Notes and Quotes
pg 4
- ‘Recycled? Perhaps it would be more accurate to say
downcycled’ – recycling involves makes a material of a lesser form which is
downcycling
- ‘wrestling them into this form has required as much energy –
and generated as much waste – as producing a new carpet. And all that effort
has only succeeded in postponing the usual fate of products by a life cycle or
two’ – recycling sometimes uses the same amount of materials and resources as
making a new product and only diverts it from waste for a period of time
- ‘How did you end up bringing home social inequity and
feelings of guilt when all you wanted was new footwear?’ – products are not
always made in safe environments which causes negative emotions for consumers
pg 5
- ‘a prototype for the book as a “technical nutrient,” that
is, as a product that can be broken down and circulated indefinitely in
industrial cycles – made and remade as “paper” or other products’ – technical
nutrients can be reused to make other things with the material retaining its
quality
pg 6
- ‘we are accustomed to thinking of industry and the
environment as being at odds with each other’ – it is considered that industry
and the environment are in contrast
- ‘It appears that these two systems cannot thrive in the same
world’ – they cannot coincide
pg 7
- ‘If you are going to help save the planet, you will have to
make some sacrifices, share some resources, perhaps even go without. And fairly
soon you must face a world of limits’ ‘Sound like fun’ – to solve environmental
issues it is considered that restrictions are needed on consumption
- ‘struck by how simple and elegant good design could be, and
how suited to locale’ – good design is local
pg 8
- ‘designs that rarely made such good use of local material
and energy flows’ – design often does not make use of local materials or energy
- ‘difficulties of applying universal solutions to local
circumstances’ – homogenised solutions are not effective for all designs
pg 9
- ‘Even as architects and industrial designers began to
embrace recycled or sustainable materials, they still dealt primarily with
surfaces – with what looked good, what was easy to get, what they could afford’
– materials were chosen on cost, aesthetics and their ability to be sourced
- ‘I realized that design is a signal of intention’ –
designing in this way suggested concern but an inability to meet these
aspirations
pg 15
- ‘“Eliminate the concept of waste” – not reduce, minimize, or
avoid waste, as environmentalists were then propounding, but eliminate the very
concept, by design’ – design could stop waste rather than reduce it which
environmentalists suggested
- ‘We see a world of abundance not limits’ – we don’t need to
restrict our consumption instead design can increase it positively
pg 16
- ‘Nature doesn’t have a design problem. People do’ – natures
design system works , whereas ours does not
pg 18
- ‘It took shape gradually, as industrialists, engineers, and
designers tried to solve problems and to take immediate advantage of what they
considered to be opportunities in an unprecedented period of massive and rapid
change’ – our system materialised through problem solving during the Industrial
Revolution
pg 20
- ‘Resistance touched not simply on technology but on
spiritual and imaginative life’ – there was resistance to the Industrial Revolution in different forms
- ‘Artists and aesthetes like John
Ruskin and William Morris feared for a civilization whose aesthetic sensibility
and physical structures were being reshaped by materialistic designs’ – leading
artists thought that the Industrial Revolution was creating a world focussed on
materialism rather than beauty
pg 21
- ‘both rich and poor, what appeared to be a more equitable
standard of living’ – the industrial revolution increased standards of living
for everyone
- ‘economic revolution, driven by the desire for the
acquisition of capital. Industrialists wanted to make products as efficiently
as possible and to get the greatest volume of goods to the largest number of
people. In most industries, this meant shifting from a system of manual labor
to one of efficient mechanization’ – production systems became mechanised to
increase production and efficiency and , in turn increase profit
pg 24
- ‘Along these lines, technical developments centered on
increasing “power, accuracy, economy, system, continuity, speed,” to use the
Ford manufacturing checklist for mass production’ – manufacturing systems
became more streamlined to enable mass production
- ‘these were the raw materials for the production systems
that made goods for the masses, and they still are today’ – this production
system has continued into this century
pg 25
- ‘Resources seemed immeasurably vast. Nature itself was
perceived as a “mother earth” who, perpetually regenerative, would absorb all
things and continue to grow’ – natural resources were considered infinite
during the Industrial Revolution
pg 26
- ‘modern industries still operate according to paradigms that
