“I love world infographics, a fully integrated Design Dissertation through ethical lenses, global footprint and love of diversity” Luis Llabrés. Schumacher College, 2015. Guidelines for a Cross-cultural Graphic Campaign aimed at a more Ecological Lifestyle 4 abstract 5 ABSTRACT In the beginning I wanted to change the world –first I had to change myself. This change meant making myself a promise that from now on my work would contribute to the lives of others and that I would include others in the process. The Ecological Design Thinking Masters at Schumacher College; combined a genuinely international perspective with concepts of spirituality, ecology, science and economy. I had never seen these words together anywhere before and I knew immediately that this was going to be my next step. It felt a very good to be part of the Schumacher community and to be able to collaborate with my new learning family. My dissertation process connected me with a broader vision of the world and allowed me to find my own understanding of the ideas that we had shared. My area of expertise is graphic design and my mission was to use these skills to simplify the complex data which we had been exploring on the course and make it accessible to a wider audience. This process resulted in the creation of a series of guidelines to communicate ways of achieving sustainability and ultimately provided an example of Infographics as the application of these guidelines. 6 contents 1-3 cover 4-5 abstract 6-7 contents 8-13 personal journey introduction 38-39 40-41 chapter4: chapter4: ‘the big ‘foodpicture’ print’ 42-43 44-45 chapter4: chapter4: passenger past, present travel and future example of infographics 46-47 chapter4: renewability index hive 7 CONTENTS 14-17 chapter1: the world: what is wrong? 18-23 chapter2: an ecological design thinker’s perspective 24-33 chapter3: guidelines for an awareness campaign 34-37 chapter4: ‘i love world infographics’ campaign 52-53 acknowledgements 54-57 appendix d i s s e r t at i o n 48-49 references& links 50-51 bibliography &data appendix 8 A brief summary of the journey I took before embarking on this design dissertation. I hope it will help to guide you towards a better understanding of the way I have come to see the world around me and my part in it… as an explorer. 9 I was born in 1977, two years after the death of Francisco Franco, to a lower middle class Spanish family. At that time Spain, unlike the rest of Europe, was still in a state of transition towards democracy. I had difficulty acquiring normal childhood skills such as speaking, writing, swimming and even riding a bicycle; as a result I often found myself on my own. During this time I developed an exceptional ability to see my surroundings in terms of their spatial proportions. At an early age I found that I was able to draw accurately and showed that I had a good sense of perspective. My father and others encouraged my ability which boosted my self-confidence. 2 1 1 ENCOUNTERS WITH DEATH My life changed drastically as a result of a series of distressing events. At the age of thirteen my parents decided to separate and four years later, when I was seventeen, my father died of lung cancer. These experiences brought an abrupt end to my childhood –I took on new duties and assumed the role of ‘father figure’ within the family– this increased responsibility put a stop to my drawing and disrupted my studies. Finally a horrifying motorbike accident, at the age of nineteen, left me in a coma during which I was kept on a life support machine. I had to undergo several operations before I eventually regained consciousness. I felt fortunate to be alive and began to take stock of my life. I thought about what I had done so far and what I might do for others in the future.. DESIGN STUDIES I recovered better than the doctors expected, although it took me almost three years. During these years of recuperation I finished High School and began to work as a trainee designer in a small firm. After the motorbike accident the insurance company paid me a substantial amount of money which allowed me to follow my dream to become a designer. I moved to Barcelona to take a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. Having gained the degree I took up a teaching post in one of the most prestigious Schools of Printing in Spain. My fascination with the work of Leonardo da Vinci drew me to Florence where I continued my studies taking an MA in Industrial Design. 3 1 PERSONAL JOURNEY CHILDHOOD PERSONAL JOURNEY 10 ECONOMIC SUCCESS After completing my studies in Italy I accepted an offer to work for a publishing company in Barcelona where I became the Art and Production Director. By this time I was living a capitalist lifestyle and began a stressful three year period during which I taught Graphic Design at a variety of universities and set up my own design studio. I worked hard to promote my clients financial success and encouraged new designers to imitate my hectic lifestyle. Production and consumption was everyone’s goal. 3 5 AWAKENING 1 1 DOING FOR OTHERS I began to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, I knew something wasn’t right –this way of living was beginning to make me ill and I escaped to Amsterdam. This was the beginning of a new way of living and working, my intention was to learn new points of view and new meanings of success from the openness and tolerance of Dutch society. I decided to operate as ecologically and sustainably as possible, only keeping a couple of clients who respected my new unpretentious way of working –from now on I would only work with organisations that were environmentally aware. Sadly my Dutch episode had to come to an end as my mother became very ill; I decided to return to Mallorca to care for her during the last months of her life. After her death in 2010 I tried to put some order into my broken life. The severe financial crisis in Spain had forced me to let go of my design work and I undertook a new project and began to rebuild my old family house – employing affordable and sustainable methods wherever I could –I also created an organic vegetable garden that fed me during the refurbishing process. I saw this project, which took me two years, as personal challenge and as way to honour my parents. 11 When the house was complete I went back to my design work, only this time, as accommodation and food were covered, I was able to offer my design services free. I enrolled as a volunteer coordinator for Economy for the Common Good as well as working as a communications expert for an independent group of water management specialists in Mallorca. I also attended the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ seminar in the Netherlands. 