World Changing Post #3

Bright Green Consumerism pg 81

Rebecca Tulis

The article about Bright Green Consumerism talks about the importance of using green products and getting the word about these products out in the world for other people to take part in. They use the example of a golf ball-cleaning machine that uses less energy and how while it is a risk to try and sell it, it could actually become a hit if one person were to use it and find it to be both sustainable and have good quality. The fact of the matter is, we, as consumers are constantly looking for the best object and pay whatever is needed to be more sustainable.

The article basically says that it is the consumers who have the most power and who can or cannot help our environment. We can buy the higher priced material that serves our environment or we can spread the word about these certain products so others will use it and therefore be more environmentally conscious.

Bright Green Consumerism reminds me of the hybrid industry. One of the main reasons people buy a hybrid is to feel better about themselves and so they can know that they are making a difference. One person may buy a hybrid SUV thinking that they are serving the environment when they could have easily just bought a small car. In a way, we are persuaded into buying these “sustainable” products because others are buying it and if others like it then so will we. We also want to feel better about ourselves and a way to do this is to drive a hybrid, no matter if it can make a real difference or not.

Even if a product proves to be green or not, it is all about how we, as consumers, bring it out into the world. The way to get the greener products out into the world is to buy it and express the importance of using it over something else. As it is said in the article, “We have the power to use our money and influence on others to support companies that are making better stuff.”

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

World Changing Post #2

The Barefoot College pg 359

Rebecca Tulis

I chose to read the article about the Barefoot College because it was something I simply never heard of before. From its name alone, I thought the Barefoot College was a society that educates impoverished people. I soon found out that the Barefoot College is just that. It is a community-centered organization that focuses on becoming more developed and environmentally conscious. The organization started in a small, poor village called Tilonia. Over 200 villages in India are becoming more sustainable and are gaining a new knowledge about their environment and how to protect it.

What I found the most interesting about the barefoot college was its completely sustainable campus. Solar power is the main source of electricity and they have special water systems that clean out the water. People are trained to specialize in a certain subject and from there they may become a solar power engineer, a wa­­­ter system mechanic or even a chemist. I never knew these programs existed and I was really interested in how people living in these poor areas have the opportunity to not only contribute to their community but gain an education that would help them designate a career for themselves.

These small villages are becoming efficient communities in which each person contributes through his or her job and at the same time he or she helping the environment. The Barefoot College hopes to make the lives of these villagers easier. We are constantly thriving to make our lives more enjoyable and learn as much as we can about the world. However, while we do this, we may not be as sustainable as we could be. The Barefoot College strives to become more developed just like we do but does it in a way that doesn't negatively affect our environment.

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

KRisten Zelenka World Changing Response #4

Kristen Zelenka
World Changing #4

For my fourth response to World Changing, I decided to read an article entitled “Healing Polluted Land.” I chose this article because in lecture today we touched upon brown fields, which I learned are industrially contaminated areas in urban areas that can not be used anymore due to the pollution.

The article discussed that on the cutting edge of the Green Revolution is the process called “bioremediation” which is an organic process that involves the absorption of contaminants by plants who then process and release them into nonhazardous components (250). The plan is to grow plants in these brown fields and then let nature take its course in cleansing them. In order to make neighborhoods better, we need to take the worst possible aspects of them replace them with the best things we can imagine (250).

Mushrooms are part of a cleansing process called mycoremediation and work as great biological filters. They “can remediate soil and sediment contaminated by heavy oils petroleum products, pesticides, alkaloids, polychlorinated biphenyls, and even E. coli” (251). In areas that they were introduced, they were revitalized the soil and brought flowers and wildlife back.

If we can fully adopt this practice in the run down areas of our cities we can revive them and make them better than they ever have been. I agree with the article that it is very important to learn from our past and not completely cover-up our mistakes. Duisburg, Germany is a perfect example of keeping history visible despite its harsher aesthetics. You can still see the decayed factories and tanks while walking though the park on winding paths. I believe that this is an easy practice to be implemented into all of our cities and that it should be done so as soon as possible.

