response 13: consclusions

Write about a specific, broad-reaching "system" that you learned about in this class (either you had never heard of before, had heard of but never contemplated, or knew a little bit about). In whichever case, choose something that stood out and has some relevance to your personal life/interests.

1.) Choose a complicated, far reaching topic (i.e. the carbon cycle, the agro industry, consumerism, biodiversity, Haber Bosh process, evolution, CAFOs, GMOs,... really anything from the class that most profoundly affected your way of looking at the world).

2.) Explain your topic, (give it's history, definition/description, why and if it's controversial, etc.). Then explore what other systems it affects, including your relationship to it.

So if you talk about logging, you might start by talking about a general historical overview, explain what logging is (what's the process), why it's done, pros and cons, and importantly, what are the farther reaching ramifications (or indirect effects) of the logging industry? (erosion/ loss of bio diversity/ reduction in land's capacity to absorb melting ice/ the watertable lowers/ more CO2 in the atmosphere because fewer trees/ on the other hand, it provides jobs, timber, cleared land ready for agriculture or development, etc. Then you can talk about how this may affect your particular community/ family/ self.

Good luck and it's been a pleasure getting to know all of you!

Reed

World Changing Post # 7

Lauren Korany

For my final post, I would like to talk about something that I have personal ties in. The Chapter “Engineer It Yourself” considers the DIY (Do It Yourself) movement happening in America (pg 93). Although the chapter is not lengthy, it still puts into context a very interesting ideal. Every citizen is able to spread their wealth of knowledge (sometimes considered extraneous) with others who may be able to use it for themselves. In the United States, these “engineers” are using the Internet as a tool to collaborate with others and to share their ideas. This sharing and making process has saved people money. Not only that, it takes back the control from large corporations.

Instructables.com is a website that allows people to share their knowledge about DIY projects. I was shocked to find that the website was created by half a dozen MIT PhDs (pg 95). I have visited the website recently to learn how to create a master copy template for a zine project I was working on. My brother visits the site frequently, learning how to create somewhat dangerous science projects. This results in grounding on occasion, but the fact is, his interest in creating for himself is prominent.

My father has the same inclination for DIY creation. He focuses on one hobby and masters it. His knowledge begins purely from instruction books or websites much like instructables.com. Over the years he has mastered creating an outdoor foundry, metal-casting (in the backyard), antique bike repair, canoe and kayak building, fishing boat design, gun restoration (and creation of parts), and paper model building. After doing these things and accumulating the hands-on information, he shares it with others online as well through forums. I find that DIY mentality really allows us to take control of our consumer habits; a very important role in changing the routine shopping we do.

world Changing Response 3 Pete

World Changing Response #3

Collaborative Design Pg. 123

Two things about this article stuck out to me. One, a 3-D design program that automatically tells you the environmental impact of your design choices would be quite nice and very visual (which is good, I, and most designers are, very visual people), but I’ll believe that when I see it. How in the world would you implement this? What would it base its impact analysis on? Would you need to inform it of the context you are designing in? It’s an interesting question, and I would certainly try and give their solution a chance, but something has to be said for a holistic approach to sustainable design on a personal, designer-to-designer level.

The other part that stuck out to me was the portable light project. It stuck in my head not really for its novel use of technology, but that University of Michigan students helped Kennedy design prototypes. Dang it, what happened to projects like this at Michigan Art & Design! It’s sad really this total lack of real world application of art and design that is taught here. You know what concept before construction spells? Starving artist.

World Changing Response 2 Pete

Pete Hall

World Changing Response #2

Understanding Trade Pg. 39

An interesting article, and one which I actually learned! Several things! I did not know that other countries ‘peg’ their own currencies off of the U.S. Dollar, and it was interesting to see how the Chinese yuan being based off of the Dollar, the Yen and the Euro kept their export prices low in our countries. I always knew that China had extremely low labor costs and turned a blind eye to environmental problems caused by their factories, but always wondered why some other country who cared even less about their environment couldn’t try to undercut the Chinese. Well, now I know. No matter what, Chinese imports stay cheap in the States because of this pegging of currencies. It’s an interesting phenomenon.

Also, interesting was that the U.S. is the worlds leading exporter of cotton. Now why the heck would a world power be the leading exporter of cotton? Now, I still don’t quite see the logic, but the U.S. Government (thus the U.S. Taxpayers and the Chinese government loans) pays over 4 billion in subsidies a year to U.S. cotton farmers. Now what I really want to know is why do we do this?

