The Council for Sustainability at SCAD

By Robert Fee

(Originally published on Friday, Feb. 1, 2008 in The Chronicle)

Regardless of how it may seem, sustainability is not a well-embraced idea. Many intelligent and conservative people challenge the notion of global warming as the chief threat to our habitat. Science, they say, has not proven with certainty that the planet is getting warmer, or that we are in any way responsible if it is.

Some people piously tell us that none of this matters because the world will go on after we have departed. If you don’t believe this, watch a rerun of the History Channel’s “Life After People” or “The Planet of the Apes.”

I think it does matter, and if I am human with a self-interested philosophy of life, then I take responsibility for it. After all, isn’t it in our self-interest to not consume resources that are beyond the carrying capacity of the planet?

Paul Hawken brought this to our attention in his 1993 book “The Ecology of Commerce,” the same book that inspired Ray Anderson to be an articulate spokesperson for the cause. As founder and CEO of Interface Carpet, Anderson is an in-the-trenches, real, working example of how theory informs practice and practice reveals principle. If you haven’t heard Anderson talk, stay tuned because my job as a member of the Sustainability and Eco-practices Council is to get him back to SCAD soon.*

As designers of products, environments, communications and services, we can all work to improve the sustainability of Earth. Just as we are fast learners regarding our particular design projects, we must quickly learn the science behind the manufacturing processes and materials we use. Janine Benyus’s seminal “Biomimicry” provides a strong foundation, including a detailed description of life in an ordinary field and why specialization can be risky. Take industrial designers’ favorite plastic polymer, cellulosics. Its primary ingredient is cellulose — plant fiber. That is a good thing, but how many of us know the number of toxic chemicals used to refine and manufacture it? I don’t.

Another environmental concern is an abundance of service-oriented obstacles — which we can solve as designers. Easily recycled soda and water bottles exist, but if they don’t get collected, they won’t get recycled. If you buy a new computer, will the manufacturer take your old one and properly dispose of it? How about reusable grocery bags? They are a technical solution to the paper vs. plastic dilemma, but who actually uses them? Do you?

These are all design problems that can be tackled by architects, designers and business leaders.

By Peter Fossick

(Originally published on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 in The Chronicle)

Good, environmentally conscious design makes good business sense. To be competitive, businesses must be efficient. Every wasteful act in the extraction and production process is a poor business decision.

Do the products we use today really represent the pinnacle of human genius if they are made using methods that cause pollution? The answer is no.

We need a new paradigm in business. We need to redefine the concept of the free market so all the costs of the manufacture and use of a product, throughout its entire life, are accounted for in dollars. We need new, efficient manufacturing systems using innovative products that not only have no negative impact on the environment but have a restorative effect too. Above all, these systems have to be more competitive in terms of profits than the polluting systems they replace.

The post-industrial economies in the developed Northern hemisphere have swept their dirt under the carpet by relocating their manufacturing to emerging markets such as China, India, Mexico, Vietnam and similar countries. We rely on these countries to produce the appliances and consumer goods we have in our homes, but we do not see the impact the manufacture of these products has on the environment.

The solution to this problem lies in micro markets. In his book “The Long Tail,” Chris Anderson described the phenomenon of small, micro, niche markets, in which specialized customer needs represent 50 percent of new e-commerce business turnover. Amazon.com is a great example. A significant proportion of Amazon’s turnover is very specialized reading material. Companies such as e-Bay, Nike, Toyota, Dell and many others have all recognized the importance of being customer-centric, specializing and offering choices.

This business model requires that companies can cope with large and complex inventory and know what customers like and want. However, the concept of mass-customized products and services that are made-to-order, just-in-time and above all made locally (within 250 to 500 miles) has proven to be best for both business and the environment.

Japanese car manufacturers have started to do this, developing manufacturing plants that are flexible, are located geographically close to their markets and create products that are highly customized. Another example is the Mercedes Smart Car. The customer becomes a co-designer and, in so doing, begins to engage with the product and brand in a way that is great for business.

Being situated locally also means that businesses have to respect the environments in which their customers live and where their children play. Conducting business in their own backyards, so to speak, will drive companies to find innovative ways to reduce waste, emissions, toxicity, energy and material dumping.

Companies must learn to innovate and make money, too. And that’s good for jobs, the economy and the environment. It’s just good business.

By Scott Boylston

(Orignally published on Friday, Jan. 25, 2008 in The Chronicle)

“If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we will do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
— Rajendra Pachauri, Ph.D., chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

If, as Plato once said, necessity is the mother of invention, then the human race is on the verge of a tremendous era of innovation, for we have clearly reached a point of necessary change. There are 6.6 billion people vying for the natural treasures of one small planet, and in the process of harvesting this bounty we are using means that degrade and deplete the very resources we require. This is simply not a sustainable model of existence.

What, then, is a sustainable model of existence? Can we begin implementing such a model by 2012? These are the most pressing questions of our time. A more pressing question, however, is this: Will you contribute to this change, or will you hinder its course with your inaction?

Artists and designers have historically challenged the status quo with their foresight, intuiting that, while much might be good in any culture, all is not perfect. But discerning shortcomings is not the only gift of visionaries; they can provide creative ideas for overcoming those shortcomings. And so next week’s Focus the Nation Teach-in will offer the SCAD community — a community of creative thinkers — an opportunity not only to learn about how their daily choices contribute to the problems of global warming, but to share their ideas about how this problem might be adequately addressed.

