Reflection #3

Saving the best for last.  This week's assignment was probably the most insightful when it came to learning about sustainability and the ties it has between our economy and our culture. One of the most important things I learned about this week was finding all the different organizations that donate worthy causes to better the environment and help to add value to it. By researching such companies, I was able to learn the values and goals of companies that are trying to go green like Gensler & Trendway and others that are taking a step back from sustainability like SunChips.
By realizing how much of a consumer based society we have become in the past few decades, and how most of the products I have purchased in the previous months that were not sustainable, I have started to approach shopping differently in that I have started to do research about the places I frequently shop and the practices they are or are not taking to go green.
Knowing about the different organizations that list all the companies that support sustainability either by producing green products themselves or supporting green initiatives, makes it easier to support the green-movement. 

Putting A Value On Nature

 Over father's day weekend, my father and I went up to Estes Park in Colorado. During our visit we saw several beautiful waterfalls, lakes and wildlife. After seeing such lovely scenery and reading all the different sustainability issues over the past few weeks I wondered how anyone could put a price on such beauty and the substance it provides to our ecosystem and livelihood. However, after reading Ann Thorpe's Economy section I soon found out why. Our government doesn't place any value or price on it! According to Thorpe it is hard to place a money value on non-material items, such as breathable air and clean drinking water, and because our society doesn't give it any value we-as a whole-treat it as having no value. Maybe because of this thinking, it has been so hard for our society to become sustainable. 

"As long as we let the market make decisions about the environment, it will appear cheaper to destroy natural resources than to preserve them"

According to Ann Thorpe, a sustainable company with a competitive advantage in the marketplace is often referred to as “the business case for sustainability.” One design firm that has taken sustainability to heart and is trying to add value to our environment with a competitive advantage is LPA Inc. Located in California, LPA Inc. is a pioneer in the sustainable design and at 79% LEED accredited, LPA's staff is one of the greenest in the nation - having completed and worked on many milestone projects including:

•First LEED NC project in the Country: Premier Automotive Group

•First LEED Police Facility in the Country: Woodland Police Facility

•First LEED Platinum project in Orange County: Environmental Nature Center

•First LEED Gold completed building for NASA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Flight Projects Center

LPA Inc. designs are guided by three sustainable principles. First, “Take What The Site Offers For Free” this means that they design the building based on its natural surroundings. Second, “Make Sustainability Part of The Building's DNA” good design and sustainability should work together. A building should wear its sustainability not only as a demonstration serving to inspire those who interact with the facility, but also as a model of achievement for the community. Third, “Design Differently” LPA’s approach to design is in contrast to the conventional method which most firms apply to sustainable building design and helps to give LPA a more competitive edge. First, they begin with the site itself (Principle One). The understanding of the local climate and environment offer clues necessary in designing a facility where passive systems are maximized and reinforced by the building structure and shape. In the third step, LPA applies the latest conservation measures to begin at a lower base line for all energy uses and renewable offsets. LPA's reversed approach gives the client a new project that uses fewer resources and is fundamentally more cost effective than the typical sustainable project. LPA uses the public sector design approach as their way to demonstrate the connection that environmental buildings can have. Not only in the economic/ecological aspects of a building’s efficiency and sustainability, but also in the cultural as a productivity booster among its employees. 

Besides discussing the economics of what it takes to go green, Thorpe mentions our culture and how consumption driven we are as a society.  As designers one of our main cultural roles is to “push” the latest materials and products onto the public. According to Thorpe the average consumer spends eleven hours a day with media that places an emphasis on material wealth and appearance but little to zero emphasis on sustainability. As the “pushers” of society, shouldn’t it be our job, role, and duty to educate the general masses about sustainability? In The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability, for a person to gain a sense of well-being and  fulfillment they must engage and connect with their surrounding environment. One way to achieve a sense of involvement within design could be through the process of Do-It-Yourself. Other ways to change the way we shop is to keep objects for longer periods of time or that they even become heirlooms. By adjusting a few simple techniques with the way we purchase products we could help people develop more successful methods of meeting needs, improving cultural conditions and contributing to cultural sustainability. 