developed when humans had a very different sense of the world’ – manufacturing
today still relies on this system despite understanding the world in a
different way
- ‘Neither the health of natural systems, nor an awareness of
their delicacy, complexity, and interconnectedness, have been part of the
industrial design agenda’ – the environment has not been considered within
these systems
pg 27
- ‘made from valuable materials that required effort and
expense to extract and make, billions of dollars worth of assets’ – objects
that make it to landfill contain have both material and monetary worth
- ‘heaped in a landfill, where there value is wasted’ – when
disposed of into landfill their value is lost
- ‘products of an industrial system that is designed on a
linear, one way cradle-to-grave model’ – current industrial systems are linear
ending in waste
- ‘you may be referred to as a consumer, but there is still
very little that you can actually consume – some food, some liquids. Everything
else is designed for you to throw away when you are finished with it’ –
although a consumer we do not actually consume much, instead things are
designed to be thrown away
- '90 percent of materials extracted to make durable goods in
the United States become waste immediately’
pg 28
- ‘many products are designed with “built-in obsolescence,” to
last only for a certain period of time, to allow – to encourage – the customer
to get rid of the thing and buy a new model’ – many products have planned
obsolescence which makes consumers buy a new product
‘the product itself contains on average only 5 percent of
the raw materials involved in the process of making and delivering it’ – not
all materials used to create a product are contained within the product
pg 29
- ‘Today the International style has evolved into something
less ambitious: a bland, uniform structure isolated from the particulars of
place – from local culture, nature, energy and material flows’ – the
International Style has homogenised design
pg 30
- ‘To achieve their universal design solutions, manufacturers
design for a worst-case scenario; they design a product for the worst possible
circumstance , so that it will always operate with the same efficacy’ –
products are designed to work the same in all environments good or bad
pg 31
- ‘threat of global warming brought about by the build-up of heat-trapping
gases (such as carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere due to human activities’ –
humans have contributed to global warming
- ‘The reality of global warming has gained currency not only
among environmentalists but among industry leaders’ – global warming has become
important to both environmentalists and industry
- ‘not the sole reason to rethink our reliance on the “brute
force” approach to energy’ – there are also other effects that should make us
reconsider our use of energy
pg 32
- ‘As new regulations, based on mounting research about the
health threats of airbourne toxins resulting from incinerating fossil fuels,
are implemented, industries invested solely in continuing the current system
will be a serious disadvantage’ – companies that continue their current industrial
methods will be less competitive when regulations come in
- ‘finite sources of energy, such as petrochemicals derived
from fossil fuels , can be seen as a nest egg, something to be preserved
emergencies, then used sparingly – in certain medical situations, for example’
– natural resources should be reserved
- ‘thousands of times the amount of energy needed to fuel
human activities hits the surface of the planet every day in the form of
sunlight’ – the sun provides more than enough energy to support humans
pg 33
- ‘Brute force and universal design approaches to typical
development tend to overwhelm (and ignore) natural and cultural diversity,
resulting in less variety and greater homogeneity’ – universal design ignores
diversity and variety leading to a standardisation of design
pg 34
- ‘Industrial Revolution’s first design goal of maximum
efficiency’ – efficiency was the aim of the Industrial Revolution
- ‘Elements that are removed from the ecosystem to make the
operation yield more grain more quickly (that is, to make it more efficient)
would otherwise actually provide benefits to farming’
pg 35
- ‘While the economic payoff immediately rises, the overall
quality of every aspect of this system is actually in decline’ – there are
short term benefits to efficiency however has long term effects on the rest of
the system
- ‘The single-minded cultivation of one species drastically
reduces the rich network of “services” and side effects in which the entire
ecosystem originally engaged’ – focusing on one aspect of the system diminishes
the wider system effecting the environment
pg 36
- ‘The GDP takes only one measure of progress into account:
activity. Economic activity’ - GDP only considers economic progress to be
progress – GDP only considers increased productivity to be progress
- ‘The GDP as a measure of progress emerged during an era when