World Changing Response 1 Pete

Pete Hall

World Changing Response #1

Consuming Responsibly Pg. 35

I picked this article from the index because of its title, “Consuming Responsibly”. “Ok,” I thought, “How do I consume responsibly?” After reading the short article (I should have known that consuming responsibly was impossible to cover in 3 pages), I have decided that the article should be titled differently. Perhaps “How to pick environmentally friendly clothing, and a tiny bit about home cleaners” would fit the bill. Or even, “American Apparel and Home Method will save us all” would have worked. As is clear, I had hoped this article would be meatier, really dive in to consuming responsibly, but this is really a fallacy for a 3 page article to holistically look at consuming responsibly. I would really like to read an article on how to design responsibly, maybe “Hot Design is Green Design”. But then if there was a 3 page article on how to design responsibly that actually fully covered responsible design, no one would go to design school!

World Changing #6

Lauren Korany

Continuing on the idea of Biomimicry, Abrams introduces Biomorphism (pg 102). Both subjects use nature as inspiration in different ways. The difference lies in the final creation. Biomimicry uses natures “codes” to create the best functional design whereas; Biomorphism is bases purely on looks and form. As we’ve seen, evolution finds the most functional form for specialized needs. Those forms can be beautiful as well. Biothing is a lab in Columbia University that researches the algorithms to generate form design (very similar to that of NASA’s Biomimicry). The program that generates the codes is called Genware. Genware is able to create pattern intelligence based on natural codes, much like DNA strands. Each product is randomly selected based on variables in the code. Unlike Biomimicry, the code is not constantly readjusted to find the perfect outcome (unless the form is not pleasant). Biothing creates interior design products that interact with the spaces they are put in, rather than being purely utilitarian. Front Design (a Swedish design firm) takes a different approach to Biomorphism. Rather than coding strands to create forms, they use live organisms to create their products. For example, rats gnaw paper to create naturally patterned holes for fabric or wallpaper. They also calculate the flight paths of insects, and transform that pattern into products. Architectural designs have been known to mimic the form of nature as well (pg 105). “The Core” is an educational center in England that is based on the mathematical pattern of sunflower seeds or pinecones. The Milwaukee Art Museum is designed as a bird in flight. The exterior can be “flapped” to control light and heat in the building.

It easily escapes artists that math is often the basis for art. Many times the structures we build are inspired consciously or subconsciously by objects in nature. Those objects are actually based on mathematics. I find this astonishing. Two things come to mind: the Fibonacci sequence and Joshua Davis. The Fibonacci sequence is the basis for items in nature, such as outer ear structures and conch shells. Joshua Davis is a contemporary artist who generates code to create his art pieces. His process almost parallels that of Genware. He sets the variables for symbols he wants to use in his piece and the code will generate multiple prints based on the same sets of codes (with altered positions of the variables). Both the mathematics sequence and the artist tie together in these subjects.

A link to Joshua Davis’ work is here

World Changing #5

Lauren Korany

Biomimicry is the act of transforming the successful principles of nature into successful functional design. It is referred to as Bionics in Europe (pg 99). Buckminster Fuller was the first to propose nature as an inspirational mentor to teach green design and Janine Benyus carried out the idea to the public in her book Biomimicry.

Nature has redesigned for thousands of years, even before humans have existed, and therefore has a wealth of knowledge on sustainability. The Earth has solutions that we can learn from. It is a “model, measure, and mentor”. If we look at specialized organisms, we can find specific traits that can be pulled into product design. Nature should be treated as a partner, rather than being exploited for its resources (pg 100). An example of this can be seen in NASA’s design for the spaceship antennae (pg 100-101). The idea of the final antennae as evolved, rather than designed in one process. NASA set up algorithms of code, re-coded and tested for different combinations, and tweaked each strand randomly to get the best antenna. This complicated process is much like a condensed natural selection process.

Other examples are “Gecko Tape” and “Lotusan” (pg 101). Gecko Tape was inspired by the adhesive microstructures in the feet of Geckos. They are able to walk on all surfaces and leave no residue behind. By studying their make-up, scientists were able to create a tape with the same features. For Lotusan, ISPO (a German design company) decided to study the make-up of a lotus flower petal to better design their products. The lotus flower lives in swamps but somehow remains clean. When studying the petals closely, they were able to see that they contain small ridges that make dirt slip off in the rain. ISPO designed their building exteriors, car exteriors, paints, and shingles with the same feature because the lotus flower inspired them.