Meghan Schwend World Changing Post #3

World Changing Response #3

Meghan Schwend

Green Roofs and Green Facades (Page 256-257 of World Changing)

In cities, space is limited and so are places of outdoor recreation that are abundant in the suburbs. One solution to this, is building green roofs on flat-topped buildings. When planted with grass, these roofs can be used for gardening, playing in, and anything else that one would do with a backyard. This gives city-dwellers a significant amount of added space and freedom. In addition to improving life from a recreational standpoint, green roofs defend their respective buildings against harmful UV damaging UV rays, not to mention creating oxygen. These roofs can be low maintenance when planted with indigenous plants that are appropriate for the climate. No added water source is needed in most cases; the foliage is watered by rainfall.

Much like green roofs, green facades protect the building’s exterior surfaces by blocking UV rays. Climbing ivies, supported by trellises can grow anywhere on a building, aesthetically improving the building’s exterior. In addition to these, green facades can lower homeowner’s cooling bills by acting as an added layer of insulation.

Green roofs and facades are two relatively easy ways that homeowners and city building owners can improve the aesthetics of their structures. Both work in ways beneficial to the environment to improve human’s quality of life. Green roofs give tenants an extra living space to enjoy, while green facades naturally regulate homeowner’s home temperatures. I believe that in the near future, dense cities worldwide will understand the benefits of these to green practices and will implement them in future building designs, as well as use them in already erected structures.

Meghan Schwend World Changing Post #2

World Changing Post #2

Meghan Schwend

The LifeStraw (page 208 of World Changing)

One product that has the potential to change the lives of those living in developing countries is the LifeStraw. Clean water is a human necessity that is not always available to those living in poverty. The result of this is diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, and cholera. All of these serious diseases can be easily prevented by a simple, inexpensive water filtration system. This is where the LifeStraw comes in.

This LifeStraw is a tube that can be placed directly into the water source (i.e. lakes, rivers, and water channels) and used like a straw. The tainted water is sucked up through a system of filters to the user’s mouth. The first filter used gets all of the large sediment and bacteria clusters out of the way. The next step has iodine-filled beads that kill the smaller viruses, parasites and bacteria, such as E.coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Enterococuss, and staphylococcus aureus. The last part of the filtration system is granulated carbon that kills any remaining impurities as well as neutralizes the smell of iodine from the second chamber.

What is so innovative about this product is its availability and cost. One LifeStraw and be used for about two years and costs only $4. That is as much as four bottles of water cost in the U.S. The availability to those who need the LifeStraw most is just as innovative as its simple, yet effective design. I have a lot of confidence that this filtration device will drastically change the lives of people of developing countries.

World Changing Post # 5

By: Ling Jie Gu

It seems as though, based on what we have talked about in lecture, many environmental systems are on the verge of collapse. To restore these systems, many environmental groups are on the verge of elaborate dissonance when it comes to issues regarding policy or political environmentalism. For instance, when president Obama vowed to restore America’s lead as the user of cleaner energy, he received many acts of dissonance and outrage from other factions of the party. It’s not that these members of the party are naysayers; it merely means these “naysayers” are attempting to formulate the political system in a way that helps everyone understand what preserving the environment essentially means in terms of economic growth, foreign policy, domestic income, self-preservation, etc.

It seems that since these naysayers attempt to understand what exactly has been happening over the past few years regarding the important aspects of environmental policy-making, it’s also important for them to realize that environmentalism isn’t only confined to the “green crowd” – rather, it sharply refers to different aspects of the ways of doing things in people’s minds.

It is then ultimately understandable if a person is adamant about an issue that he or she believes strongly about. However, this issue isn’t confined to merely the classroom, or his or her own interests. It really helps people understand the fact that these people merely wish to understand the world around them and briefly want to be assisted in a way by others. Communication has incredible power. One must understand his or her actions in the context of their surroundings. When the surroundings are on the verge of collapsing from an eco-imbalance, many humans – me included – feel potential remorse at the potential loss of what is around us, for it matters whether they are or are not good.

