An Industrialized World and Solutions

"This step of avoiding harmful materials can be surprisingly complex Designers begin by specifying materials with as low an environmental impact as possible and this requires understanding their material chemistry and life cycles in detail- not only the toxicity of a material itself, but also where it came from and how it was produced." (Robertson, 2014, p. 254)

I love to know that many companies are keeping a consideration of the impacts products have, whether that be through the simple delivery of materials, production of these said materials, or at the very end, in disposing of it in a reusable manner. Prior to having read this subsection concerning product design, I hadn't been aware of the steps many companies have taken to efficiently create a product design that can have less of a negative impact on our environment. An example within the text, for example, elaborated on how in 2008, Ford altered the type of foam used in the seats of their Mustang's, by using a soybean-based foam instead petroleum based. To think that by simply changing the type of foam, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted could be at least reduced a little, is amazing. This expanding understanding and knowledge of alternate materials in having a more energy efficient process can surely aid in conserving more energy for the future.

"In contrast, modern cultural expectations are that each individual or household will acquire its own set of objects and that many of the objects, such as cell phones or clothing, will be discarded and replaced frequently" (Robertson, 2014, p. 256)

Photo by Peter Essick. National Geographic

I'm in complete agreement with what was said in this section of the reading. The influences of product life are entirely dependent on cultural aspects and time period. Although certain changes have been placed to minimize this, it's self-evident how we currently are discarding and changing many of our material belongings. Phones, and other electronics are the first things that come to mind when I read this. Apple, for example, year after year, releases an updated and "better" version of the iPhone or another electronic. People fall into that trap and, as a result, are constantly changing their electronics. "One solution is to develop simple, elegant designs made of single or limited numbers of materials." (Robertson, 2014, p. 256) I always thought, "why doesn't Apple simply have just upgrades with the current phone one has and leave it at that. A pro with Apple, as do other phone companies, is that (if I'm not mistaken) they do offer people to turn in their old phones and recycle them. I have always used this for my phones, and the same goes for my parents. However, I'm not sure if this would count as a takeback program, but I would assume it could be. Goodwill is another good example. They offer the public an ability to donate any clothing, that of which is redistributed in their stores. As I remember hearing, if a person's clothing items isn't sold for an allotted amount of time, the clothes are sent to other places be it goodwill outlets, auctions, or textile recyclers. The kicker is this: if the clothes are wet, moldy, or contaminated they are thrown out to a landfill. All in all, they aren't disposing this properly, when clothes can be very easily recycled.

Photo by Tyrone Turner. National Geographic

"Product designers in some cases have redesigned their products so that they can take up less volume or can be packed more tightly, resulting in less wasted space and fewer trips" (Robertson, 2014, . 261)

Transportation is a major key in product distribution, and as a result, also a primary source of greenhouse gases. Especially now, with sites such as Amazon and eBay, etc. transportation has become an even more added stressor- an unstoppable and leading cause for these destructive emissions. It's comforting to know that there are companies out there that are trying to make a difference, however.

Source: Robertson, M. (2014). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Climate Change

"Just as multiple approaches are needed, contributions of many people in multiple organizations are needed. The work begins with each of us as individuals and the choices we make- what we eat, how we consume energy, how we move ourselves around, what we buy and how we vote" (Robertson, 2014, p. 83)

Photo by Cory Richards. National Geographic

Climate change has been a recurring topic for most of my life, but it hasn't been until most recently that it has been taken up by storm, as temperature's have been reaching record highs. I have always been a firm believer of global warming. My brain could never wrap around the idea that there are people out there who struggle with this concept. In these last few years the collective effects of greenhouse gases has been self-evident as temperatures have been higher than normal. There is stark evidence as our "winter" months consists of very little days defined as "cold". Even up in the north, this has been occurring. I recall hearing on TV one morning that New York has had warmer winters exceeding above four degrees in Fahrenheit since the 70's. The facts and statistics are there, but many seem to be in denial of the evidence, that of which infuriates me to no end. If we get enough people supporting this movement and believing in climate change, then that's when real change will begin to happen. The problem is that we rely too much on our normal routine, be it using our cars and other forms of degrading transportation (airplanes, etc) or simply being oblivious of our overall impact on the atmosphere. The truth of the matter is that these "degrading" things will always exist and will always be used, but the key is trying to minimize the use and finding alternative and more sustainable methods of decreasing greenhouse emissions. I found it to be jaw-dropping how incredibly fragile our atmosphere is and how long it would take to get the Earth's system back to normal, as Robertson (2014) states, "The transition back to stability is likely to take centuries. Scientists, from physicists to biologists to climatologists, tell us that the climate impacts of fossil fuels are expected to last at least hundreds and probably thousands of years" (p. 90)

"Marine ecosystems are vulnerable to changing climate for several reasons. Plankton, the tiny plants animals on which the ocean's food chain chains depend , are sensitive to even small rises in water temperature; changes in the mix of plankton can result in mass die-offs of fish and birds" (Robertson, 2014, p. 81)

Photo by Paul Nicklen. National Geographic

The effects of climate change are staggering. When I read this section of the book explaining the impact of ecosystems throughout the world, the entire picture of our potential future became apparent to me. It's terrifying to think the chain and ripple effect of climate change. Because of the rising temperatures both on land and sea, many species are being forced to migrate to cooler climates. A huge warning appears as important industries, such as forestry and tourism, will begin to suffer— especially with the shifting of natural resources, such as the fish stocks. We all depend on one another. Our survival, in of itself, for rural and urban areas depend on other life. Another thing that was mentioned is rising sea level, that of which further contributes to the migration. One can only imagine the impact on food production this has; as crops have to be moved to higher altitudes. Also, not to mention how the shifting of animals and plants into new areas can usually lead to dramatic changes considering those areas have not evolved well enough to sustain these new incomers. Change, as always, needs to start with our decisions— today. As Robertson (2014) further elaborates, "The work we do now is for a future we will never see. This work, contributing to the stabilization of Earth's climate to maintain livability of the biosphere for us and so many fellow creatures, may be the most consequential work we ever do" (p. 90)


Source: Robertson, M. (2014). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.