Using these techniques are an instinct of human nature at a certain degree. However, it is a great idea to be mindful of what nature can teach through specialization. Evolution has “weeded-out” the specialized species that could not survive in modern environments. I want to incorporate the functional side of nature in my artwork in the future. If you think about it, all of the issues you may come up with have been solved by nature in some form.

World Changing #4

Lauren Korany

Abrams speaks of the effect of different protest groups (pg 450). Since the 1960s, protest has been a prominent part on changing the established systems of society. In modern times, the Internet has become a powerful tool to set up protest. A familiar group that uses this tool is the Culture Jammers, with Lasn being the prime representative. The Culture Jammers use the Internet and propaganda posters to mimic those of large commercial advertising. An issue with budgeting is present in the group. Do they have enough money to “saturate society” with images like commercial advertising benefits from? The answer is no, but they seem to be reaching a large number of people, and continues with the snowballing effect.

The Day after Tomorrow is a sci-fi action thriller that addresses extreme global warming. In 2004, this was a large attraction in the media. The movie was able to bring the issues of global warming to the Americans in their entertainment. Some were worried about the radical tone of the movie. However, it was effective with its message.

Artists have been able to use protest in their creations. Product designers are creating robodogs, soil testing shoes and mutant babies (pg 453). The “Feral Robotic Dogs” and “Soil Sampling Shoes” test the environment in public. Bansky, a popular graffiti artist from the UK, is known as an “art terrorist.” His work protests the issues with “Big Brother” in English society. His work plays on the roles of civilians and authority as well. Theatre of the Oppressed is a theatre group that specializes in diverse games and interactive theatre techniques. They teach the oppressed citizens how to understand their rights. By taking part in activities with the group, the citizens learn of the law-making processes, allowing them to better understand their unalienable rights. All of these groups are striving for environmental and social change that is critical for the future.

Weekly Response 12: ECOCIDE

Of the eight forms of ECOcide that Diamond talks about across examples of past failed societies, choose one to discuss in depth. Bring up as many specific examples of it both in the book as well as contemporary examples you see happening. One paragraph is acceptable as long as you're concise and coherent.

Good luck getting everything else done!

-R

World Changing #3

Lauren Korany

In my previous post, China’s impact on the environment was a major issue when considering their upcoming placement in the world market. For this post, I want to focus on Abram’s description of The Barefoot College (pg 359). The Barefoot College was established in 1972, in Tilonia, an extremely poor state in Rajasthan, India. The Social Work Research Center planned to be created in the vacant buildings of the area. Urban Professionals and graduate students in India came in assuming that they would alleviate the property. They began to work with the locals to find out the best processes to handle the environment. The oral “uneducated” knowledge that the locals shared shocked the urban professionals. The combination of book-smarts and practical knowledge created a beneficial partnership. The SWRC was converted into The Barefoot College. Education for sustainability was the primary focus of the college.

Those who attend graduate to become solar engineers, hand-pump mechanics, groundwater experts, teachers, and midwives. An important component to the college is the fact that woman and children are able to get an education. Women are not limited to graduate as caregivers or midwives, but can become engineers. However, the trained midwives and health care workers have supplied 200 village health clinics in India with basic medicine that was previously unavailable. Children are able to attend school at night. Many of the children, especially girls, are unable to receive and education during the day due to their livestock and home care chores. The children learn practical knowledge about their daily chores as well as core classes (math, language) to learn to serve the community.

The college is run on solar power, biomass for renewable energy, water from rainwater, and a dripping irrigation system in the trees. This is a great example of how a sustainable structure was able to support itself and benefit the environment and communities. A wonderful part of this is the way the centers spread throughout 13 states in India. If China ever looked into this kind of sustainability, it would be a neutralizer and eventually a replacement for the practices they are partaking in now.