The idea of becoming more sustainable has been discussed a great deal over these last few weeks and by now we are all aware of the magnitude its benefits can have. But now we need a call to action. The time for more sustainable decision making on a daily basis is now! The first step can be as simple as reducing your daily energy or water use, or to become more attentive about recycling. One basic rule to help you begin becoming sustainable is simply “to use less than you were using before.” 10 quick and simple ways to do this include:

1. Re-lamp existing light fixtures with LED lights

2. Set printers to automatically print double-sided

3. Start a recycling program

4. Turn task lights off when not in use

5. Unplug micro-electronics (cellphone, iPod, and computer chargers, coffee pots, toasters, etc.)

6. Use coffee mugs instead of plastic or Styrofoam cups (there are cups and utensils manufactured from corn, and plates manufactured from sugar cane)

7. Read digital magazines

8. Use recycled cardboard instead of plastic (PVC) binders

9. Let daylight in - open the blinds!

10. Set monitors to power down automatically at a certain time

Other ways to become more sustainable is by supporting companies that are permanently committed to giving a significant part of their profits to worthy causes. Corporate Tithe is a website that is dedicated to providing a list of all corporations that donate 10% of the company’s total value to worthy causes. Another website that helps to connect businesses, consumers and non-profits through philanthropy is 1% for the Planet.  

 

 

One company that seeks to integrate voices from all over the globe is the Green Economy Coalition. The Green Economy Coalition is a global network of organizations that are committed to accelerating a shift to a new green economy by inspiring the policy discussions at the international level and help to improve communication between stakeholders and among green economy initiatives. This organization also helps to promote ways of halting bad practices and to encourage that the best practices are being utilized.  

1% for the Planet: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

Corporation Tithe: www.ct10.org,

Green Economy Coalition: www.greeneconomycoalition.org

Second Week Reflection

Another week another learning process completed. Unlike last week where we first learned about sustainability, in this week's assignment we learned about the different initiatives one could take to achieve sustainability. Including turning water bottles into useable houses for people to live in to even trousers for people to wear.  The possibilities are almost limitless when it comes to up or down cycling old materials into new products.

By learning about the creative ways some people have turned a negative, like the amount of water bottles that will fill up a land fill for years to come and how one company is turning it into a positive by creating a functional house that gives back to the environment helps to inspire or give hope that we will be able to make a difference in the green movement. Since learning about all the interesting ways people have re-purposed old materials into new products, from sites like pinerest, I find myself looking at old window frames and doilies and thinking what can I make from them. I also have used this week's research into the chemicals and life cycles of certain products, mainly water bottles, and have since done more research into finding a more sustainable and up-cycled water bottle that I can take with me to the gym and not feel guilty about using it. 

Though I am beginning to learn more about up-cycling and how I hope to contribute to it with some home-made designs, I would still like to learn more about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Because as a designer I will want to make my clients more conscious of the materials they are selecting and how there are green alternatives for any material/product out there and are just as durable and stylish as their counter-parts.

Growing a Better Tomorrow with Today's Waste

While I was at the gym today I couldn’t help but notice all the plastic water bottles that people were drinking from, including me. After reading Ann Thorpe’s The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability and how “all artifacts begin and end in the natural environment” I couldn’t help but wonder, how many of these water bottles will end up in a land fill? How many will be recycled?  Majority of people will probably just finish their workouts and throw their plastic water bottles in the trash without giving it another thought. This in turn made me think about McDonough and Braungart’s Waste Equals Food and how they mention that some products are “unmarketable” because the materials that compose the product are hazardous and cannot be easily broken down.  One such product is Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used for food, beverage and other liquid containers. McDonough and Braungart  explain that until we have developed technological ways of detoxifying them we need to use creative measures to dispose of these hazardous materials.  One solution that was given was to have safe repositories sites where the manufacture of the material maintains the product until cost-effective detoxification technologies have been made. 

Another more creative way to reuse plastics, rubbers and glass is by architect Michael Reynolds who builds “Earthships.”  An Earthship is a sustainable home made of recycled materials.  They are constructed using the byproducts of cans, bottles and tires. They make their own electricity, heat and cool themselves naturally via solar and thermal dynamics.  They harvest their own water from rain and snow melt and produce a significant amount of food. Earthships can be built in any part of the world, in any climate and is the most versatile and economical sustainable green building design in the world.

While having an entirely green building may not be suitable for everyone, there are some initiatives that people and designers can make when wanting to go green or get LEED points. LEED which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design which is part of the U.S. Green Building Council and is a framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. USGBC is best known for the development of LEED they are also know for the program Clean Production Action (CPA) GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals is a chemical screening method that compares that focuses on hazard reduction and informed substitution.  This new method also encourages the design, manufacture and the use of safer chemicals.  The benefits of conducting a GreenScreen assessment include:

• Providing a better understanding of a product’s potential risk profile

• Supporting business value when comparative hazard assessments lead to educated substitutions and continual improvements

• Providing an easy way to communicate the hazard level to a non-technical audience

Recently, USGBC updated their online reference guides to help promote eco-friendly building practices worldwide. This included an interactive web tool to explain the LEED Green Building Rating System and a web application equating the rating system with a nutrition label.