7 8 PERSONAL JOURNEY 5 STEPPING INTO A NEW MINDSET 1 EXPLORING & UNDERSTANDING After travelling, and exploring several new countries and cultures I began to understand the world better and realised how difficult it is to provide universal solutions. At this time I became aware of an innovative new program that was being created at Schumacher College which combined ecology and design, in which students from around the world would be collaborating. I knew immediately that the MA in Ecological Design Thinking would be the right thing for me. PLAYING WITH THE DEVIL This mini biography would not be complete without a mention of the court case which has consumed me for the past eleven years. The case centres on the award winning typeface I exhibited in the "2003, Year of Design of Barcelona"; the typeface was taken without permission and used in an international ad campaign. Naively I hoped to be able to resolve this situation in a fair and objective way. Despite having truth on my side, I continue to pay the penalty for trusting in the justice system. Although these circumstances forced me to re-enter the world of commerce, I remained committed to a more ethical and sustainable way of working. 3 6 12 PERSONAL JOURNEY Thumbnail of the ‘Personal Journey’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign 10 DOING IT TOGETHER I have learned that if we want a better world, truth alone is not enough. We need to work together, therefore, we need accessible guidance for the people who are beginning to realise what the world needs. I offer this contribution as a way to help those wondering how to do things in a better way for the world. 13 PERSONAL JOURNEY EXPLORING & UNDERSTANDING STEPPING INTO A NEW MINDSET After travelling, and exploring several new countries and cultures I began to understand the world better and realised how difficult it is to provide universal solutions. At this time I became aware of an innovative new program that was being created at Schumacher College which combined ecology and design, in which students from around the world would be collaborating. I knew immediately that the MA in Ecological Design WITH Thinking would be the right thing for me. When the house was complete I went back to my design work, only this time, as accommodation and food were covered, I was able to offer my design services free. I enrolled as a volunteer coordinator for Economy for the Common Good as well as working as a communications expert for an independent group of water management specialists in Mallorca. I also attended the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ seminar in the Netherlands. DOING PLAYING THE DEVIL FOR OTHERS This mini biography would not be complete without a mention of the court case which has consumed me for the past eleven years. The case centres on the award winning typeface I exhibited in the "2003, Year of Design of Barcelona"; the typeface was taken without permission and used in an international ad campaign. Naively I hoped to be able to resolve this situation in a fair and objective way. Despite having truth on my side, I continue to pay the penalty for trusting in the justice system. Although these circumstances forced me to re-enter the world of commerce, I remained committed to a more ethical and sustainable way of working. 7 Sadly my Dutch episode had to come to an end as my mother became very ill; I decided to return to Mallorca to care for her during the last months of her life. After her death in 2010 I tried to put some order into my broken life. The severe financial crisis in Spain had forced me to let go of my design work and I undertook a new project and began to rebuild my old family house – employing affordable and sustainable methods wherever I could –I also created an organic vegetable garden that fed me during the refurbishing process. I saw this project, which took me two years, as personal challenge and as way to honour my parents. 6 8 3 1 9 8 DOING IT TOGETHER 10 AWAKENING I began to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, I knew something wasn’t right –this way of living was beginning to make me ill and I escaped to Amsterdam. This was the beginning of a new way of living and working, my intention was to learn new points of view and new meanings of success from the openness and tolerance of Dutch society. I decided to operate as ecologically and sustainably as possible, only keeping a couple of clients who respected my new unpretentious way of working –from now on I would only work with organisations that were environmentally aware. 2 1 I have learned that if we want a better world, truth alone is not enough. We need to work together, therefore, we need accessible guidance for the people who are beginning to realise what the world needs. I offer this contribution as a way to help those wondering how to do things in a better way for the world. 7 5 9 3 6 4 5 1 3 CHILDHOOD I was born in 1977, two years after the death of Francisco Franco, to a lower middle class Spanish family. At that time Spain, unlike the rest of Europe, was still in a state of transition towards democracy. I had difficulty acquiring normal childhood skills such as speaking, writing, swimming and even riding a bicycle; as a result I often found myself on my own. During this time I developed an exceptional ability to see my surroundings in terms of their spatial proportions. At an early age I found that I was able to draw accurately and showed that I had a good sense of perspective. My father and others encouraged my ability which boosted my self-confidence. ECONOMIC SUCCESS 2 1 ENCOUNTERS WITH DEATH My life changed drastically as a result of a series of distressing events. At the age of thirteen my parents decided to separate and four years later, when I was seventeen, my father died of lung cancer. These experiences brought an abrupt end to my childhood –I took on new duties and assumed the role of ‘father figure’ within the family– this increased responsibility put a stop to my drawing and disrupted my studies. Finally a horrifying motorbike accident, at the age of nineteen, left me in a coma during which I was kept on a life support machine. I had to undergo several operations before I eventually regained consciousness. I felt fortunate to be alive and began to take stock of my life. I thought about what I had done so far and what I might do for others in the future.. 