World Changing #2

Lauren Korany

In the chapter “Understanding Trade”, Abrams addresses the role of China in our global market. China is rapidly becoming the “world’s factory” (pg 41). We have seen the same argument in Collapse, as it is a very relevant one. China creates 13? Of the global economic output, its economy is twice that of Japan’s, and Wal-Mart imports most of its inventory (70%) from China. Let’s think about Wal-Mart’s slogan, “rolling back prices”… there is a reason why the goods the company sells are so cheap. It is obvious to most of us that it is directly tied to the country of exporting goods. However, there are two specific reasons of why the goods are so cheap. The first deals with currency valuation (pg 42). China’s Yuan has been “floating” and was not at a fixed rate equivalent to the U.S. dollar or the Euro. The price of buying and making goods was inexpensive. The second reason is labor costs, one that we are more familiar with hearing. The labor costs are considered extremely low on U.S. terms. In the U.S., labor jobs receive hundreds of dollars per month, but this is not the case for Chinese workers. The other issue is the unregulated working conditions. Certain groups are not allowed to work in the city, such as rural inhabitants. So in order to work, they do it under illegal supervision and are paid as cheaply as possible. They do not complain because they technically would have no job if it weren’t for the illegal factories.

The low prices China give the world sacrifices the environment. China is a large contributor to sweatshop labor. An example of sweatshop-free sourcing is from Lesotho. The export garments to the U.S. retailers such as Levi Strauss and GAP. The country was able to improve its environment during this working change. Yet, as China becomes more prominent in the international garment market, it is expected that their contribution will swell from 20% to 40% (pg 44). Countries will buy from China because they will remain cheaper. Issues will arise with the condition that the production places on the environment. It is a frightening issue, and we must come to solutions quickly before we cannot step back from the market when it gets out of control.

WR Prompt 11: Comparing Disaster Zones

Think about an issue in your personal life/history that required a critical decision. What about that particular situation made the decision a hard one to make? How did your solution differ from another potential reaction and how different would the results have been had you chosen that other reaction?

* * *

Diamond discusses the issues of contemporary Montanan society and posits that it is a helpful example when reflecting on the pre-Collapse period of past societies faced with similar challenges. Do you agree that Montana's issues (choose at least 1 below to discuss) resemble the challenges that led to the downfall of past societies? How are they, or their surrounding circumstances, similar or different? Finally, what in your opinion are the crucial things a society must consider, admit, discuss, and ultimately take action on in order to overcome it's problems? For example, could Montanans just continue to turn a blind eye to the toxic waste from its mines or allow unsustainable logging/ agricultural practices and still survive?

1) Increasing population, 2)immigration, 3) increasing scarsity & decreasing quality of water, 4) locally & seasonally poor air quality, 5) toxic wastes, 6)increased risk of wildfires (or other human activity-induced natural disasters), 7)forest deterioration, 8) loss of soil or its nutrients, 9) loss of biodiversity/ damage from introduced pest species, 10) the effects of climate change.

Be sure to discuss Diamond's concepts of the 8 kinds of Ecocide as well as specific examples from Ch. 1 and the other chapter you choose.

WR Prompt 10: break up or make up?

For this post I want you to brainstorm 4 lists:

The first two are simply a honest, contemplative, and thorough list of the advantages and disadvantages of the role of the "corporate media" in our personal lives/ society at large. It's like when you know you have to break up with your boyfriend/ girlfriend but aren't sure why:) Minimum 10 each, maximum ??? This doesn't have to be complete sentences (unless it's necessary to explain nuances) but can be an itemized list.

A1- PROs
B1- CONs

Discuss your associations & the (direct and indirect) ramifications you see in each item of both lists.
This can be a list of various elements: associations (metaphors or more literal connections), emotional responses (rage/ indifference/ satisfaction, etc.), and a full consideration of the consequences (self-image, financial empowerment, exploitation,

A2- Associations & ramifications (direct and indirect) of the PROs
B2- Associations & ramifications (direct and indirect) of the CONs

You have plenty of ammunition supplied by Lasn and our discussions (albeit mostly on the negative side). Watching "The Corporation" will supply you with more. I want you to draw from these sources, (putting Lasn or whatever other source you reference in parentheses next to items that are direct references to his terminology- i.e. if you mention "infotoxins" or "jolts"), but ultimately these lists will reflect your take on the role of the corporate media in your lives. Write a section at the end summing up your conclusions. You might be leaning towards one bias or another, or maybe it's a mixed picture where you're split. Explain what going through this list/association made you think of; how did it solidify or destabilize your opinion of the corporation? Do you need to need to let him go or are you still in love? Or are there serious changes that need to happen to ensure trust and sustainability? enough with the relationship metaphor... go for it!

