Go Greener

How can I do my thing to become green?

I found this great Australian website on the internet with heaps of simple tips and how to take action and why we need to take action;

It's easy to go greener!
There's been a lot of talk lately about the environment, how it's being damaged and what should be done about it. No-one wants to harm our atmosphere, oceans, or unique Australian wildlife, but sometimes it's hard to know how to make the best choices for our world. The good news is there's a lot of things you can do to help improve the future of our planet.
This website has info on what you can do to help save the environment, and it's easier than you think. To get you started, we've got a list of 3 low-cost things you can do this week, and why they'll make a difference.

Mobile phones

You must have heard the ad at least once on the radio; how to round up all old mobile phones for Cleanup Australia.
Mobile muster is the official recycling program of the mobile phone industry.

In Australia only, it is estimated that there were 8 million new mobile phone sold in 2006/2007. The average Australian typically upgrades their phones every 12-18 months. Only 3% of all mobile phones sold in Australia are currently being recycled. There are an estimated 12-16 million mobile phone handsets lying around unused.... What is the problem? Many components of mobile phones are toxic and not biodegradable. More info on this fact sheet and a more colorful one.

It's a very good idea to recycle this article because there are so many of them laying around. And if I had to say it, I would add also the MP3 players, memory sticks and other small electronical gadgets...
Even better, create them from biodegradable plastic and get the toxic part in one simple device which is easy to remove to put in the recycling bin when the phone is out of use.
We, as designers, should think more carefull about recycling products which are frequently used and updated.

So get all your old mobiles and

Green TV

Having a dull moment at work or just want to see some greenies in other countries (mainly the UK) have a look at Green TV. You can send in your own movies about making the earth a better place.
I had a good time watching the Glastonbury festival with all the people frolicking in the mud. It reminded me of the three days music festival in the Netherlands I went to some years ago. Almost every year it ends in a big mudpool...
Or the piece about how Lush, the cosmetic company, reduce their carbon footprint. I am using Lush products since February this year and must say they are quite alright. The solid shampoo is still going, I bought 100 grams and I still have a few grams left, so it's not only eco friendly but also good value for money! They use natural products, don't test on animals and reduce packaging by not adding water to make products easier to use (you can add the water yourself!!!) It took me a few days to get used to solid shampo and deodorant but now I don't want anything else any more! It saves me not only money but reduces my carbon footprint by not adding a lot of plastic bottles to the bin!

ARKive

I came a cross this interesting website; ARKive. If you love nature as much as I do you will like the images and movies on this website complete with a lot of information!

ARKive is the Noah's Ark for the Internet era - a unique global initiative, gathering together into one centralised digital library, films, photographs and audio recordings of the world’s species. Films and photographs are an emotive, powerful and effective means of building environmental awareness – they can bring a scientific name to life, show what a species looks like and why it is special. As such, they are a valuable educational resource and conservation tool. ARKive is a not-for-profit initiative of Wildscreen, a UK-based charity, whose mission is ‘to promote the conservation of nature and public appreciation of biodiversity, through the power of wildlife imagery’.

I am very happy with the response so far! Thanks!

According the poll on this blog 18 people like to meet other people who are interested in sustainable products and 5 are maybe interested, it depends on how it's presented. And I have got a few responses of interest by email.

My next step is to organize a place were we can meet. And therefore I will like your help as well, so please fill in my new poll or respond in the comments under this blog or send me an email.
I like to know what you would prefer or what you expect:

1. Green Drinks in a pub, keep it open and simple, just having a chat with other people and buying my own drinks. Were? Can you recommend a pub?

2. Green Drinks in a community location or such were we will be with our own group and for example learn more about sustainable design by appointing every time another person to tell about his/hers ideas of sustainability and invite people/businesses for a talk. There will be a small attending fee to cover the cost of location hire (if necessary) and for drinks/nibbles. Can anyone recommend a space for this kind of meetings? Or is there a company who can donate this space?

3. Green Drinks in the greens, like a park. It's getting spring and it will be BYO. We can meet for example in Kings Park and organise speakers as well. If you know of a better green location please let me know.

