Maybe. Green marketing often takes the shape of its current cultural condition. When energy (fuel, etc.) prices were painfully inflated, marketing language (and solutions) turned to saving money and distance efficiency. Way back in 2008, one could be green and indulge at the same time, as long as they drove a hybrid to get there. Today, energy prices have fallen, but less immediately controllable economic hardships have replaced them. The current condition is one of anti-overindulgence, simplicity (noted eight times, it is a form of “less,” but not classified as such in our survey), and doing more with well...less. This is a cultural condition of the economic turn. “Less” is on the lips of CEOs, school administrators, advertising sales teams, governors, and kitchen-table budgeters. And, apparently, green marketers have picked up on this fact. No surprise there. But, “less” in these ads is a factor of economics, not life philosophy. This was the case with “green” too, where it was arguably more about social status and trend than a change in values.
It’s odd how a phrase intrinsically linked to anti-consumption can become the most popular word in marketing goods and services. Like “green,” this is the co-opting of the LOHAS language by the mainstream all over again.
But advertising has never been accused of being “accurate” language, so in a sense what’s odd is that we expect authenticity to play a role in it at all. Or at the very least, we should.
Most advertising is based on use of the superlative. “Very” lost its meaning through overuse, so we installed “very, very” into the language set. “Yes” has had to become “absolutely.” “Green” is currently interviewing for hyper-replacements, both in terms of movement and language. This is evolutionary language theory at its quickest. It will be interesting to watch “less” become a superlative. And, of course, we await lesswashing — where the consumption of less is a contrived illusion.
Encouraging consumers to consume less is an emerging marketing strategy. Engineering ways for them to have the same reward consumption offers is a sustainability strategy.
Author Edward Abbey said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” In more theoretic terms, according to ecopedagogy, sustainability is not being realized because it represents the antithesis to the political, economic, and cultural status quo of the powerful forces needed to fuel growth. The ‘less’ backlash is a response to this and marks a real milestone along the pathway to culture change and LOHAS ubiquity.Is “Less” the New “Green”?
Maybe. Green marketing often... more
While visiting San Francisco back in December we stopped by Fossil Faux Studios to meet with founder Marcia Stuermer to talk about her product development process and the ideas behind her beautiful work.
Check it out and let us know what you think.While visiting San Francisco back in December we stopped by Fossil Faux Studios to... more
These recycling facts have been compiled from various sources including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Earth911.org.
- A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
- To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.
- Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.
- Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!
- Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away!
- Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!
- The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or a compact fluorescent bulb for 20 hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.
- The US population discards each year 16,000,000,000 diapers, 1,600,000,000 pens, 2,000,000,000 razor blades, 220,000,000 car tires, and enough aluminum to rebuild the US commercial air fleet four times over.
- Out of every $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away. Packaging represents about 65% of household trash.
- Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute!
- A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.
This week we moved class to the downtown LA showroom of InterfaceFLOR to tour their new space and hear what strategies they've been implementing to reduce waste at every phase of their carpet tile production.
Check it out and let me know what you think.This week we moved class to the downtown LA showroom of InterfaceFLOR to tour their... more
This week I attended a screening for the film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home. It's an interesting film worth considering. Check it out and let me know what you think.This week I attended a screening for the film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home.... more
This is the last in a series of three reviews for educational sessions at the on-line BrightTALK Green Building Summit. They're free to watch. Check it out and let us know what you think.This is the last in a series of three reviews for educational sessions at the on-line... more
I have mountains of fabric scraps. Well, maybe not mountains, but at least mounds. Some are from leftover sewing projects, and some are from, of all places, the dog groomers.
Every time I take Newton The Pug to the groomer, he comes back with one of those scrap bandanas tied around his neck.
Now generally, I enjoy making my own doggie shampoo and giving Newton a bath at home. But sometimes, it’s just not practical. And after several pets and many years, I’ve ended up with a box full of those fabric scraps.
So what can you do with them?
The scraps are usually seasonal, and just too pretty to throw out. For my fur-babies, they’re a triangle, about 12 x 12 x 24. But if you have a bigger pup, your scraps might easily be 24 x 24 x 48. Either way, that’s certainly big enough to do something with.
Here are a few ideas...
Tie it up.
Use the leftover scraps to tie up your hair. They look cute tied around a ponytail, or you can go 70s and tie it over the top of your head and around the nape of your neck, like a hair band. Or roll the scraps into flat pieces, iron, and tie several together and use as a cute belt.
Hang it up.
Make wall hangings from scraps and old frames or embroidery hoops. Get details at ApartmentTherapy.com Or, piece scraps together and glue to a cork or wood board to make a cute place to display pictures or leave notes. Check out Suite101.com for more ideas.