http://www.thecorporation.com/

WR 7,8

Here there is a picture of my four-square prompt; it represents the cognitive functions of every person that wrote on this sheet of paper. Here's how it goes. Everything becomes sedated with one another. That's all I know. And it's by far the most intrenching post I have been able to get access towards. The first square undoubtedly unfolds to us some kind of incongruence between states of mind of this person. He/she thinks of a triangle when he/she hears the word "tick". As well, the issue of filtering becomes apparent because he/she doesn't seem to understand what the image constitutes of. Secondly, as we proceed to the other, more elegant picture of this drawer, it seems that this drawer doesn't seem to acknowledge shape when it comes to drawing well. This means that he/she probably hates to use detail when regarding shape; simply he/she doesn't regard the use of these shapes as important. Importance comes at a cost. Regarding whoever did the second bunch of words, it seems perfection is kept wisely at bay. This person tries to establish a sense a belonging with the viewer - seeks to connect his/her experience with the viewer. He or she tries to establish a sense of security. Under scrutiny, this person relevantly chooses to not mention horrific details of the gore; rather, he or she decides to establish a sense of belonging and a sense of familiarity by doting the word "Meijer" on the image.

For the third image, the shapes are relevant to the issue, yet vague in that they don't really capture the essence of familiarity. For example, the shapes are very detailedly drawn, which is a good sign that whoever made this intended to get a good representation of the ideological demonstration circulating within his or her mind. Reed made a mention to "Medicine". This represents his or her view of such thing; therefore, it is hard to tell whether he or she intended for the viewer to feel anything regarding this issue. It also raises the question: how does his or her mind evaluate subjects to get a clear composure on the meaning of intelligence?

The meaning of intelligence raises a powerful awareness of things like racism, discrimination within the mind. This discrimination within itself is a large topic to seek. To communicate with somebody about this issue is a highly stifled topic in today's society. Today's society relies on racism or other things like the discrimination of minds and the highly intelligent. Neuroscientists tailor their research statements to only the privileged. Therefore, it is the highly privileged in society that demonstrate a crave for such matters. This bases it's publication on societal themes regarding brilliance and the sought-after intellectual. The elusive intellectual. The intellectual whose mind is shunned from the rest of the world because of hatred towards this intellectual stereotype. It raises awareness about how this society seeks to evolve - when it does so, and how everyone around this political figure seeks to mesmerize things like ambiguity.

Shortly put, this stereotype and succinct fear of intellectuals seeks to diminish intellectuals' identities itself. However morbid, it is consequential.

The fourth and last cuticle contains words written by me. Sometimes I don't understand or comprehend how these things come into being. These images that were drawn were a little bit out of the ordinary. On there there is not reference to any of the above. None of it. Rather, it is an analytical voice and compensation for the knowledgeably devoid. It is decrepit, imaginative, forceful, and anxiety-ridden. It's just like that. Spontaneous, perhaps.

WR Prompt 9: YOUR Authentic Act

In the section “Spring” Lasn provides an alternative to “living in the mediacy,” showing that there is a revolutionary legacy from which contemporary culture jammers, Situationalists, Meme Warriors, and other dissident groups have drawn both strength and example. The driving force to live as not the “object but as the subject of the story” may seem counteractive, ridiculous, and even hypocritical to some of you. To others these spontaneous acts of defiance represent courageous, righteous, and necessary mentality.

1) Present me with two examples of these authentic acts: one that you agree with, support, or could even imagine taking part in; another that you oppose, that doesn’t seem worth it to you, or are even offended by. Present each of these, referencing the page or section that discusses it, and give a thorough explanation of your choices. Support your arguments (your feelings) with evidence, (past examples from Lasn, or any other material from lecture, Diamond, Leopold, discussion, or your own lives).

2) Is there an authentic act you could imagine taking part of? What context/ issue/ conditions would you agree to and, more importantly, what outcome would you be aiming for?

3) Finally discuss briefly the need (if any) for defiant/ revolutionary/ protesting forces in society (whether or not it is you personally rebelling). What does these whistle blowers accomplish? Do we think more critically because of them? Do they contribute to our ‘education’? (Informing people of the ecological footprint of their consumer habits). Do they achieve justice? (uncovering or bringing to justice wrongs of the government, corporations, or other powerful entities)?

World Changing Post #7

Art Meets Technology- Page 96

Rebecca Tulis

For my last response, I chose to read Art Meets Technology. I thought that this article was about how today’s technology is created with the help of the art. I was to find out that that wasn’t the case and it was more about how artists are using technology to create works of art that are able to change people’s perceptions.These works of art are not just a way to commentate on society but to strive for environmental awareness.