4. Other suggestions?

Please give me some response so I can organise the first meeting as good as possible.
Thanks for your cooperation.

Green drinks

Green drinks is an international happening. All over the world groups of people gather to talk about sustainable solutions for the world. Not only product designers are involved but also architects, interior designers, graphic designers, manufacturers, government, education, etc.etc.

As the liaison for Western Australia it's my task to organise such thing here in Western Australia. As you can see I put a poll on this blog to see if there is enough interest and I already know what my next poll will be...

Because were do I start? Having the green drinks in a pub or cafe like in most other countries, or is it better to start in a community hall or something similar? As on the picture in this blog I just made up something but I hope to have found a suitable place soon. If anyone can help me with some input, please make a comment! And do the poll!

Small business BIG impact

The Small Business Development Corporation has an interesting piece on their website:
With more than 186,000 small businesses operating throughout Western Australia, small business can make a big difference to the impact of business activity on the environment.
Imagine the impact if every small business operator in WA made a conscious decision to reduce consumption, reuse consumables and recycle waste.
Imagine the impact if they also offset their greenhouse emissions by participating in a carbon credit scheme.
Imagine the impact if choosing natural power sources became the norm for Western Australia’s small business sector.
Read further

Core77

Core77 has an interesting article on Ecodesign, ecolabels and the environment. What do chopped fresh green beans have in common with high definition flat screen TV's? And how does this relate to design? In Europe, they're both considered consumer products whose journey from raw material to shopwindow requires energy to process—emitting greenhouse gases that can have an adverse impact on the environment—and are considered to possess a 'carbon footprint.' In other words, they are products of a larger global industrial ecosystem. Read further.

Act now for the future

Act now for the future is a Western Australian Government’s web portal for sustainable living.
It is aimed on the consumer with lots of tips on a more sustainable way of living like:
Waste not, emit not: every tonne of paper recycled saves almost 13 trees, 2.5 barrels of oil, 4100kWh of electricity, 4 cubic metres of landfill and 31,780 litres of water.
and
Buy locally: buy as much produce as possible from local sources. Not only does this help boost the local economy, it reduces the amount of energy needed to get the product to you.

Perth Sun Fair

The Sun Fair is aimed at introducing the people of Perth to sustainable living concepts, technology and lifestyles. Major themes of the fair include renewable energy, energy efficiency, environment conservation and natural living.
On Sunday 6th April 2008 people from all walks of life will come together on the Oak Lawn at the University of Western Australia to share information and experiences so they can return to their homes with a knowledge that they can make a difference to the future of the welfare of this planet and all its living systems.
The fair demonstrates that sustainable lifestyles are environmentally sound and cost effective and are very much an attainable reality.
Environmental change is a challenge facing all of us and will only be addressed when government, business and individuals act together to achieve a common goal of sustainable living.
Info

Making the switch

Making the Switch had a documentary on sustainable design. They interviewed a few exhibitors at VIVID on the Furniture Show in Melbourne end of July. click here if you want to have a look at it.

What is Making the Switch?
'Making the Switch', on community television around Australia; The show is produced by the award-winning team at Global Vision Media with the support of the State Government of Victoria, Origin Energy and a large number of environmental groups.Over the past few years, awareness of climate change has become central to social and political discussion. But the stories about the practical steps that everyone can take to make a difference have lagged behind.'Making the Switch' fills the void. It provides practical information and insights on environmental solutions, inspiring individuals to create sustainable change.It also showcases corporate initiatives, providing viewers with an inside look at the way industry is meeting the climate change challenge.
In Melbourne, tune in 9.30pm every Monday, repeated on Thursdays at 3.30pm.
In Adelaide, 9.30pm every Monday, repeated on Thursdays at 2.30pm and on Tuesdays at 5pm.
In Brisbane, 7pm every Tuesday, repeated on Saturday afternoons at noon.
In Sydney, 7pm every Thursday, repeated on Fridays at 12.30pm and Saturdays at 10.30am.
Perth will be joining soon.