4 3 After completing my studies in Italy I accepted an offer to work for a publishing company in Barcelona where I became the Art and Production Director. By this time I was living a capitalist lifestyle and began a stressful three year period during which I taught Graphic Design at a variety of universities and set up my own design studio. I worked hard to promote my clients financial success and encouraged new designers to imitate my hectic lifestyle. Production and consumption was everyone’s goal. DESIGN STUDIES I recovered better than the doctors expected, although it took me almost three years. During these years of recuperation I finished High School and began to work as a trainee designer in a small firm. After the motorbike accident the insurance company paid me a substantial amount of money which allowed me to follow my dream to become a designer. I moved to Barcelona to take a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. Having gained the degree I took up a teaching post in one of the most prestigious Schools of Printing in Spain. My fascination with the work of Leonardo da Vinci drew me to Florence where I continued my studies taking an MA in Industrial Design. “My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a ‘lone traveller’ and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude”. –Albert Einstein 14 chapter1 THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG? An elaboration on three current dangers to our planet 15 The supply and demand model seems to be working well. The market regulates itself efficiently, finding better prices for final products through competition between producers and providers. How do most big companies offer such cheap prices –by means of an established model: They use unregulated resources, decentralized labour from places with poor human rights policies and inadequate pollution restrictions, they pay low wages or rely on automated systems which override the need for human contribution, and always manufacture on a large scale. Broadly speaking, the world is no longer ruled by politics. It is ruled by the pressure of the economic system on governments to use all available planetary and social resources to survive, ‘As if there were no tomorrow’ as Jorge Riechmann said1. Capital seems to be the tool which measures power, and only a small percentage of the population owns the majority of it and it is used to control the vast majority of the population who work for it. People cannot easily intervene to change the system within these economic rules. Paradoxically, society and its labour –and not money– is the real target. Are we choosing to be slaves of the system? “Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature… are labouring in vain.” –Leonardo da Vinci In our densely populated world, cheap merchandise seems ideal for low budgets –especially to families coping with small wages or unemployment. However, this situation creates a vicious circle; it is an invitation to overconsume, encouraging the purchase of more low-quality stuff, probably even more than is needed, which generates greater waste. ‘Planned obsolescence’2 also accelerates this process. “The problem is not consumption, but this consumption will cause harm to others” –Angus Deaton, 2015 Nobel prize-winning economist That is how capitalism works; finding cheap labour markets, increasing production for a society which demands more and more, letting the country’s GDP increase. Most private companies prefer to make personal profit rather than benefit the community. As Jorge Riechmann says in a recent interview3 “The symptom is called Global Warming , but the illness is called Capitalism. Now we are waiting for a new meeting in Paris in December 2015, but the limits are incompatible with the wild capitalism.” SYSTEM AS A DESTRUCTIVE MACHINERY YOU AS INDIVIDUAL THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG? THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG? 16 We are informed by a system which is focused on individual success, and which encourages us to maintain the status quo rather than changing it. A society which values ownership, is proud to own a fortune, and admires leaders who persuade us to become the people we are not. These are invitations to be successful but alone, invitations to over consume which resonate with adages like, “Because I’m worth it”, the maxim publicised by L’Oreal for the last forty years. Our lives will never be compatible with a love of nature if we are only focussed on possessions and financial success. “People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden... yet they don’t find what they’re looking for” –Antoine de Saint-Exupér y, The Little Prince INDIVIDUALISM 17 Our world is in a harmful, self imposed transformation process, compelled by the need to grow and consume as much as possible. Money is not a planetary resource, it is man-made medium used to deplete the world and drive people toward individualism. In 2009, a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists led by Johan Rockström –environmental science professor in Stockholm University– quantified nine planetary boundaries5 within which humanity could develop and thrive for generations to come. Crossing these boundaries could generate irreversible environmental changes. In an update of the convention on 16 January 2015, they identified four of nine planetary boundaries which already have been crossed as a result of human activity. The four were: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen). Two of these, climate change and biosphere integrity –“core boundaries”– would “drive the Earth System into a new state”. “We cannot look to the economists or to the politicians to act for us. Both the economy and the political system operate because we let them operate. We buy the oil, the food, the cars and the newspapers and vote for the politicians that keep the whole system going. Nobody forces us to do this, although they certainly tr y hard to persuade us; but in the end we choose to do it.” –Robert and Brenda Vale THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG? “ACCELERATING THE PLANETARY TRANSFORMATION” ...As the storyteller and economist Benjamin Butler4 calls it. 18 chapter2 AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE Recovering natural equilibrium in a world out of balance 19 Most of humanity acknowledges that human beings are the most intelligent species on the planet. If this is true, we should use this ability to recognise our self-destructive practices, and find ways to stop and return to natural planetary self-sufficiency. Nowadays strong evidence demonstrates that human actions are the fundamental cause of this disruptive process. At the end of September 2015, the UN unanimously approved a new ‘Sustainable Development Goals’6 outlining aims for the next 15 years –a new chance to eliminate poverty, promote prosperity and protect the environment. In nine of the seventeen short goal descriptions the word ‘sustainability’ appears twenty-six times, which suggests that sustainability might be a large part of the solution. If we want to work towards implementing sustainability, we need to understand its meaning. In an attempt to find a more comprehensive meaning for the term ‘sustainability’, a road-trip around the UK to visit eco-villages, sustainable communities and other environmental projects was planned. This decision was prompted by the discovery, while studying the MA in Ecological Design Thinking, of the existence of EIGG –the first official sustainable island in the UK. The intention of the trip was not only to observe how these communities and projects worked but also to absorb a variety of different landscapes; this excursion covered areas of Wales, the North of England, Scotland and some of its Isles. A few of the places visited were