Reading 3

World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century by Alex Steffen (Author), Al Gore (Foreword), and Stephan Sagmeister (Designer)

Stuff and Shelter Sections Pages 32-39 and 142-152

Our society is a greedy one that is based on materialistic values.  But "how much stuff do we need?" (p. 32)  Sadly the gap between sustainability and everyday practice is very wide.  It's the opposite of what we actually need.  People can check the footprint they are causing on the world by the "Ecological Footprint Quiz".  The variety of lifestyles and technology around the world causes a shift in the average acres used per person.  America's average is 24 acres, China is 4 acres, and Pakistan is 1.5 acres.  Freecycle.org is something very similar to like craigslist or ebay.  People can post the things they are going to throw out, and people have to options of grabbing the items and using them before they go to the landfill never to get used again.  So in a way technology is actually helping in some small way.  

The idea of simplicity is something that companies can't grasp, and instead we get stuck with ipods that play music, surf the web, act as a phone, and so much more.  I myself have had the same ipod nano 1st generation for years because it serves the purpose it was made for.  I don't see the point in the advanced ipods that can do everything say your computer can do because I already have a computer.  We are just a society that when we want something (like access to the internet) we want it then.  

To buy anything organic now-a-days lots of money is required.  So how can we be healthy for ourselves and the environment and we can't afford it?!

"There are a number of US-controlled regions in other parts of the world where sweatshops laborers turn out garments that can be legally called American-made.  There are also sweatshops right here in the United States." (p. 36)  This greatly upset me, but at the same time it didn't shock me.  Which is quite sad.

The idea of comfort is greatly associated with the shelter we live within.  Like with wood flooring being used.  The effect though is that in just one hundred years over half of the world's rain forests have been torn down.  This is a startling fact.  Bamboo sounds like it is a great, renewable resource that we should use.  But why aren't we using it more???

"...buildings account for 50 percent of energy consumption in the United States and for more greenhouse-gas emissions than automobiles." (p. 147)

The Philosophy of Sustainable Design by Jason F. McLennan

Chapter 9: The Technologies and Components of Sustainable Design Pages 97-135

Through the years people have said that technology has ruined us and the environment around, but in some cases being "green" does require technology to function.  Water is a main resource used in waste disposal, but they call water non-renewable.  I feel that water in a sense is renewable because rain does happen often and that water can be collected and used.  Luckily we have begun to watch how much water we use.  This can be seen in the creation of low flow waste disposal.  Composite toilets are something that is very interesting because of the process it goes through.  It's amazing what we can do.  

"...out of sight, out of mind." (p. 102)  This is so true for our culture!!!

Why can't we follow the example set by all animals?  Because they have it all figured out.

So with the composing toilet people of the older generations are bias because they associate it with the outhouse.  So in turn we need to get rid of the old people, yet the older generations have told the younger generations about things such as outhouses.  

Why is it people choose the waterless toilet over the composting?  That to me doesn't make sense because I feel like the water toilet would be worse because the idea of everything not getting cleaned off can be an issue on health.  

With this book, I like how they included additional information for readers to follow and get more information about the items mentioned.  It's helping to spread the word.

"Why do we need drinking quality water to flush toilets?" (p. 106)  That is a very good question.

There are renewable energy sources that we can use, but the price plays a very huge role in the reason that people aren't using it...yet.  Hopefully over time that will change.  And also certain energy sources can only be used in certain areas, like with wind power.  The turbines are so big and have to be placed where there is a large amount of wind produced.  The spaces it can only be used in are rural areas, so it limits the use of it.

Natural ventilation seems like a great idea; it just stinks that the engineers are trying to design buildings with non-open windows.  That greatly restricts this type of energy saving process.  This energy source also deals greatly with the comfort level of the people within, so people have to be willing to give in and adjust.  This can be hard if you have a large building, with many occupants.  Less amount of people within the structure makes it easier, like with residential homes.

"Is a green material really green or is it green-wash?" (p. 126)