The manufacturing industry is a large and complicated process.  It’s up to architects, designers and owners to apply enough pressure to change the status quo of eco-friendly products. Design to further the green-friendly movement. When you finally decide to go green here are a few questions to consider:

Start by finding out about the product components: Does it contain recycled content? What chemicals were used in their production?

Ask questions about the manufacturing process: What chemicals are involved in the manufacturing process? How much energy and water is consumed to make the product?

Don’t forget about the life-cycle of a product: How long will the product and its components last? Are parts of the product biodegradable or compostable?

Reflections of My First Blog: A Learning Process

When I first read that we would have to be writing weekly blogs that reflected what we had read and learned about in class, I was a little more than petrified about the situation. But after completing failing on my first try I knew there was no where to go but up. Though I still had difficultly incorporating the readings into what I wanted to talk, I still managed to get my point across. One of the more interesting things I learned this week is that we need to start looking at the entire life cycle of a garment-from the raw materials and chemicals that make it to the caring and washing of it-all contribute to sustainability. 

While posting blogs on weekly assignments  is a new experience for me, it is also a learning one that can help benefit me in the future. Not only am I learning how to be more open about new ideas in sustainability, I am also learning how to communicate it in a more professional manner with evidence and research to help support my argument. By reading the comments and critiques my classmates provided me I know while I may incorporate all of the week's readings, I tend to lose my voice and opinion, something that I will try to work on in future posts. I also need to add more "flare" by incorporating pictures and video...something I am figuring out how to do.

Since starting this course, I hope to learn about new companies and products that contribute to the sustainability movement. I want to be able to give future clients the information necessary about sustainable design and how any effort towards becoming more environmentally aware is a step in the right direction. 

Finding Sustainability

Appliance shopping, usually something most people would dread doing. But after reading Ann Thorpe’s The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability I took a fresh approach when shopping for a new washer and dryer. As Ann states in her book, “sustainable design are practices for design that cultivate ecological, economic, and cultural conditions that will support human well-being indefinitely.” How will a new washer and dryer help to achieve a more sustainable future? First, most appliances these days are Energy Star, which is a  joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. The results are already adding up. With the help of Energy Star, Americans have saved enough energy in the year 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars. This includes saving nearly $18 billion on utility bills.

Cosette M. Armstrong and Melody L A LeHew point out in their article, Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant, if designers are perceptive and open to the principles of sustainability, the concept of fashion may be used to attract attention, energy, and imagination around sustainable solutions. One company that is committed to continual improvement and that understands sustainability is a journey of ongoing movement and innovation is Advanced Technology, Inc.

Advanced Technology, Inc. uses a life-cycle approach to manufacture quality design products for the home and office. Currently they are investigating alternative methods to minimize their off-fall through “waste-to-profit” networking where their manufacturing waste becomes material for another product. But their efforts don’t just stop there. Advanced Technology Inc. knows that their supply chain partners are also part of the company’s environmental footprint. So they work with their suppliers to reclaim their leftover material to go into ATI’s final product assembly. This will further minimize the manufacturing waste that ends up in landfills.

In the March 2007 Forum for the Future: Fashioning Sustainability several initiatives are mentioned to promote sustainable fashion including: being able to know where the materials of a product originate from, support within the supply chain, and having desirable, functional and stylish sustainable products. Forum of the Fashion also states that a high quality product is one that benefits both the consumer and the planet. I believe that Advanced Technology Inc. is a leader in this effort.  From the raw materials they use to reclaiming material from their suppliers, they also provide highly fashionable and durable materials for walls, floors and ceilings without breaking the bank.

Back to Armstrong and LeHew’s Pink Elephant and consumerism, while some consumers may just want to buy this year’s hot item and not give two seconds to what kind of chemicals or toxins go into it just as long as “it’s current.” Recently though, some consumers are actually digging fuller to find out about business practices, mottos and what the overall green aspect of the company is. However, most people don’t have time to do that kind of in-depth research on a product and so they will just go with what they’ve heard from friends or family.  But what if there was an easier way to find out if they clothes you love to wear or the dishwasher that gets your plates sparkling clean are in fact made eco-friendly. If there was a list out there that named what companies used sustainability methods in one convenient place I’m sure more and more consumers would be willing to jump on the green movement wagon.

Advanced Technology, Inc. http://isources.hotims.com/r5/navigate.asp?listing_id=4388999&access=4&location=www%2Eadvtechnology%2Ecom&hotbar=y