Green Originary Tale :: Jeremy Leggett

Here's the first I'm adding to the blog, from story in The Guardian. Please feel free to add yours.

"Leggett began to worry about global warming when he was working as a research geologist at London's Imperial College in the Eighties, including doing work funded by oil giants such as BP and Shell. 'That's what led me to early concern about global warming: simply studying the ancient climate system from the bottom up over really long time periods. I started thinking, we're putting all this stuff - carbon from fossil fuels - into the atmosphere in a geological nanosecond. We are forcing the temperature up with no time for ecosystems to adapt.' When the first climate models were published, Leggett left academia and went to work for Greenpeace for a decade, before leaving to set up Solarcentury. Frustrated with empty government promises, he - like other businesses - wanted to do something to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, before it was too late: 'Climate change, that's our raison d'etre.' "

Waterhog / Groundhog

I've seen plenty of retrofit rainwater reclamation systems, and quite frankly, many are just ugly--which is a real deterrent for many homeowners. Sally Dominguez' Waterhog and Groundhog are a great demonstration of how good design has the potential to change our perception and behaviors. Great names, too. From Treehugger.

Call for Stories: Green Originary Tales

What life events triggered your interest in sustainability? In my research, this question has tended to elicit very personal narratives that often involve childhood memories as people tell the story about how their own vision of environmentalism sprouted and evolved. Frequent themes involve a special place in the woods near a childhood home (that was subsequently developed), or watching a documentary about an endangered species.

I'd like to open up the blog here, and ask that you contribute your green originary tales. Doesn't have to be anything elaborate. I'm just interested in the kinds of feelings, memories, places, or other influences that shaped your thinking about the environment and continue to inspire you today.

Just in time for the holidays...(kinda)

If, like me, you're uncomfortable with contributing to the out of control consumerism in which this country is subsumed at this time of year, you might consider gifting in the following ways:

Buy a piece of the Amazon and view it online: CoolEarth

I also like the approach of The Nature Conservancy, which tends to address these same challenges by buying and setting aside large swaths of endangered geographies. Although some argue that this preservationist tact tends to exclude local populations and their interests, I think that on balance their work is beneficial (and they are becoming more sensitive to these criticisms).

The Rocky Mountain Institute, co-founded by the innovative Amory Lovins, has a unique approach, and focuses a great deal on design innovation and inventiveness as key solutions for addressing climate change and other environmental problems. They do a great job of working with industry by focusing on design solutions.

The Earth Island Institute takes a specifically research-focused, activist approach. A few of their leaders have what some might call relatively radical histories (which I think is cool, but may scare some folks).

Finally, the quirky Buckminster Fuller Institute promotes the namesake's design approach (with careful adherence to sustainability principles) through workshops, design competitions, and other outreach. Very design and innovation-focused. See also: http://designsciencelab.org/node.

Can't decide on which charity to bestow? Let your gift recipient chose: JustGive

Shopping for Carbon Credits

For those of you who've been struggling with the whole carbon credit concept, here's a great (and in-depth) investigation of it from Salon.com. What I find most interesting is that in the end, the author's reasoning and investigation lead her to prioritize taking action at home--thereby avoiding the need to trust others to take action (utilities, corporations, NGO's, etc.), while simultaneously providing a sense of accomplishment via individual action (a very pragmatic, and in some ways distinctly American approach).

Compostmodern Conference :: SF Jan 19 '08

Compostmodern is an interdisciplinary design conference dedicated to promoting sustainable solutions within the design community at large. We hope you’ll join us for a day of turning idealism into actual business practice as we explore solutions for making the world a better place (and further define design’s place in it).

AIGA San Francisco and the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design will present the third biennial Compostmodern on January 19th in San Francisco.

So come spend a day in downtown San Francisco and get your green on.

Saturday, January 19, 2008
8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Academy of Art University Morgan Auditorium
491 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Greener Gadgets Conference :: NYC Feb 1 '08

Greener Gadgets is a one day conference featuring key representatives from some of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world, innovators from academic thinktanks, members of startups focused on renewable energy, and some of the leading minds in the word of sustainable design and business. Topics to be addressed include: design for sustainability, product life cycle management, take-back and recycling programs, energy efficiency, greener materials, and green lifestyle and product marketing. An attached gallery space will feature a green prototype office display and technology exhibits from companies on the cutting edge of green tech.

Greener Gadgets
Friday, February 1st, 2008 from 10am - 6pm
McGraw-Hill Conference Center
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY

$250 before January 15, 2008
$350 after January 15, 2008
$75 student price (limited)