Posts Tagged ‘consumption’
Life Pscycle-ology: The Secret Life of Things
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on July 29th, 2010
“Life Pscycle-ology” is a humorous look at the life story of an unhappy mobile phone, who seeks therapy after his owner dumps him in favour of a new model. This animation is the first in a series called The Secret Life of Things (SLOT), which explores the hidden environmental impacts of everyday things and includes free learning resources for educators.
“It’s about taking a fun approach to a serious subject. I want to inspire people to become part of the solution, rather than the problem,” says project developer Leyla Acaroglu. “Every day, thousands of products roll off the production line, and very few have been designed with sustainability in mind. We forget about what happens behind the scenes – and I hope SLOT will help to change that.” Telling a funny story is a great way to engage the general public, says Acaroglu, but she also wants to take things a step further by empowering designers – the people who create the “stuff” we buy every day.
Each video in the SLOT series comes with a free pack of educational resources aimed at young designers. “Ecodesign is often wrongly seen as complex and costly, but in fact it’s simply good design that offers financial, social and environmental benefits,” says Acaroglu, who runs Melbourne-based eco design consultancy Eco Innovators. “If designers embrace sustainability, we can create consumer goods with the smallest possible ecological footprint.” The film and learning resources, set to be tested by six Australian universities, can be accessed free from the project website from 22 July. International research shows that by using a life cycle approach, exploring the impacts of each stage a product goes through, designers can make informed decisions that lead to more socially and environmentally responsible products with lower carbon impacts.
“Life Pscycle-ology” was launched as part of the State of Design Festival in Melbourne, Australia.
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Better than TV @ State of Design Festival
Posted in Events by katelyn samson on July 22nd, 2010
‘Better than TV’ will be launched on Friday July 23 during the State of Design Festival.
Better than TV is a night of entertainment for the easily distracted. It is an evening where opinions, provocations and conversations are shared. This event is inspired by the festivals theme “change by design: sustaining beauty” and challenges 3 prominent Melbourne designers to provoke conversation around the following theme:
“We are rapidly compromising the beauty of the natural environment and preoccupied with constructed beauty exemplified by the products of consumerism. In modern life, one thing is certain, we all desire beautiful things. Designers tap into our desire for beauty, they capture and create beautiful things that we previously didn’t even know we wanted. As creators of beautiful things, how can designers shape a sustainable future by redefining beauty and our consuming desires accordingly?”
Green Growth Markets: Design Victoria at the State of Design Festival
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on July 7th, 2010
Design Victoria: Green Growth Markets
Green and sustainable are the buzz words of the moment, but what is behind these trends? What products and initiatives are truly green? Shifting consumer patterns and legislative requirements are driving new local and international markets for green products, materials, systems and services. Product designers, graphic designers, architects and interior designers will need to understand how to access and interpret this shifting marketplace for the future of their business. Learn from our expert panel what is “green wash”, what’s coming up and how you can gear your business to be sustainable.
Thursday 15 July, 2010 Time: 1.30pm – 3.00pm Cost: $42.00
Royal Exhibition Building
9 Nicholson St
Carlton VIC 3053
The End of the Line: Film Screening
Posted in Events, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on July 6th, 2010
Ethical Consumer’s upcoming meal and movie night will be held at Wendy’s home in Blackburn. We’ll be screening The End of the Line, on Thursday 8th July. ‘Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences. This is the future if we do not stop, think and act.’ See more at http://endoftheline.com
What you can do? Come see the movie of course – but also think about the seafood you buy. Four species that are considered a ‘better buy’ by the Australian Marine Conservation Society are Whiting, Bream, Flathead and Calamari. (Four – I can remember four).
Dinner: Thursday July 8, 6.30 – 7.30pm – byo ‘food and thoughts’ to share >> movie 8pm – 10.30pm.
RSVP nick@ethical.org.au or 0417 114 492
Upcoming nights – 12th August – screening Michael Moore’s Capitalism – A Love Story
Read more about Meal & Movie nights.
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Starting a Sharing Community in Your Neighbourhood
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on July 5th, 2010
The Sharehood is all about sharing resources within our neighbourhoods. Sewing machines, cars, tools, books and washing machines all have the capacity to be shared. Skills too can be shared, such as gardening, handiwork, bike fixing, accountancy and so on. Many skills and resources we need are already available within our own neighbourhoods. The Sharehood infrastructure provides a great way to get to know your neighbours and build a sense of community while saving money and the environment. So far around six hundred neighbours are interacting from Adelaide, Newcastle, South Hobart, the US and UK as well as across Melbourne.
This workshop will explain the process of starting a Sharehood community in your area: letterboxing, the first meeting, organising social events, as well as generally sharing the experience of building community. We will also cover privacy issues, the local currency, people without the internet, and will have plenty of time for questions and discussion.
You are also welcome to stick around for our Sharehood Collective meeting at 8pm if you think you might be interested in getting involved in making the Sharehood happen.
Monday the 19th of July, The Hive, 17 Kerr St, Fitzroy
Info Night – 7-8pm
The Sharehood Meeting – 8pm onwards
Tea/coffee and light refreshments provided
Please RSVP to contact@thesharehood.org or 0450720269 if you plan on coming.
