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.