Conference Alert! A Better World by Design Nov. 7-9 @ Brown University in Providence RI

What are designers doing to address critical issues facing today’s world? How are engineers developing new technologies to improve life on earth? Where are entrepreneurs finding surprising opportunities in this mess? A Better World by Design will attempt to address these questions by demonstrating what professionals and academics are doing to promote sustainable development and change the world for the better.

Cameron Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity and Iqbal Quadir of Grameenphone will be the keynote speakers for the weekend.

Over three days, dozens of industry leaders will speak about novel approaches and solutions to extreme poverty, access to basic resources, and environmental degradation. In the spirit of engineering, workshops will put theory to practice and galleries will display the innovations and messages of talented designers.

Admission is $40 for students and $100 for non-students.

More information at http://www.abetterworldbydesign.com

Sustainable Development For Those Who Need It Most

Sustainable South Bronx, founded in 2001 by Majora Carter, a life long resident of the area, is an organization that promotes environmental justice through sustainable environmental and economic development projects. By addressing problems of infrastructure, education and poverty, SSB hopes to develop the South Bronx into an effective example of responsible, and postive urban growth.

One of the major programs created by SSB is called BEST, which stands for the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program. BEST is a 10-week, hands on curriculum that provides skilled training in horticulture, construction, wildlife management and other green collar fields. By providing those in need with marketable skills and training, BEST is able to create opportunities for the people and places who need it most.

Another initiative put forth by SSB is focused on using green roofs to help combat the problem of storm water run off and increase the green space in an otherwise concrete dominated area. The use of green roofs are beneficial not only for decreasing flooding from water run-off but also reducing noise pollution, absorbing heat, and act as an added layer of insulation to buildings.

By reshaping the make up of the community, improving green space and educating and training residents in sustainable development, Sustainable South Bronx is breaking new ground in community development. The ongoing work of SSB is helping to build a stronger community both economically and culturally in the South Bronx in an effective and more responsible way.

For more information visit the Sustainable South Bronx website

Cassette Tape Furniture

With the advance of technology, significant changes in ways we value our possessions has become an inspiration for designers like Patrick Schuur to create a furniture piece built entirely out of 918 old cassette tapes, wooden frames and aluminum. Originally made to serve as a space divider and storage device, the cassette tapes are individually screwed onto the wooden frames which then provides access to the storage space.

Schuur explains that the reasoning behind using old cassette tapes was not only because its aesthetics, but to remind people of how good the technology used to look in the old days.

For more information, please visit creativebarn.nl.

Preserving Our Plastic History

Museums are well known for meticulously preserving and caring for even the most fragile objects, but it’s the preservation of common plastics that is creating some of the biggest problems for curators today. When most people think of museums, ancient artifacts, fossils and famous paintings usually come to mind, but plastics are far more prevalent in museums than at first glance, and their deterioration can be a serious threat to the integrity of many museum exhibits.

A new program called the Preservation of Plastic Artifacts in Museum Collections-POPART for short- is a 42 month, multimillion dollar initiative addressing the growing problem of the deterioration of plastic artifacts and displays in museums across the globe.

When many plastics degrade they give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or even acids that can eat away at other artifacts. Once a plastic starts to degrade there is little that can be done to salvage it. Combating this problem is further complicated by the countless varieties of plastic polymers out there, each one breaking down in a unique way and releasing different harmful toxins.

Museums are now realizing the importance of treating plastics with care as they are experiencing some of the many dangers first hand. Although they may have an extremely long life span, as soon as plastics begin to degrade they become a danger to the priceless collections in museums around the world.

Further Reading: ScienceNews Article
Photo courtesy of John lee/National Museum of Denmark

Manufactured Landscapes: Edward Burtynsky’s View of the World

Edward Burtynsky is not your average photographer. Sure he takes photos of grand vistas, captures intricate detail, and creates a narrative with his content, but it’s his truly unique subject matter that really sets him apart. Factories, landfills, and quarries are not often the typical venues for creating beautiful photography, but these are exactly what Burtynsky’s work is focused on. The fruit of his labor is expertly captured and can be seen in the award winning feature documentary film, Manufactured Landscapes. Throughout the film, Burtynsky’s large-scale photographs of the man-made industrial world are both awe-inspiring and deeply haunting at the same time. His photos provide viewers with a truly tangible glimpse into the many negative externalities of our global civilization.