natural resources still seemed unlimited and “quality of life” meant high
economic standards of living’ – this idea of progress was formulated when our
perception of resources and quality of life were different
pg 37
- ‘Loss of resources, cultural depletion, negative social and
environmental effects, reduction of quality of life – these ills can all be
taking place, an entire region can be in decline, yet they are negated by a
simplistic economic figure that says economic life is good’ – a place can be
economically successful however other factors can be in failing
- ‘But in the race for economic progress, social activity,
ecological impact, cultural activity, and long-term effects can be overlooked’
– focus on economic progress leads to other aspects being forgotten about
- ‘The design intention behind the current industrial
infrastructure is to make an attractive product that is affordable, meets
regulations, performs well enough, and lasts long enough to meet market
expectations’ – industrial system does little to consider the environment
- ‘fulfils the manufacturers desires and some of the customers
expectations’ – design aims to meet the needs of manufacturers and customers
not the environment
- ‘products that are not designed particularly for human and
ecological health are unintelligent and inelegant – what we call crude
products’ – products that do not benefit peoples or the environments health are
not effective
pg 38
- ‘products plus: as a buyer you got the item or service you
wanted, plus additives that you didn’t ask for and didn’t know were included
and that may be harmful to you’ – consumers purphase the product they want but
also potentially damaging extras
pg 39
- ‘the problem intensifies when parts from numerous countries
are assembled into one product’
- ‘Manufacturers do not necessarily keep track of – nor are
they required to know – what exactly is in all of these parts’ – products can
be made up of multiple materials from different countries of which it is not regulation to know what is within these
materials
pg 42
- ‘Yet the next industrial revolution will not be about
returning to some idealized, preindustrial state in which, for example, all
textiles are made from natural fibers’ – changing the system will not mean
reverting to previous ways
pg 42 - 43
- ‘Todays industrial infrastructure is designed to chase
economic growth. It does so at the expense of other vital concerns, particularly
human and ecological health, cultural and natural richness, and even enjoyment
and delight’ – economics is considered first, with the environment and human health
side-lined
pg 43
- ‘The waste, pollution, crude products, and other negative
effects that we have described are not the result of corporations doing
something morally wrong. They are the consequence of outdated and unintelligent
design’ – the damaging effects created by industry are not the fault of
companies but that of the system in which we reside
- ‘Poor design on such a scale reaches far beyond our own life
span. It perpetuates what we call intergenerational remote tyranny – our
tyranny over future generations through the effects of our actions today’ – our
industrial and design system will have effects on future generations not just
our own
pg 44
- ‘Once you understand the destruction taking place, unless
you do something to change it, even if you never intended to cause such
destruction, you become involved in a strategy of tragedy’ – having
understanding of the damage created by the system and not acting to change
makes the designer part of the problem / complicit
pg 45
- the reaction to environmental damage has been a focus on
finding the less bad option for the environment
- Malthus suggested that human growth would have dire
consequences for the environment
pg 46
- guilt is a characteristic of environmentalism
pg 49
- the economic system needs to be changed from growth to sustainability
through reduced consumption
- exponential growth needs to be reduced as well as physical
wealth
pg 50
- materialism does not bring satisfaction
- increased consumption has played a part in all environmental
concerns
- recycling is only part of the solution to overconsumption –
recycling is a plaster on the larger issue of overconsumption
pg 51
- industrialists considered resources to be infinite
- eco – efficiency will change the current industry to
consider wider ethical issues
- eco – efficiency means do more with less
pg 52
- without pollution control the environment will become
unbearable
- Changing Course suggested how companies would need to be eco
- efficient to have the edge in different ways
pg 53
- Three R’s popular in home and workplace
- Eco – efficiency has economic benefits
- Reduction of resource use has positive effects on
environment and the public
pg 54
- reduction is important in eco – efficiency but it does not
stop environmental decision
pg 56
- composting can be difficult if things are not designed to be
food for the environment