traditionally self-sufficient while others were more experimental but in the majority of cases they had all reached their approach towards sustainability through community structure. “Have you noticed that inspiration comes when you are not looking for it? It comes when all expectation stops, when the mind and heart find rest.” –Krishnamurti Travelling through these rural landscapes and thinking about the questions surrounding the meaning of sustainability Luis began to be aware of the complexity of divers conditions and realised that there was a substantial distance between what he sensed and what he had learnt. The experience shook his beliefs about his previous understanding of the meaning of sustainability –he saw other practical ways in which sustainability had been applied. “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves and the world around us.” –Socrates On his trip he found that the concept of sustainability is attached to a goal, but to reach this ‘goal’ it needs ecological aims. In other words, sustainability has as many meanings as the diverse stages in its process –or the ethical approaches based on the local conditions. Therefore there are as many meanings as fields in which the term exists; such as ecological sustainability, emotional sustainability, demographic sustainability, sustainable development or even sustainable growth. AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY? AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE 20 In a conversation with Michael Braungart, author of Cradle to Cradle, Luis remembers him saying:“The only way to be 100% sustainable would be not to exist.” Luis replied, “So, we cannot reach perfection yet?”...and continued “What would help so much would be to have a 100% renewable context.” Braungart smiled, and Luis understood that humanity does not need to reach perfection, it simply has to remain as “unnoticed” as possible within the natural process. “Perfect is the enemy of good.” –Voltaire This dissertation intends to inform the reader about practices that can be sustained far into the future and hopes to find longer lasting solutions (unlike the defined options used towards the oil problem.) In this context a summary of the term sustainability would mean: thinking before consuming, doing more with less, sharing resources by living in communities, using more energy efficient transport, eating less and doing it in a responsible way, making things last longer, reusing them, repairing them, rethinking them, and ultimately recycling or composting them before discarding them as waste. “When everything is connected to everything else, for better or for worse everything matters.” –Bruce Mau, Massive Change 21 Our problem with the system is not simply to do with our pursuit of money but is also to do with our use of time; if we use time well, we will have time enough to do everything we need in order to be successful. José Mújica7, refers to the importance of time in the documentary ‘Human,’ where he suggests that time is the currency we use to buy well-being. Luckily Luis had taken lessons from the difficult moments in his life; at an early age he had learnt about the satisfaction of making action without wasting time or resources and understood the importance of leaving sufficient space in your life to experience the delight in finding economical answers. As others have done, he discovered ways of doing more with less. He saved money, saved energy, cooked less food, had fewer showers, created less waste and travelled lighter. He used the smallest room and the least amount of paper for his drawings... moreover, whenever he needed something new, he tried to do with the least amount possible and to know when he had enough. Our individualistic western way of life is focused on the quest for money, rather than on increasing the amount of free time we have to feel, to identify and to understand what we really need. The Enough Theory proposes the opposite; it proposes that we reduce consumption, have more control, be aware of unnecessary pressure from the system and make space for curiosity and exploration. We need to understand the difference between what we need and what we want and begin to live in a way that is closer to satisfying our own needs than the requirements of the system. “There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” –Henry David Thoreau AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE THE ‘ENOUGH THEORY’ AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE 22 As briefly outlined in chapter one of this paper the car firm Renault ‘pirated’ a typeface designed by Luis. In the ensuing court case, the judge chose to rely on ‘insinuated’ evidence which left Luis with no other option than to try to prove something that had not in fact occurred. Being on his own Luis lost the case; he could not deal with the power of a big company which used wellpaid lawyers and allied itself with a politicised justice system. After the trial, Luis had an unexpected conversation with someone from inside the business fraternity who wanted to help but remain anonymous. This person suggested that the best way to fight a large company was to damage their image in the market. The aim, rather than working alone, would be to build an aware community of supporters and to solicit the interest of rival companies that would like to take a percentage of Renault’s trade. What was needed was a way to expose the truth to the public and, as a result create strong opposition. “The only restraint that the politician, the economist or the notary know, when they reach evil heights of power, is the fear of a free press” –Arturo Pérez-Reverte Following this suggestion the Luis VS Goliat blog8 was launched in 2014. It has an increasing number of visitors and supporters led by a few famous typographers and design personalities. The experience of setting up this blog had shown Luis that a well organised group of people can be a powerful resilient force against an oppressor who relies on the public’s good opinion to survive. A sentiment affirmed by Margaret Mead who is quoted as saying, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Luis also wondered if there might be a connection between the treatment he had received in the court and the difficulties some of the sustainable projects he had visited on his road-trip were dealing with. For instance, he knew the Centre of Alternative Technology in Wales was struggling to cope; CAT had started small and tried to be as self-sufficient as possible but had friction to survive as it was initially designed as a learning centre. Another example was the Scottish Isle of Eigg, a traditional, small, isolated island with few citizens, which the community stopped the private ownership scheme buying all the land. They were both different, but both had similar difficulties trying to survive within the structure of the national system. Eventually Luis came to the conclusion that most problems could be solved by creating