Serve it up.
Wash and iron scraps. Then trim into rectangles with pinking shears. Fold and use as casual cocktail napkins at your next party.
Wrap it up.
After washing and ironing the scraps, you can use them to wrap small gifts. Or you could use them as ties around jars or boxes for homemade goodies.
Bag it up.
By sewing several of the scraps together, you can make a patchwork piece big enough to make a cloth bag. Get how to’s for making a lined bag at Associated Content.com
Sew it up.
Make a cute fish shaped toy from fabric scraps. Get instruction at eHow.com
Patch it up.
If you get a hole in your jeans that you don’t want, use leftover scrapes to make a patch. Cut fabric into any shape you like, leaving at least an 1/8 inch edge. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing the same shape, but without the edge. Fuse shape to interfacing with an iron, following manufacturer’s instructions. Trim or turn 1/8 inch around design to make a neat edge. Then simply iron the patch onto your jeans. This works great for kids clothes, too.
No matter what you decide to do with them, don’t throw out your fabric scraps. They’re a good resource for sewing and crafting projects.
"The University of South Florida’s School of Global Sustainability is set to be the first-of-its-kind in the nation, educating students with their world-class staff of environmental researchers and preparing them for the 2.5 million “green collar” careers that are estimated for the coming years.
USF President Judy Genshaft stated:
“The University of South Florida is committed to creating a 21st Century which is healthy, sustainable and prosperous for both Florida and for communities far beyond our borders. This school is a major step in that direction. The School of Global Sustainability will leverage USF’s existing strengths to build new opportunities for our students and faculty. We are dedicated to preparing our students to face the challenges of the world we know now and of the world that will exist in their lifetime.”
Students will be eligible for enrollment this summer, the program’s first degree being a master’s degree in global sustainability that will “initially focus on water with other concentrations being developed in such themes as food security and health, natural environments, gender, ethnicity and class, global citizenry, climate change, coastal wetlands, the history of sustainable communities and mega cities”.
Though the school will center around global issues, it will also focus on the challenges of climate change, the protection of threatened natural resources and population growth in our own backyard of South Florida and our coast.
This momentous occasion kicks off with a formal launch next week, with the school’s hosting of a two-day conference at the Marshall Student Center that will feature some of science’s leading thinkers on climate change and sustainability.
At the event there will be representatives from USF’s partner universities from around the world, including special guest Bae-Yong Lee, President of Ewha Womans University of South Korea, who will receive the President’s Global Leadership Award for her work in promoting global cooperation."...(click link to read more)"The University of South Florida’s School of Global Sustainability is set... more
Following up yesterday's post is the second in a series of three reviewing educational sessions presented by BrightTALK as part of their free webinar about green building issues.
Check it out and let me know what you think.Following up yesterday's post is the second in a series of three reviewing... more
"Have you ever wanted to look up green-related issues, products, etc., without getting swamped down by thousands of unrelated links and ads when you use the more popular search engines? Next time, look no further than Green Maven for your green online queries.
Basically, it’s like Google for green, bringing together the best of anything and everything eco-friendly, right at your fingertips. Green Maven’s search engine hosts over 10,000 websites, and has a business directory with nearly 4,000 listings in 26 different categories. Keep abreast on the latest green trends, use it for research, and utilize this site to find some great retailers."... (Click link to read more)"Have you ever wanted to look up green-related issues, products, etc., without... more
The greatest restraint for bio-fuel as an alternative source of energy is the land it occupies. However, seaweeds can be planted at sea.
Bio-fuel has hardly taken-off the ground due the massive land that it will require. It would produce social and environmental cost as deforestation would be one its hindrances for success. The price of nutrition and food would increase and further putting people at the verge of relative poverty.
UK-based Royal Society, conducted a study in 2008 stating that the option to produce biomass at sea has not been envisaged. Using the sea to produce biomass would enlarge our prospect enormously. Ocean covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface and is usually more exposed to the sun.
According to Agriculturalists, the sea is significantly underused. It is an area having both sunshine and water. It is only recently, that sea cultivation has become common and it is more widely termed as mariculture and aquaculture.
In 2004 around 60 million tonnes of products were produced from mariculture having a worth of around $ 92 million, which was mostly from the Pacific and Asia. Moreover, the potential bio-fuel, seaweeds are mainly from China, Japan and Korea.
Seaweeds a possible bio-fuel
Seaweeds are mostly esteemed for being food, fertiliser as well as animal food. Moreover, research is making it a possible bio-fuel.
Seaweeds or simply macro-algae that are grown at sea, has great advantage. They do not require soil and have a limitless supply of water. In agriculture the ocean is the most abundant resource.