- recycling means downcycling a material to a lower quality
pg 57
- downcycling can pollute the environment
- chemicals are added to recycled materials to maintain their
form and quality
pg 58
- recycled materials (e.g. plastic) can have more chemicals
than new material
- use of downcycled materials can be misinformed
pg 59
- recycled materials are not always environmentally friendly
especially if not designed to be
- materials are instead downcycled into lower quality
materials when recycled
pg 61
- regulation forces companies into environmental
considerations rather than encouraging it
- regulations are general which doesn’t encourage creative
solutions
- design is ineffective if regulations are needed
- regulations provide a pass to continue destructive behaviour
- eco – efficiency does not go far enough and is still part of
the same model of consumption - creating a sense of change
pg 65
- local environmental damage is easily seen and understood
- eco – efficiency would create an unexciting or aesthetic
world
not all efficientcy is bad
- making industry less environmentally unfriendly is not
enough
pg 66
- environmentalism suggests things that shouldn’t be done to
be sustainable creating a sense of guilt
- environmental problems are extensive and have complex
causes
- guilt about our effects on the environment might encourage
us to take up eco – efficiency which suggests limits and reduction in
consumption
pg 67
- being less destructive shows a failure to think creatively
pg 71
- sustainable design can have positive implications for
consumption and the environment
pg 76
- eco – efficient products can still be badly designed even if
industry becomes more efficient
pg 77
- a successful system leads to people wanting more of them not
less
- industrial growth is seen as only benefitting itself not the
environment it is within
business relies on growth to continue
pg 78
- no growth for business is negative
- conflicting needs between nature and industry suggest both
systems cannot coexist
- industry should be designed to have restorative effects on
the environment allowing growth to continue for both this and the environment
pg 81
- nature should inspire us to create positive environmental
effects rather than narrow mindedly focusing on one system
pg 82
- designers need to consider the bigger picture not just the
product
pg 84
- eco efficiency is not new however will lead to a new world
view of the environment being something to work with rather than dominate
pg 86
- shifting trends can encourage paradigm changes
pg 92
- nature is a system without waste
- ‘waste equals food’ - natures system is cyclical with waste
creating food
pg 93
- biological nutrients aid the natural environment whilst
technical nutrients fuels industry
our industrial system does not consider nutrients in any
form
pg 96
- humans are alone in taking so much and giving little
biological resources back
pg 97
- in times of need, such as the Great Depression, there was a
greater sense of the value of our resources
- after the war materials became cheaper making it more cost
effective to send out packaging then create systems for collection
- pre - industrialisation people reused and repaired things
however now appliances are thrown away
- short use products are now normal
pg 98
- product obsolescence is built in to coincide when designers
think people will want another one
- packaging is often designed to last longer than needed
- In places where resources are scarce people reuse materials
- Reuse in scarcity is creates innovation and flexibility
which is needed in material systems
pg 99
- ‘monstrous hybrids’ are materials with a mixture of
materials making them impossible to extract
pg 102
- humans see products as having life despite being inanimate
- humans like to assert power and claim over things, which is
why new materials are preferred over old
pg 103
- a continuation of the disposal of technical materials will
create the need for restricted consumption
- humans need to take inspiration from natures system of zero
waste
pg 104
- products need to be designed not to have waste from the
beginning
- products can be made of biodegradable material, which
provides nutrients for biological cycles, or technical material which produces
nutrients for technical cycles
pg 105
- packaging design has huge potential to be a biological
nutrients
- it isn’t necessary for packaging to last so long
pg 109
- designing products to be nutrients needs less regulation and
waste systems are avoided
- it would make disposal of rubbish a guilt free action
pg 110
- separating chemicals from technical nutrients avoids
contamination and allows materials to be upcycled in a closed loop system
pg 111
- not all consumption has to be of physical objects, a product
of service is where something is created into a service to experience rather
- these services are bought for a period of time then given
back e.g. TV. The manufacturer will provide a new one, repair or upgrade the
old one and reuse the materials to create others.