a strong community structures. The example of being resilient as a community is easy to find in nature. In the book ‘Cradle to Cradle’ Michael Braungart describes behaviour in an ant community; “Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Consider a community of ants. As part of their daily activity, all their materials, even their most deadly chemical weapons, are biodegradable, and when they return to the soil, they supply nutrients, restoring in the process some of those that were taken to support the colony….They truly are, as biologist E. 0. THE POWER OF THE COMMUNITY 23 Can we learn to solve problems from Nature which “doesn’t have a design problem? We can certainly observe and respect the answers Nature provides. Many indigenous tribes achieve sustainable lifestyles by understanding that they are just one species within the whole. These indigenous peoples, natural species and ecovillages have something in common: they live, work and share for a common good and are organized in communities. Communal behaviour is very different to the individualistic pursuit of happiness through economic success presented in chapter 1. Fortunately, societies are beginning to exploring ways to develop ecological awareness, and community projects are appearing exponentially –a few examples are briefly described in the appendix. As Max-Neef, Chilean Economist known for his taxonomy of Fundamental Human Needs and Human Scale Development thinks, “I’ve always said that you cannot do anything for the poor, unless you get in, see what potential there is in a poor community. However, from your office, air conditioning and all the statistics, the big plan, as they do in the World Bank, is useless” CONCLUSION: AN INTERPRETATION OF ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKING In every place, every being has a unique legacy: In each situation there are a million different conditions, and each situation has its own set of problems which cannot be solved by outside solutions. It is important to have local feedback; the best answers come from the context within which the problem has arisen and are best addressed at the moment at which they arise. We need to observe, explore and experience unnoticed, far from an anthropocentric view. We should explore each situation meticulously and provide help from a distant but inclusive view, facilitating a balance within the diverse systems of nature. Bringing a wide-open personal awareness to others and a deep and comprehensive understanding that we are not only here to serve ourselves. AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE Wilson has pointed out, the little things that run the world. But although they may run the world, they do not overrun it. Ants do not inevitably work to destroy competing species. Rather, they compete productively from their niches. Nature doesn’t have a design problem.” 24 chapter3 GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN Ways to stimulate change through design 25 This dissertation has been written from the view point of a privileged person; someone who grew up in a world of opportunity and freedom: Living under the new Spanish democracy with good public health, education and security systems in place and the expectation of attending university and eventually owning one’s own home. However, after completing a personal journey facing many ups and downs it became clear that what brought most satisfaction was ‘working for the whole,’ for the feeling of an ‘inner world balance’. The object of the campaign is world-wide ecological awareness, a beneficial mind set encompassing everyone and everything. There are many different ecological approaches and many ways to adopt change; these changes should not be enforced but supported. To this end, the intention is to facilitate awareness by communicating, through design, the realities highlighted in this paper to a range of cultures. FINDING TRENDS IN PAST EXPERIENCE As described in the ‘personal journey’, the open and holistic attitude the Dutch demonstrated towards common good provoked a change of consciousness. There was a vast difference between the Dutch and Spanish approach –doing good, went beyond politics and propaganda and became reality. This was probably the first step towards understanding there were a ways to a better future. Feedback from sharing these discoveries with the online community showed clear but diverse trends. Some were simple supporting ‘likes’, others gave no reaction, on a few occasions comments with superficial personal opinions were posted, rarely these were comments against the subject, mostly made by people who felt uncomfortable. By broadly analysing a six-year period of news and posts relating to environmental sustainability two polarized reactions can be identified: • • The minority considered the topic hard or uncomfortable, especially when the data presented was negative or problematic. In these cases the subject was seen as off-limits and the images challenging –perhaps because they identified direct responsibility or judgement. When successful solutions, explaining or solving the problem mostly using graphic comparisons and or poetic images, were posted, the majority liked the discussion and commented on, followed or shared the ideas widely. Are we prepared to see reality as it is? The few results gathered from activist campaigns against consumption, or supporting animal rights, show us that we are not prepared to accept reality without stepping out of our comfortzone. Most people run away from real facts, some simply want to see a happy ‘Hollywood’ end to the problem, this is where concern remains. We do not want to see the challenges that we need to face, we simply want to see the solution. GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN INNER WORLD BALANCE GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 26 “Look at the data, look at the facts about the world; you will see how we are today and how we can move forwards with all these billions on our wonderful planet.” The ever positive opinions of Prof. Hans Rosling9 paradoxically go against the idea of identify and solving the problem. However, what it is interesting is how he engages people through optimistic dynamic infographics9; his analogies are more likely to empower people to action than gloomy, complex statistics. THE POWER OF THE COMMUNITY The example of the successful Luis Vs Goliat blog8 and, more recently, the group of participants in the Ecological Design Thinking MA showed that diverse opinions can make a better argument for a healthy, resilient community. Our cultures are so different; the ability to embrace diversity maybe the ingredient which helps shape self-sufficient communities. All adherents of sustainability now ‘play with a common enemy’ –the economic system; movements like ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ or the ‘The Butterfly Effect’ emphasize the fact that all action is related. If we all make small steps –small changes– communities could have considerable impact on a complex system. EMPOWERED BY AND FOR THE COMMUNITY “The big key to tackling climate change lies with the consumer, not politics” –Javier Gregori10 27 Ethics: plural noun. Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity. This work started with a clear definition of sustainability; however, a roadtrip across the UK disclosed that there were a vast number of definitions of sustainability, all of them connected in some way. All of them were validated by their context, process-in-time, culture or location –it seems there is not a golden rule when it comes to achieving sustainability along ethical grounds. A summary of all these separate interpretations would be the best to approach an inclusive definition of what infinite sustainability might mean. A set of human ‘Eco-ethical Lenses’ towards ecological sustainability can be identified. A selection of the most common among hundreds, perhaps thousands are listed as follows: alternative education, being outdoors, community ownership of land and resources, Fair-Trade, population control, local markets, nature’s renewal, non-governmental organizations, organic farming, recycling, renewable Energy, rights for all living beings, transport sharing schemes, spiritual values, technological efficiency, tree planting, vegan/ vegetarian food schemes,... see in appendix for brief descriptions. As has been said before, it might not be possible to solve our ecological problems through just one ethical lens, but all of them eventually arrive at a common goal through different journeys. As Joanna Macy described in ‘The Great Turning’, “the largest social movement in history is created by millions of individuals making their own individual choice to act for the sake of life on Earth.” Ethics are a set of behaviours created by humans; they propose subjective common goals toward good, from different anthropocentric approaches. Nature’s systems work in a different way, what is important in nature, is whether species are able to adapt themselves to their conditions and predators. Nature found its balance over millions of years, as Charles Darwin proposed in the ‘Theory of Evolution’, or as James Lovelock explains in the ‘Gaia Theory’. This paper suggests all different human eco-ethical perceptions seem to have a common goal. (See the bi-dimensional figure 1 in next page). However, the sum of these ethical approaches does not yet conform to create the perfect definition of sustainability. It would need the aspiration of all living species to shape the closest approach to Perfect Sustainability –or 100% re-newability– or ‘Gaia’ in equilibrium. (See the following tri-dimensional simulation where all the species overlap, figure 2). Could Gaia be the sum of all living consciousness? –it would be interesting to do further research into this question. GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ‘ECO-ETHICAL’ LENSES TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 28 YOUR JOURNEY GOAL YOU, aiming sustainability BOUNDARIES OF YOUR ECO-ETHICAL LENS common sustainability goal Figure 1. Structure of an individual Eco-Ethical lens within the community. 29 GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN Figure 2. 3D Simulation of species combination of common sustainable goals. GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 30 Accessible ............. Using language as universally understandable as possible Simple ......................... Complex data simplified into intelligible information Choices ...................... Decision making remains with the audience/participants Community .......... Multiple opinions included for a more holistic approach Respect ...................... Acknowledging different current processes Sustainable ........... Respecting natural systems and their recovery Love ............................... Honouring difference through lack of judgement Distribution ......... Proliferation of the ideals within the campaign/guidelines GUIDELINES/ PRINCIPLES FOR A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS I would like to offer my experience in design to create an optimistic analysis of ways to provide alternative solutions for a better future. I will provide examples which show my truth and invite diverse consumers, whatever their stage of awareness, to participate and consider where they stand regarding current trends, and to choose where they want to be. It would be great for nature if we could create world-wide ecological awareness. Not just through teaching, but also by creating a simple and understandable bridge, for different cultures, showing the reality in current trends and inviting them to act by making suitable choices. The message will have to be improved in the future, adding different people’s feedback and tuning the existing anthropocentric approach towards a greater inclusivity of nature, encouraging a more humble and respectful lifestyle. CONCLUSION 31 GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 32 Thumbnail of the cover poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign chapter4 ‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN An example of a future campaign outlining possible outcomes from the guidelines proposed in this dissertation w W .. . r vr w wr r p ‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN 34 The intention is to give information about the environmental responsibilities that lie behind any lifestyle. A guiding tool to provide a check on how dependent our lifestyle is on the market and demonstrating how responsible we are for the consumerist decisions we make. A necessary mode of behaviour for us and ultimately for those who might copy us. THE GOAL “As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome” –Noam Chomsky The campaign must remain accessible to all cultures, providing guidance to the users while accepting further opinions and showing respect to divergent methods; allowing differing campaigns to evolve through a wide-ranging understanding of sustainability and love. GUIDELINES AND VALUES TO TRANSMIT The name of the campaign is a balance between its meaning and how that is represented. It supports the play of ‘I’ to engage us with world’s love for graphic information. It uses Milton Glaser’s famous formula –see figure 1 below– to create a strong relationship between the audience and the message. The ‘I Love World Infographics’ logotype is a mix of five concepts –audience, world, love, information and graphics– that fits harmoniously among the guidelines of the campaign. THE NAME AND IMAGE OF CAMPAIGN Figure 1. I love New York logotype by Milton Glaser David Orr, as well as David Abram and David Thoreau proposed that a natural context is mandatory when reconnecting with nature. We should be ‘inside’ nature in order to learn about it. In the book To Know as we are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey1, Parker J. Palmer explores the concept classroom; he uses the example