On Jan. 31, in conjunction with a national teach-in involving more than 1,200 colleges and universities, SCAD will hold a full-day seminar on the challenges of and potential solutions for global warming. The program will be held at the Trustees Theater, 216 Abercorn St., 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., with a consecutive series of speakers to coincide with the daily class schedule. At 6 p.m., Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary on global warming, “The Eleventh Hour,” will be screened, free and open to the public. The night before these events, an hour-long, interactive national webcast, which will include participants such as actor Edward Norton and sustainability expert Hunter Lovins, will begin at 8 p.m. While a large screen will be set up at the Oglethorpe House ballroom, 201 E. Oglethorpe Ave., limited seating is available, so you’re invited to join the webcast from anywhere; visit www.focusthenation.org/2percentsolution.php.

Albert Einstein said, “The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.” Here at SCAD we have individuals well equipped to open the door to new ways of thinking; not only are they young and energetic, they are, to their very bone, creative. It’s simply a matter of expanding that creative vision, which often encompasses the more narrowly defined tasks of an artistic discipline, to include the broader context of the shared human condition. Please join us for this important event, and help us define a path forward.

By Christine Miller and Scott Boylston

(Originally published on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 in the Chronicle)

What does sustainability mean to you? How do you feel when you engage in what you consider sustainable practices, like reusing a plastic container or riding your bike instead of driving your car to class?

Industrial design students in the Fall 2007 Contextual Research Methods course at the Savannah College of Art and Design asked these questions to understand how people think and feel about sustainability and sustainable practices. Using ethnographic-style research methods, the students explored the wide range of meanings people attach to sustainability, and designed more knowledgeable solutions as a result.

As part of their study, the industrial design students distributed “workbooks” to students in the graphic design course The Role of Design in Social Awareness. In the workbooks, students wrote about their interests, their passions and what they enjoy doing in their leisure time. They explained what influenced their thinking and actions relating to sustainability, and listed three main areas they associate with sustainable practices. Finally, they used words, pictures and sketches to express what sustainability means to them.

Based on the responses in the workbooks, the industrial design students identified four major areas of concern: transportation, energy conservation, recycling and personal choices, such as supporting local organic produce, buying certified organic products or recycling at home. The industrial design students then developed a “co-creation” session, during which they worked on teams with the graphic design students to conceptualize college-wide campaigns about sustainable practices in these four areas.

The co-creation session resulted in four initiatives that can be taken to the next phase of development by subsequent classes. Several students worked over the holiday break to create a podcast documenting the project, which is scheduled to debut at the SCAD Teach-in Jan. 31.

This project demonstrated how students benefit from interdepartmental interaction. The spontaneity that resulted from working with creative individuals whom they hadn’t met before — and who possessed distinctly different methodological approaches — was one of the key factors in energizing the teams’ creative output.

Sustainability, at its core, is about understanding the broad context of the designed world and arriving at a holistic appreciation of complex systems. To achieve this, it’s imperative that designers in one field understand the methodologies and factors at play in other specialties. The Fall 2007 exercise was beneficial because even as it encouraged students to wrestle with sustainable design ideas, it also reinforced the notion that disciplines must work together to develop sustainable models of ideation and action.

By John Bennett

(Originally published on Friday, February 8, 2008 in The Chronicle)

In the face of climbing gasoline prices and concerns about climate change, many Americans hope that scientists and researchers will deliver high-tech solutions to our economic and environmental problems. For those who don’t want to wait, there already exists a sustainable and affordable transportation option. In fact, this technology has been in use on the streets of Savannah and other cities for more than a century: the bicycle.

While not everyone lives within cycling range of their workplaces, bicycle commuting is a practical — though unfortunately unconsidered — option for many. In testimony last May before the Congressional Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, League of American Bicyclists Executive Director Andy Clarke cited a U.S. Department of Transportation study to underscore the viability of cycling in the city. The study found that in metropolitan areas, 40 percent of trips are “two miles or less — a very manageable bike ride — and more than one-quarter are just one mile or less,” he said.

Those interested in trying bicycle commuting should begin by considering three issues: safety, equipment and route.

Safety: State law recognizes bicycles as vehicles and considers their operators to be drivers. As such, bicyclists must obey the same regulations as motorists, including stopping at stop signs and traffic signals, traveling with the flow of traffic and using lights after dark. Although Georgia does not require helmet use for adult cyclists, it is strongly recommended. “The Art of Urban Cycling,” a book by Robert Hurst, is a terrific source of information about how to stay safe on a bike.

Equipment: Just as the reliability of a car depends on regular maintenance, a bike does require occasional mechanical attention. If a bicycle has been gathering dust in the garage for years, it’s a good idea to take it to a bike shop for an inspection and a tune-up before riding it to work. For those who are thrifty, enjoy getting their hands dirty or simply want to support a good cause, Savannah’s bicycle co-op may be an appealing alternative. The co-op, located at the corner of East Broad and 39th streets, is open every Saturday, noon - 5 p.m. For a minimal fee that goes to support the co-op, staff volunteers provide tools and teach customers how to repair and maintain their bicycles.

Route: The best way to get to work by car may not be the best way to go by bike. A bicycle commuting route should be selected based on criteria including speed and volume of automobile traffic, pavement condition and issues in neighborhoods through which the route passes. A map of designated bicycle routes in Savannah can be downloaded from the Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission Web site. Before commuting for the first time, a cyclist should ride the selected route on a weekend to identify problems that are not visible on a map or from automobile reconnaissance.

See links to the resources mentioned in this story and additional information.