The article uses the example of a “hug shirt,” a shirt that allows one to feel the warmth and comfort of a hug. The “hug shirt” is a creative idea that allows a person to feel happier. However, another example used makes more of a statement is the game “Disaffected!” This game was made for the player to control employees and deal with problems that may come his or her way. But most of all it was made to send a message about consumption. Finally, the article referred to two different examples that promote environmental awareness. The first one is a recording device that has to do with a person’s environment and how they are interacting with it. This is a good way to allow someone to have more of a connection with his or her environment. The other example is Carbon- sniffing robot that essentially reads carbon dioxide levels in a room. It shows us the reality of how we are poisoning our air.

Reading about art and technology, I have come to the conclusion that while technology can be important to the way we lives our lives, it is up to the artists of the world to make statements about society and communicate it. Some look down on technology for how it has hurt our environment but sometimes it is necessary in order to inform the world of our mistakes.

Steffen, Alex. World Changing: A User's Guider for the 21st Century. New York: Abrams, 2008

World Changing Post #6

Conserving Water- Page 187

Rebecca Tulis

I chose to read the article entitled Conserving Water because the conservation of water is an issue I know of but don’t necessarily think about too often. The article talked about how little changes in one’s home can make a huge difference. For instance, the idea of a more efficient shower and low-flow toilet can be utilized in order to conserve. The article also expressed how important it is to know where the used water goes after it is used and use that knowledge to recycle it.

Recycling the water we bathe in can ultimately reduce the amount of water we waste each day. What I found to be beneficial to recycling one’s shower water is the fact that we don’t have to worry how much water we are using during our showers. I find it interesting that there are such products out there that when the water goes down a drain, it is immediately cleaned and therefore can be reused. However, I don’t understand why people are unaware of technologies that can make such a huge difference. I feel that while money may be a concern, if more people were aware of what they can do to redesign their homes in order to conserve water, they would make more of an effort to do so.

ReHOUSE/BATH is a program made to help people realize how much water they are using and therefore conserve. Programs like these can make people aware of the importance of water conservation but I believe that little acts like using a low-flow water fixture could make a world of difference if more people were to apply them to their homes.

Steffen, Alex. World Changing: A User's Guider for the 21st Century. New York: Abrams, 2008

WR: 7 + 8

WR: 7 + 8

Paul DiStefano

It was very interesting the way everyone responded to this exercise. Most people responded very similarly in their drawings. The reason I think this is because of the same media we are all exposed to everyday. This is the “brainwashing” that Lasn talks about. We are all exposed to the same icons and logos that are constantly forced into our heads. It is only natural in this day and age that these images would be brought up just from general words and phrases.
However there were still many differences in our reactions to this exercise. The reason I think that we still responded differently is because we are all art students. We are the young creative minds of our future that can break away from that brainwashing and look at things a different way. We have the power to take something and run with it, we don’t let the advertisements and media control what we think. Even though we are still being controlled in a way, I feel that we can use it against itself knowing how the common consumer thinks. We take that and using our knowledge of advertising we can go in a direction that brings about a better reaction than that of the media.
The most interesting response on my specific paper is on the last box, where we described what we thought of from a drawn line. The drawn line was in a shape of a tree. Most people would have written down “tree”, but not this person. This person wrote down “tree shaped Christmas cookie.” This goes to show, and is a great example of how creative minds think. Since it was a very generic tree icon, almost everyone would just think of a tree. There are not many options with that shape. However, instead of this person thinking of a tree when seeing the icon, it was put in a less obvious, more realistic response. A tree shaped Christmas cookie is more realistic because it is actually the shape of that icon, instead of an actual tree that looks very little like that icon.
We can chose to think what we actually do and want to think, or we can give in to the brainwashing that occurs constantly from our media. This exercise and this book is a good wake up call to how we are being controlled, and as art students we need to think for ourselves because we are the creative minds that can build our future.