of nomadic gatherings in the dessert where the speaker is just part of a circle. This method of application would support the ‘inside nature’ idea, exploring the Latin concept of ‘Campaign’ as Campania, pertaining to the countryside. These conditions would also constrain the shape of the group of interested participants. See appendix for some photographs of the genuine campaign package. THE CAMPAIGN 35 An ‘Inside Nature’ graphic campaign needs particular requirements –it cannot take the form of a simple booklet to be read individually, it has to recall more ancient ways to transmit knowledge, sometimes around a fire, sometimes sheltered in a cave, sometimes in a deep forest, mostly talking with a group. It would be pointless to provide the campaign in a normal format, produced using a mainstream printing processes and materials; the product design would need to incorporate the ethics of the whole project. The product design needs to be a clear application of my principles. The physical format of the campaign, at this time, is the result of finding the cheapest, most sustainable way to comfortably address a group of people in the countryside. It is a biodegradable result, easily compostable and combustible. It uses recycled brown paper and natural string to label and to sew each poster to its structural canes –no glues, artificial or toxic materials. Because four copies are needed, it uses ink-jet printing. However, I avoided the use of solid black (100%) to save ink, and used other colours as little as possible; other colour inks are often based in heavy metals. The multiple components are wrapped in packaging that protects and helps to carry the whole, once opened, the same packaging –a natural fibre blanket– may be used to spread on the ground or to keep people warm. Inside the package are nine posters with information printed on both sides: 1. Front: Introduction poster and Abstract. Back: Personal journey. 2. Front: Dissertation poster 1 of 2. Back: Bibliography, appendix and references. 3. Front: Dissertation poster 2 of 2. Back: Bibliography, appendix, references and acknowledgements. 4. Front: Poster for the campaign example. Back: This Briefing and bibliography of this campaign example. 5. Front: ‘The Big Picture’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods. 6. Front: ‘Foodprint’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods. 7. Front: Passenger Travel. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods. 8. Front: Past, present and future –of population and resources. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods. 9. Front: ‘Renewability Index Hive’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods. The posters are ultimately designed to be unrolled and hung from the branches of trees or hung indoors. A future update will include Colour filters or ‘Gels’2 to filter colours and information in the comparisons, according ‘Eco-Ethical lenses’. ‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN A GENUINE COMMUNICATION FORMAT, INVITING PACKAGING ‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN 36 The aim is to design, using graphic information, an accessible bridge between existing complex data and a wider audience –a cross-cultural, comprehensible work for different languages in different stages of development. REASON TO REPRESENT DATA GRAPHICALLY “Design is a profoundly humanistic knowledge discipline that can lead us to alternative and better futures”3 –Dr. Mariana Amatullo A campaign without words is almost impossible, therefore the text used is limited in order to encourage other cultures to be more focus on the icons or images; this will make it simpler, more memorable, and more appealing and invite an emotional connection. These icons should be meaningful enough to achieve the desired bridge of information across cultures. Supporting every graphic message, textual information will show data sources and the author’s personal approach. As shown in figure 2 below, sight is the largest human bandwidth of communication. The use of image communication can transmit information as no other, and connects easily with memory and emotion. In his book Drawing Ideas4, Mark Baskinger points us toward Aristotle’s belief that the most effective, persuasive presentation of argument includes a balance of logos (logical), ethos (ethical), and pathos (emotional). 1250 MB/s Sight 125 MB/s Touch 12,5 MB/s Hearing Smell Taste Figure 2. Bandwith of the senses regarding the book Information is Beautiful The campaign is designed to be used outside in the countryside, but can easily be applied in various spaces. It might be shown as an exhibition or used as the foundation for a group discussion indoors. One of the objectives is to make an international lecture tour showing the latest result, gaining experience through each exhibition in different cultural contexts and eventually creating a more inclusive version by adding information gathered common enquiries. AREA OF ACTION Everyone is welcome to access and be guided by the outcomes of this enquiry. It would be interesting to gather as many reactions as possible. However, my primary intention is to encourage young people to think about the world they live in –they are the future. AUDIENCE 37 A COMMON LANGUAGE THE GRAPHIC TECHNIQUES The inspiration for this campaign is Biophilia –or love for nature. I believe that nature in this work has the key to solving a large part of our problems and offers the only solution to planetary self-sufficiency. Nature is also the source of most of the clues humans have compiled about our planet and therefore nature is a common language across cultures. Graphics representing natural forms would not only connect with recognizable shapes, they would invite viewers to come closer and discover wonders of which we are all part –and some parts we call beauty. Graphic design methods are used to inspire a reconnection with nature, such as photography of natural geometry, hand illustration or handwriting. However, other digital processes have been used to simplify details in order to reach minimal meaningful expression such as icons or diagrams which represent non-existent concepts or tri-dimensional simulations. The digital typographies used –Trajan Pro and Garamond– are also intended to connect with the beauty of proportion and detail of old Roman styles. GUIDANCE THROUGH COMPLEX DATA Comparative visualization via the infographics would allow us to identify our position on a scale and would offer different options, either better or worse for the environment, dependant our stage in the process. This analysis would let us realise which of our actions have maximum or minimum environmental impact. WAYS TO MEASURE DATA Results will often be based on estimates and for this reason numbers would sometimes need to be rounded up. Then again, as Professor Hans Rosling explains, numbers can show lifestyle trends5. This campaign provides a new, helpful and accessible guide which does not focus