World Changing Post #4

By: Ling Jie Gu

As food changes for the consumers’ demands, humans change along with it to better adapt to the new sustainable foods that are grown in vast amounts. The saying: “You are what you eat” really helps to explain a lot of issues regarding outcry over genetically modified organisms, the use of pesticides, fertilizers, farmland drainage, and thus the relationship between humans and the natural explicit details of everything.

For industrialized countries that are more suited to mass-production, third-world countries are comparatively less able to deal with food crisis. This is why the UN is so scared over global warming and the issue of food species not being able to be grown in the same place due to some radical change in climate. These countries have a lot more lives at stake and are consequently much less stable (both politically, economically, and population-wise).

This is why the UN is so anxious too over humanitarian rights imposed upon the richest of nations; the richest nations ought to be a good starting point to base a system on. They are model nations for the poorest of the poorest nations. Thus, it is then essential for countries like China to industrialize using correct methodology. Thus, it is also reasonable for China or India or South Korea to adopt practices used by sophisticated countries like America or continental unions like the EU.

It is therefore smart to say that one case of industrialization indicates that in such countries, some people are sometimes cautious in their ways of thinking about other practices. I think tradition might be a high priority. Therefore, sometimes it takes longer for people to understand why certain methods work and certain methods don’t. Either way, it’s not to say that all Chinese are useless or stupid. Merely, it’s just an element that I observed regarding international relations.

World Changing Post #1

World Changing Post#1

Understanding Trade

Rebecca Tulis

When I use a certain object, I never really think where did this come from or how did it get here? Reading the excerpt called Understanding Trade gave me some important insight into the world of globalization. It was after World War II, when people decided that in order to rid the economy of an economic depression, countries needed to depend on each other for materials. Globalization seemed to have solved all our problems because supplies became more and more available.

What were most interesting about this essay were its references to sweatshops and the leading exporter, China. While Globalization seems beneficial to our society, we wonder how ethical this whole system is. Workers, in China have to work long days for low pay in sweatshops. However, some nations advertise themselves as companies who do not rely on sweatshops.

I always see cargo ships and not only wonder what are in the huge metal containers but I wonder where this ship has been on its long journey to deliver its materials. Shipping materials have proven to be successful because it is a very cheap process that can move a lot of cargo. However, environmentally the shipping industry is not a good way to go about globalization. For instance, ships could have oil spills, dump polluted water and release a lot of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.

It is easy to say that Globalization has changed our society for the better but there are still parts of it that need to be changed. Even so, if we rid the world of sweatshops or find an environmentally safe way to transport goods, trading can still pose a lot of problems. Problems that we, in a wealthy society are invisible to us because we don’t have to work in sweatshops and materials are practically given to us by poorer nations.

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

World Changing Post #7

World Changing Post #7

Alyssa Olson

Doing The Right Thing Can Be Delicious

This article began by going over the fast food society that we currently live in. Very few people buy fresh items at the store and take them home to cook every night. Most of us live hectic lives that force us to rely on fast food products. Despite the high number of calories in these foods they also are drenched with chemicals and preservatives that can cause a number of health problems. The U.S. uses a large amount of fossil fuels to produce these products and we have an abundance of food yet people are still starving in our country.

The slow food movement was created to help combat these issues. The slow food movement aims to support local farmers and producers and most of all to have people slow their lives down and take time to make their food. The slow food movement is reminiscent of the times when you would have friends and family over to cook and entertain in the kitchen, learning new recipes, and enjoying the fruits of your local venue. This movement has been adapted in over 40 countries and seems to have a large standing in Ann Arbor.

The article then went on to talk about sustainable farming, this type of farming uses 30% less fossil fuels than regular farming. It also produces foods that are organic and free from chemicals and pesticides. Sustainable farming is also very good on the land. By rotating crops and tilling the soil the land thrives and actually stands up better in floods and droughts than regular farms.