Thabiso Mhlaba Automatist #7 + 8

Interestingly enough the four people arranged the first set of images into a face. As I was passing papers along I was noticing that a lot of the things drawn were very similar to the images that i saw in my mind but that there were also a number that seemed totally strange to me. This made me think that possibly the psychological cues that we all respond to are different based on how we live. Something that would reaffirm this notion of cults that we have discussed in class. The cults that we each might belong to unknowingly decide how we will respond to certain objects. However the fact that four people are artists might not fit in so well with the cult idea, or perhaps we are a cult with no predetermined cues. Artists by nature think outside what would be the obvious for most people. So we all respond to cues differently from each other which is what would explain the parts that don't make sense to me. Its the same reason why some people would've thought one drawing was a table instead of a clamp. Or why something was a star or an intersection. But as such we also will adapt this extraordinary ideas to existing ones. Which is why the focus of the first panel moved away from being seperate drawings of individual objects into the creation of one object with multiple elements.
Inclusion into a cult is not optional. It is something that is decided by your environment. The only people who exist outside of the consumerist cults that Lasn mentions are those who have lived in exclusion from urban society or rather 1st world society. Its difficult to put a date on the cults that Lasn speaks of because human beings have always been existing in communities. We are social by nature and as such form groups with people with similar personalities and ideals. All that consumerism does is market to these specific groups and attempt to define the beliefs of those groups. However I would argue that those beliefs existed before the markets for them. I don't believe that the images shown in the exercise are any real indication of consumerism because we have been studying the topic and are more aware of the forces at work to manipulate peoples behavior we have become a bit more resistant to those forces.
Such would be in agreement with DaDa principles. We do not wish to be categorized and lumped in with the rest of the consumers in the world. So we purposely ignore the first image that may come to our mind hoping to fight the jolts and subliminal messaging. I myself found myself viewing the exercise as simply a chance to draw more and I wasn't really worried about the relation that what I drew had with the words on the board. Maybe that was a programmed reaction of my Artist cult its difficult to know. But it leaves me with the question that if these cults really do exist how does one define them and determine which one they are in? Because surely human beings are diverse enough that we all have multiple feelings on multiple issues and very rarely share ALL the same views that someone else has. Even with in the group of artists we argue over the most basic topic there is "What is art?"
Maybe cults don't really exist we just think they do because we subconciously aim to belong to one.

"Ryan Thurmer’s Automatist Excercise"

WR:7&8

There’s something very confining about having the total freedom to respond to words or images in a 2in x 2in square piece of paper. All but one of the squares on my sheet appear to be in a list form starting from the top left corning and meandering their way down. I did this because of the unknown amount of words or symbols I would have to respond to, to save space in my 2’’x2’’ box. Perhaps though we were all just taught uniformly in our ways of communicating with pen and paper. This uniformity, though, offers a balanced symmetry for us to work with, as can be see in the left two squares. Though they many not have a direct connection to meaning their composition fits together almost like a two puzzle pieces.The right two squares are connected conceptually and compositionally. And exclamation of “OUCH!” which graphically points down to a container labeled “Rx” and a hand reaching out which takes the eye back up to “OUCH!”. This could be conceived as a message about out pain tolerance and what we do when we get the slightest injury. Instead of drinking water to get rid of a head ache, we take a few Tylenol, the cycle continues.
Now what are the influences of consumerism on our choices of what to write or draw? Again I believe the right and left side are separated here. The top left square has mostly geometric symbols, and a few organic forms. I can’t see a link to consumerism in her choice to draw these symbols but consumerism could be a factor in whomever looks at these and associates a circle with an iPod’s click wheel, or the zig-zag shape with a zipper, and so on. Below are the words written after presented with shapes: “ magnet/macaroni, sea creature, cannon/rooster, x, mouse.” The associations between these words and their image counterparts is part of a survival skill (know your environment and be able to identify it, size it up, and choose to stay or run away). My environment is full of images from past, present, and future environments many things I’ve never even used, or know much about came to mind (like the cannon). The right side I believe is directly related to media, comic books, graphics on the television and internet, give us images of what pain looks like on paper (“OUCH!”), and what healing looks like. We see thousands of symbols everyday (much like the trigger mechanism we’ve been discussing: you see, you do...) and I’m not so sure if ouch is the natural exclamation of pain, perhaps that has been programed into us from day one. Again the symbol for medication: here is the literal symbol for medication, a pill bottle with “Rx” on the label. How many of us know the where the symbol “Rx” comes from or what it even means, yet we use that as a reference, and people understand what we’re referencing.
Though our intentions, and responses may have been involuntarily the “first things to come to mind” they may not be all that natural, and perhaps we have a lot more subconscious media influenced relationships with images and words that we thought.