pg 112
- when a product is bought by the consumer the materials that
were put into the product pass ownership from the manufacturer to consumer
pg 113
- materials that cannot be salvaged should be put onto the
price of a product
pg 114
- people would be able to consume without guilt and would be
encouraged to do so
- most durability of products is unnecessary and creates
problems for future generations
- this system would mean waste would be eradicated, manufacturing costs would be lowered , less
materials would be used, toxic materials would be phased out, with all leading
to a healthier environment
pg 116
- unmarketables would be stored safely until appropriate
technologies were developed
pg 118
- nature design is varied and rich
pg 119
- our design system is homogenised to be the same
- this is considered a ‘de-evolution’ of our environment,
cultures etc
pg 120
- the design that works the best is the one that considers its
surroundings and context
pg 122
- every living thing on the planet relies on one another in
some way
pg 123
- sustainability is achieved when local materials and systems
are used
pg 125
- local business thrives when local materials are used
pg 127
- when things are kept local there is more awareness of the
effects our actions have on the environment
pg 128
- the Industrial Revolution allowed humans power over nature,
however this has disconnected us with the environment
pg 139
- respecting diversity means considering how things are made,
used and the consumers that use the products
pg 141
- rather than homogenising products, customisation should be
adopted to allow for adaptation and diversity
- form follows function, form follows evolution – rather than
a products design being determined by its function its form should adapt and
customise
- needs need to be considered within a design whether these be
ecological, economic, cultural or preferences
pg 144
- variety is wanted because it brings people pleasure
pg 147
- a design must be considered diversely and not with a focus
on one aspect as this creates am extreme separate from the rest
pg 150
- natural capitalism considers the value of natural
resources
- eco – efficiency considers the economy to be necessary for change
however sees that the market has the capability of destroying natural and human
resources if it does not consider wider issues
pg 153
- traditional design considers aesthetics, cost and
performance, whereas sustainable development looks at equity, ecology and
economy
- the economy is usually focused upon with the others
sidelined and considered afterwards
pg 154
- design that is diverse encourages industrial revolution and
allows systems to reflect environmental processes
pg 155
- most environmental design today still considers us to be
destructive and in need of restriction
- ‘natural capital’ suggests how resources can be used to
benefit us
- Nature gives and takes
pg 156
- rather than just using nature we can aim to provide for it
too
pg 160
- people considered environmental approaches to be separate
from economics or even damaging to profit
pg 169
- it is not clear what materials are made from
- designers are forced to make decisions about which materials
to use despite this
pg 170
- the decision is often made by choosing the less damaging
option
- this puts designers in a difficult position showing how
redesign is necessary
pg 171
- designers should aim to choose products or materials that do
not contain obviously harmful elements. Designers should have ecological
intelligence.
- Materials that can be separated should also be preferred if
possible making the reuse process easier
pg 172
- designers should encourage respect of the people who make,
live near and use the product
pg 173
- people are more likely to buy products that make them feel
good about themselves
- manufacturers play on these feelings for good and bad
through advertising
- products should add pleasure to life
- designers should look further than easily assessible
information
pg 174
- X list substances should be phased out
- Gray list substances are not as dangerous as X list
substances so are a lower priority for phaseout
- P list or positive list are materials that are safe for any
use
pg 176
- design is improved in increments without adapting the
product as a whole
pg 177
- developing new products will lead to a paradigm shift
- redesign means to create positive products rather than make
them less ecologically damaging
pg 179
- ‘don’t just reinvent the recipe, rethink the menu’ –
redesign goes further than just making a product better it changes the whole
pg 180
- design aims to meet the needs of people
- improvement of design allows for innovative ideas
pg 181
- eco – efficiency happens gradually through incremental
changes to a product
pg 182
- designers should strive for change rather than incremental
adaptations
pg 183
- designers should look to increase environmental growth not
just profit
pg 184
- the best version of the current product may not be enough,
instead creating a new product may be needed
- this type of design takes time, learning and resources
pg 185
- for creative design there needs to be a flexibility
- generations after us should not have to bare the
consequences of design in the past
pg 186
- ‘How can we support and perpetuate the rights of all living
things to share in a world of abundance?’
- How do we allow all living things access to the planets
resources?
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