Having an agricultural model where massive natural land would be required for bio-energy to be produced would be detrimental. It would potentially evoke deforestation, habitat loss and greenhouse gases.
There are already two countries that are generating electricity through seaweeds. In Japan and Costa Rica a biomass is burnt to produce energy. However, it is important to evaluate the capacity potential of sea-agriculture. If less than 3 percent of the world’s ocean would be used, it would represent around 20 percent of land that are actually utilized for agriculture. This would practically make it possible to substitute fossil fuel for bio-energy. Only a fraction of the sea area is enough to make bio-energy a key source of renewable energy. http://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/983#The greatest restraint for bio-fuel as an alternative source of energy is the land it... more
Last week we attended the second Green Building Summit webinar hosted by BrightTALK. For anyone who couldn't participate, or who is thinking of checking out the archived presentations (they're free), we've reviewed sessions 1 and 2.
Check it out and let us know what you think.Last week we attended the second Green Building Summit webinar hosted by BrightTALK.... more
You can read the introduction below and then read the full post here: http://bit.ly/c7bPF2
Building a ‘Triple Bottom Line’ economy with full spectrum employment
February 1, 2010 at 9:00 am by annkramer
triple_bottom_lineWe’ve done it before and it’s time to do it again. From the agricultural to the industrial and now the knowledge/service, it’s time to transition to a Triple Bottom Line Economy with full spectrum employment.
Remember when 80% of Americans worked on small farms? Of course you don’t. But if the date was 1898, you’d most likely be working on a farm and thinking this is the best way for the economy to run. Unbeknownst to you, you were part of the last gasp of the Agricultural economy and within 40 years, only 3% of Americans would be working on farms and 80% would be connected to the new economy – the industrial/consumer economy.
Fast forward 100 years and here we are again. In 2010, 70% of Americans work in the industrial/consumer economy. Unknown to most, we are part of the last gasp of the industrial/consumer economy. Within 10 years, a much smaller number will be working in this area while the grand majority will be connected to the new, new economy: the post-industrial- knowledge/service economy.
If you don't know what 3BL means, you need to read this fascinating blog post.
bit.ly/c7bPF2You can read the introduction below and then read the full post here:... more
This week I turned over lecture duties to the students as they presented their first of three profile projects - this time about materials and resources.
Check it out and let me know what you think.This week I turned over lecture duties to the students as they presented their first... more
The Good Food Revolution
Industrialized food harms the earth and our bodies. Thankfully, there’s a wave of passionate innovators who are growing a healthier food culture, one radish at a time.
By Jake Miller
Food is love. The first time I ever heard that was when I asked my friend Jona what in the world he was thinking cooking for 100 hungry guests on his own wedding night. Jona bought heirloom tomatoes from his neighborhood farmers’ market and served a splash of rich golden squash soup in shot glasses hand-painted to match the bridal flowers. The vegetarian menu wowed even the most committed carnivores at the party, and each course served to tighten the bonds of our shared community.
It’s easy to believe that food is love when you’re enjoying a special meal for family and friends, or when you bite into a peach that’s still warm from the sun. But how do those words apply to a society where people eat meals alone in their cars, or where whole communities don’t have access to basic fresh produce, let alone a sun-warmed peach?
On a late summer afternoon last year, my two-and-a-half-year-old son and I went to one of our favorite spots, where a series of paths wind between woods and fields, around the old grounds of a defunct psychiatric hospital on the edge of Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood. Nowadays it’s home to the Boston Nature Center and the Clark Cooper Community Gardens, where gardeners from all walks of life share tips and talk about the weather, while naturalists watch wild turkeys patrol the edges of the plots. My gregarious son hails them all, saying hello to the growers, the butterflies, the turkeys, and the vegetables ripening on the vine. It’s a little bit of magic to see this slice of the world through his eyes, where everything here belongs together and has a role to play. The scenery is beautiful, but what’s even more inspiring are the people working and living together, growing healthy food and a strong community while revitalizing the environment.
Elsewhere in Mattapan—and throughout the city, the nation, and the world—the view is not always as lovely, with epidemics of malnutrition and obesity striking within the same communities, sometimes paradoxically within the same person. Many experts say that this growing crisis is due in large part to an industrial food system that pollutes the environment while propagating cheap, low-nutrition processed food. One out of every three children born in 2000 could develop diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control tells us, and obesity rates are rising. Today’s children may be the first generation of Americans to live shorter lives than their parents.
At its best, food is love; at its worst, it can be toxic—to our health, to the environment, and to our communities.
In response, a diverse food movement has arisen, with farmers, public health activists, social justice advocates, and people who love to eat well, all collaborating to create alternatives to the industrial food system. The real beauty of this movement is that none of its strands can exist in isolation. It’s a healthy, vibrant ecosystem—a community of innovators helping to grow a new sustainable food culture.