This article caught my attention because at my job we buy all local produce and also are part of the slow food movement. Almost every ingredient we use is homemade and most people can really taste the difference. The idea of sustainable farming is great and maybe if the government, either local or federal, gave an incentive to farmers to go sustainable and organic then more would join in and we would help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

World Changing Post #6

Alyssa Olson

World Changing Response #6

Landscaping

This chapter focused on the modern landscaping of our yards. The article began by discussing the issues that surround a yard full of grass. First off grass is an invasive plant that absorbs everything around it. Grass sucks out all of the water that touches it and also usually doesn’t allow much of anything to grow in or around it. Many people spend countless hours and tons of money just to keep their lawn in order and looking presentable.

There are many options as to what you can do to your lawn that doesn’t involve the average grass we are used to. Some people decide to pave their lawns, which isn’t exactly the best option but still requires low maintenance. Others spread wild grass seed on their lawns, which allows a variety of different grasses and flowers to bloom, ones that don’t require a lot of time or upkeep. Others choose to plant a garden. This option allows you to have a wide range of plants that are different heights, sizes and best of all will provide you with food for the year. Planting a garden instead of grass allows your yard to take on a new persona and lets you learn about organic gardening and seasonal trends. Although this approach has not yet gained widespread popularity I believe that with time people may begin to see the advantages of having a garden over a lawn.

I enjoyed this article because it seems to be one of the simpler ways to go “green” and to reduce your impact on your surroundings, yet it is one of the easiest to do too. I like the idea of not having your yard sectioned off and orderly but rather allowing nature to thrive and survive like it was designed to. The best part of doing this would be the large amount of produce that you would gain from the garden. Instead of letting the yard take us over we would finally reverse the relationship and be able to get something out of our yards.

World Changing Post #1

World Changing Post #1

Meghan Schwend

October 11, 2009

Page 119 of World Changing

In green production, it is essential to consider the whole life cycle of a product, rather than only making the production of the object sustainable. That is why designing for disassembly is crucial to the green movement. One solid example of this is pop-apart cell phones. Typically, after use, when a cell phone is discarded, it is shredded, rather than taken apart to be recycled. This adds up to tons of waste that will only increase in the coming years as cell phones become more readily available to people world-wide.

One developing feature, prototyped by Nokia, allows for used phones to be popped apart in two seconds so that its parts can be recycled. To disassemble a regular phone, it would take two minutes of someone disassembling it, which costs more to do than to simply shred the phone. To make recycling cost efficient, the Nokia prototype employs special polymers and alloys that change shapes when heated to an optimal temperature with a laser. This unthreads the screws, opening the case, exposing the circuit board.

One possible pitfall in this design would be accidental heat activation that pops the phone apart when still in use. With this in mind, the phone is designed so that the heat needed to disassemble the phone is 140-300 degrees Fahrenheit; a high enough threshold so that the phone can be left in a hot car without consequences.

Hopefully, the innovative pop-apart cell phone will be a trend that other commonly used electronics will follow regarding the end of its use. This concept, if widely practiced, can prevent massive waste and encourage sustainable production.

World Changing Post #1

World Changing Post #1

Meghan Schwend

October 11, 2009

Page 119 of World Changing

In green production, it is essential to consider the whole life cycle of a product, rather than only making the production of the object sustainable. That is why designing for disassembly is crucial to the green movement. One solid example of this is pop-apart cell phones. Typically, after use, when a cell phone is discarded, it is shredded, rather than taken apart to be recycled. This adds up to tons of waste that will only increase in the coming years as cell phones become more readily available to people world-wide.

One developing feature, prototyped by Nokia, allows for used phones to be popped apart in two seconds so that its parts can be recycled. To disassemble a regular phone, it would take two minutes of someone disassembling it, which costs more to do than to simply shred the phone. To make recycling cost efficient, the Nokia prototype employs special polymers and alloys that change shapes when heated to an optimal temperature with a laser. This unthreads the screws, opening the case, exposing the circuit board.

One possible pitfall in this design would be accidental heat activation that pops the phone apart when still in use. With this in mind, the phone is designed so that the heat needed to disassemble the phone is 140-300 degrees Fahrenheit; a high enough threshold so that the phone can be left in a hot car without consequences.

Hopefully, the innovative pop-apart cell phone will be a trend that other commonly used electronics will follow regarding the end of its use. This concept, if widely practiced, can prevent massive waste and encourage sustainable production.