In the documentary, Burtynsky travels throughout China photographing the giant factories that continuously churn out most of the world’s consumable goods. He captures the controversial Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam in the world that has displaced over a million people and the barren and scarred landscapes of massive coal mines. Ironically, through his unique lens, Burtynsky is able to find beauty in a world seemingly devoid of it.

By letting his work speak for itself, Burtynsky is able present the many beautiful and evocative images to the audience in an unbiased and effective way. He efficiently conveys the massive scale of modern societies ills with images alone. Although Manufactured Landscapes has been out for a few years, its deeply moving content will continue to be relevant for years to come.

Manufactured Landscapes Website

Thai Monks Take Bottle Recycling to a Higher Level

Although Buddhist monks usually refrain from drinking alcohol, monks in Thailands Si Saket province have come up with an ingenious way of reusing local beer bottle waste by building an entire temple complex out of them.

The Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple, also referred to as “Wat Lan Kuad” or “Temple of Million Bottles” is located about 370 miles Northeast of Bangkok and is said to be made from over 1.5 million beer bottles. The bottles were used in just about everything from the temple crematorium, the living quarters, a water tower and even in the toilets.

The bottles are primarily green Heineken beer bottles and brown glass Thai Chang bottles, but the temple also has large intricately crafted mosaics made entirely from the left over bottle caps.

The temple is becoming an increasingly popular tourist attraction and its easy to see why with such unique structures built with completely reclaimed materials.

To learn more, read the Inhabitat article here.

Eco-Art this Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, and New Delhi based artist Subodh Gupta has gotten into the spirit of things with his creation of a giant skull made from recycled kitchenware. The skull was shown at the annual Frieze Art Fair in London and is a great example of using reclaimed material in a creative way.

The Frieze Art fair is held every October in Regent’s Park in London and is a great platform for contemporary artists to showcase their work. Along with varied art galleries, visitors can listen to special artist presentations, and take part in educational programs provided on site.

Crafted from old kitchenware, the Skull is a prime example of the work of Subodh Gupta. Gupta is best known for his creative use of everyday reclaimed items and has worked in numerous mediums like paint, photography, video and performance. Gupta’s use of everyday found items is a unique take on the intricacies of Indian society today and sheds new light on the everyday objects used in his pieces.

Ecofriend blog on Gupta

Wal-Mart Unveils a New Sustainability Initiative

Wal-Mart is making headlines again, thankfully this time it’s a lot less controversial. On October 22nd in Beijing, Wal-Mart held a groundbreaking conference with around 1,000 different suppliers and manufactures outlining the future goals of the company. With many companies today realizing the need for more sustainable business models, Wal-Mart is following suit with an initiative to bring more sustainable and energy efficient practices to its already immensely successful business and supply chain.

“Sustainability is about building a better business. We think it is essential to our future success as a retailer — and to meeting the expectations of customers,” said Lee Scott, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “Maintaining the trust of our customers — today and in the future — is tied hand-in-hand with improving the quality of our supplier factories and their products.”

Wal-Mart’s main initiative focuses on meeting or exceeding social and environmental standards, promoting innovation and efficiency and building stronger partnerships with suppliers, governments and NGOs. Beginning in China in 2009, Wal-Mart will create a new supplier agreement that will require factories to certify compliance with local laws and regulations as well as rigorous social and environmental standards. Wal-Mart will also partner with its top manufacturers to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2012. Along with increasing environmental standards, Wal-Mart will also implement stricter product safety and quality measures that will greatly reduce returns of defective merchandise

Thanks to its great success, Wal-Mart is in a unique position to bring about effective change by working collaboratively with foreign suppliers and manufacturers. Although by no means the first company to strive to be more environmentally conscious, the fact that a large and powerful company like Wal-Mart is making a commitment to sustainability will no doubt have a positive impact and lead the way for other corporations to follow.

Wal-Mart Press Release