Here are five key players who embody the diverse ideals and approaches of this movement. They’re working in cities and out in the countryside, on the left and the right of the political spectrum, with gourmets and with communities that are struggling with hunger. Some of them came to the movement when they realized that food was a key component of social justice; others came to share their love of fresh healthy food when they realized that too few people had access to it. A sense of intention connects them all—a commitment to building a food system that promotes not just efficiency and profits, but health, community, environment, and ethics....The Good Food Revolution
Industrialized food harms the earth and our bodies.... more
I presented an educational webinar hosted by BrghtTALK as part of their Green Building Summit. I focused on new sustainable building materials and how to determine your own criteria for what materials are allowed to stay in your materials library.
Check it out and let me know what you think.I presented an educational webinar hosted by BrghtTALK as part of their Green Building... more
Cologne 2010: Frankfurt designer Kai Linke is working on a project to grow furniture from plant roots. Linke explained the project, called Roots; his experiments so far involve cultivating fast-growing plants such as grass, cress, bulbs and bamboo and chanelling their roots into a miniature chair-shaped mould.
Once the roots have completely filled the mould it is removed, leaving a scale model of a piece of furniture. This exploration is the first stage of a long term project, which Linke hopes will result in a full size chair made of roots.
The idea referring to this concept arises out of the abstract conflict of deformations in nature. Deformations can be caused by human hand consciously or by coincidence. The intervention of humans into the growth of a plant can be described as deformation.
The human is the activator for a modified plant-growth. The plant is disturbed to develop itself in a natural way. In different trials with help of grass, cress, bulbs, bamboo and hyacinths the rooting-growths was analysed.
The roots were channelled into shapes in different culture mediums until they filled those shapes completely. After the roots have conquered the whole space – similar to a plant in a pot that is too small – the shape has been taken away. Remaining are the roots, formed into the shapes of stools and tables. The material wood, in this case root wood is forced already during it’s growth into a desired shape and not as usual by human deforming of the outside to the material into the desired shape. This concept is depending a natural circumstance such as: weather, water dung, potting soil and the paste in which the root fills the form.
Life on planet Earth is at a crossroads, with multiple environmental crises bearing down upon us simultaneously: climate change, resource depletion, oil supply decline, ocean pollution, overpopulation, species extinction, and more. The Great Squeeze inventories and connects all of them, showing how short-sighted human behavior and decisions have resulted in a situation that threatens our lives and planet.
The film travels back in time to take us on a journey through history when past civilizations made the same mistakes -- growing too fast, depleting their natural resources and ultimately collapsing. The Anasazi society, the Mayan civilization and the Easter Island culture all provide graphic examples of peoples violating principles of sustainability and exceeding the carrying capacity of their environment. The veil of mystery surrounding the disappearance of these once-thriving cultures is peeled back to offer insights into our own modern social order seemingly bent on a similar path of self-destruction.
Instead of the usual band-aid approaches, The Great Squeeze challenges us to learn from history and transition towards a more sustainable economy that values our environment. By changing our levels of consumption, deploying new technologies, and reordering social priorities, we can still live well.
Renowned scientists, thinkers and authors, including Richard Heinberg, Edward O. Wilson, Lester Brown, Alexandra Cousteau, Jim White, Howard Kunstler and others, provide perspective and insights on our current state of affairs and how we can change course.
The Great Squeeze was selected for screening in Copenhagen during the UN Climate Change Conference, and at 14 film festivals around the world, where it won several awards, including Best Feature, Colorado Environmental Film Festival.
Two years ago, the zeroHouse hit the internet like a tornado. Now, Specht Harpman, the firm that designed the off-grid, modular, tiny house, is looking for a "visionary" to finance the construction of the prototype at something in the range of $300,000 to $350,000. The good news comes from the American-Statesman, which recently reported that the design is "shovel-ready."
According to the American-Statesman, Specht Harpman used seed money from a New York investment firm to create architectural, structural, and mechanical engineering documents. Now the zeroHouse is ready to be built, and the idea with the first home is to push the boundaries of sustainability.
The zeroHouse can be net-zero energy -- it'll generate as much energy in the course of a year as it consumes. It can also operate without the need for any external utility or waste disposal connects.
Several more cool pics at link!Two years ago, the zeroHouse hit the internet like a tornado. Now, Specht Harpman, the... more
This week we had the honor and pleasure of attending a special event with sustainability visionary Ray Anderson. He presented strategies being pursued at his company Interface, Inc. It was a great opportunity for my class to interact with a pillar of the green community.This week we had the honor and pleasure of attending a special event with... more