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Managing Victoria’s Electricity Demand: Seminar
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on June 22nd, 2010
Source: Climate Action Calendar
Sustainability in Action: VECCI Resource Efficiency Training
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on June 17th, 2010
Environmentally-friendly businesses are those that make a conscious decision to choose sustainable practices. Customers, staff and suppliers increasingly want to work with and for these businesses. Sustainability in the workplace is fast becoming essential to give businesses the competitive edge. This one day workshop was developed in response to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses that wish to adopt more sustainable practices.
What will be covered
- A brief overview of relevant environmental legislation.
- Opportunities that can lead to reduced resource use, cost savings and reputational gains.
- An introduction to easy-to-use tools to help you successfully measure water, energy use and waste disposal.
- Communicating your business’s environmental goals to staff and customers.
- Expert assistance with the development of a draft Action Plan to reduce water, waste and energy use.
- A resource pack that includes case studies, information on grants and funding, and useful contacts for future assistance.
Next Event: June 30
Visit the website for bookings and more information.
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South Melbourne Commons: Get Involved
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on May 4th, 2010
Source: Friends of the Earth Melbourne
In 2010, FoE Melbourne commenced the development of the first Eco Market style operation in South Melbourne. South Melbourne Commons will become a new community hub that reconnects people back to a sense of place and belonging. The site will feature, a cafe, food cooperative, grocery store & deli with a weekly Saturday Eco Market operation starting later in the year. Weekly workshops and community activities will be a common occurrence.
There has been some fantastic progress made at so far, and they are now really scaling up the volunteer effort with Working Bees every Friday and alternating Saturday and Sundays. Help build this new community hub in South Melbourne.
A range of opportunities exist to help:
- All volunteers get a tour of the site with heritage listed features and a briefing about the South Melbourne Commons.
- Under the supervision of skilled tradespeople, help prepare the site for development – sand, paint, lift flooring, move furniture, prepare the garden beds, cut the hedges back, join the gardening team
- Cook the BBQ
- Join us for a yummy lunch & relaxing cold drink at the end of the day.
- A range of other tasks and activities can be discussed.
Location: Corner of Bank and Montague St, South Melbourne
Learn More: www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=smc
Email ecomarket.melbourne@foe.org.au or call Marty 0403 440 996 to learn more and get involved.
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Your sustainable transport guide: Business
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on April 30th, 2010
Source: GreenRazor, the GreenPages Newsletter
Your Sustainable Transport Guide: how to drive better transport decisions for your business
As strong advocates for sustainable transport, Greenfleet and The Net Balance Foundation have teamed up to develop Your Sustainable Transport Guide, to help businesses take action to reduce their transport footprint. The Guide was developed as a practical ‘how to’ guide, offering suggestions that any business can implement now, as well as examples highlighting ways that some businesses have already taken action in this area.
The Guide is written in four parts:
1. Generic Principles and Approach – high level discussion and framework
2. The Approach in Detail – more extensive information, examples and hints
3. Quick Guide for Sustainable Transport – a checklist of suggestions
4. Summary of Resources – an internet reference guide
Visit the website to read more or download the Guide.
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Electric Cars: Not good enough
Posted in Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on April 29th, 2010
Source: Going Solar Transport Newsletter
“There’s no quick fix to either the energy shortage or climate change. In the longer term, we’re all going to have to use less energy, and that means smaller houses, less plastic junk that we don’t really need and less wasted trips in our cars.”
From Electric Cars a Major Environmental Threat:
Despite their ‘green’ image, electric cars are often less efficient and more polluting than the petrol cars they replace, according to a major report released today [23-03-10]. The 168-page report, titled The Emperor’s New Car, is described as a ‘long-overdue reality check’ by its author, car expert Clive Matthew-Wilson. The report was prepared in consultation with several internationally-recognised energy experts. Matthew-Wilson, who edits the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide, says: “The car industry is selling a false image of efficient, environmentally-friendly electric cars powered by ‘green’ energy. In reality, electric cars often aren’t very efficient and aren’t very green.”
The report was highly critical of the iconic Tesla electric sports car, which has become the international symbol of chic, environmentally-responsible motoring. “The Tesla is actually not very efficient at all. Most of Tesla’s publicity focuses on the efficiency of its electric motor. What they don’t tell you is that its batteries are heavy, inefficient and that Teslas are frequently powered by electricity from highly polluting power stations.”
“Despite what most people believe, a high percentage of the world’s electricity is produced using dirty fuels like coal. This isn’t going to change anytime soon; in fact, the widespread introduction of electric cars will probably increase the world’s reliance on coal in order to keep up with the increased demand for electricity.”
“Claims that electric cars are ‘emissions-free’ are simply a lie; they merely transfer the pollution from the road to the power station. Not only will electric cars not reduce emissions, they may actually increase emissions, because burning coal to make electricity to power an electric car creates more pollution than if you simply powered the same vehicle using petrol.”
“Renewable energy sources may be growing fast, but they’re still a tiny percentage of the world’s electricity supply and they’ll stay that way for the foreseeable future, because renewable energy sources tend to be far more expensive than fossil fuels.”
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