on specific figures but translates occasionally boring, difficult or technical information into a more approachable layout. The following practices are the methods I used to find the relevant data, either by focusing on just one or by combining them: Ecological Footprint6, Earth Overshot Day7, Embodied Energy, the natural renewability of resources, scale/score comparison with undefined units, –see appendix for a brief description– for the most complex data I used intuition. WHAT IS NEXT? This is not the end. This is simply the application of my values as a designer. It is a transformative process toward the beginning of a new life –and these guidelines are my new aims as a creator. Now is the moment to step out into the real world, to start to implement changes and to integrate feedback into future versions of this campaign, as well as any other work that I might do towards sustainability. New landscapes await me, I will try to spread the word and ultimately be a better person not only for the planet, but for myself. ‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN “If your plan is for one year, plant rice, if your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.” –Confucius 38 Thumbnail of the ‘The Big Picture’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.1 ‘THE BIG PICTURE’ NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR What I tried to show? It is difficult to get an idea of the overall effect we have on the planet, especially if we try to measure this impact precisely while, at the same time, attempting to empathise with all the Earth’s inhabitants. However, in 2005, the city of Cardiff made a significant step in this area by commissioning a report to find ways to reduce its Ecological Footprint as much as possible –the result is one of the best studies to date, to have gauged the Ecological Footprint of local residents. The first of my information diagrams is one in a series of infographics that uses the Ecological Footprint as the principal method by which to measure sustainability. This infographic, using a tree as a natural symbol, aims to give an overview of how our lifestyle influences the environment. The design process. A tree, with its hierarchical structure, seemed to be an elegant choice to represent the seven main areas that take resources and pollute the Earth. Paradoxically, the tree demonstrates an opposing interpretation to its actual intention: ‘sucking’ the ground (Earth), ‘nurturing’ its crown (economy and consumption) and ‘soaking up’ the sun (demand of energy). A stylized Japanese Black Pine is used because of the simple outline of the branches; the sun behind it and the colours chosen are also broadly representative of the Japanese Wabi-Sabi view of acceptance of transience and imperfection. Outcome. Hopefully this final composition won’t just help us to understand the bigger picture, but might also be seen as a decorative poster which provides a memorable message: According to the data, our biggest impact comes from our eating habits, if we are keen to intervene, the easiest area in which to introduce change is in food systems, which could not only benefit our health but also protect the planet. MEASURING METHODS USED Ecological Footprint. The following table shows the Ecological Footprint on an average person in 2005 in Cardiff, Wales: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Category Footprint (gha) Food and drink 1.33 Energy use 0.99 Passenger Travel 0.99 Waste* 0.84 Government, services, holidays 0.77 Infrasctructure/buildings 0.74 Commodities and durables 0.64 Housing 0.16 Total Fair Earthshare % footprint 24 18 18 15 14 13 11 3 5.59 (2005) 1.70 (2015) (*) Waste is counted into the footprint for each heading. Waste is 15% of the total if it is taken out and considered as a separate category. HOUSING 3% % 14 S AY LID BUI LDI NG S 13 % EN ER GY 18% > 8% > EL 1 RAV RT GE EN SS PA GOVERN MEN T, S ERV ICE S, HO our global footprint span < FO OD &D RIN K2 4% COm m itie d o s 11 % 40 Thumbnail of the ‘Foodprint’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.2 ‘FOODPRINT’ NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR What I tried to show? Taking into account the significance of food systems in our Ecological Footprint (see ‘The Big Picture’ poster) it now seemed vital to show graphically how most common foods would be represent in our footprint. An easy, memorable guide focused on the point of sale, the place where most consumers make decisions about how to feed themselves; presenting what is better to eat in order to be more sustainable in a scale that would let people decide for themselves, avoiding all the biased information from trademarks. The design process. Initially, I thought that a linear scale would be easier to understand; however, due to the exponential growth of the food’s footprint –so visible in the logistics and packaging cases– I created a diagram which would invite the viewer to come closer and see what happens in the center. A nautilus shell, (which has common biophilic language) would be an ideal choice with which to represent the geometrical increase of the impact of every ingredient or related service beautifully. Outcome. The result is an excellent example, which demonstrates that although data is important, on its own it may not engage us. The ‘Nautilus’ infographic easily puts into perspective the fact that food packaging has a greater footprint than all the other ingredients added together, and helps us to think how we could eat more sustainably. During my process an unexpected corollary appeared; I could see through reading the data I had gathered, that farming food organically can approximately halve the impact of almost any ingredient (less consumption of energy, no patented chemicals used to fertilize or control pests) this invited me to analyze carefully whether any ingredient with a bigger footprint than another, could have a smaller footprint if it was grown organically. Eg. Organic Poultry has approximately ten times less footprint than a cheese of the same quantity which has been produced using standard marketing processes. MEASURING METHODS USED Ecological Footprint, Embodied Energy, Scale/Score comparison with undefined units and Gamification. Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 mod mod mod mod mod mod Ingredient Kind water rain vegetable/potato organic bread organic water tap vegetable/potato non-organic fruits organic bread non-organic milk organic sugar organic eggs organic fruit-juice organic cereal/rice organic biscuit organic fruit non-organic poultry organic yogurt organic pork organic wine organic tea organic vegetable oil organic milk non-organic sugar non-organic egg non-organic lawn* organic coffee organic fruit-juice non-organic biscuit non-organic chocolate organic lamb organic cereal/rice non-organic fish wild poultry non-organic yogurt non-organic cheese organic pork non-organic wine non-organic butter organic tea non-organic vegetable oil non-organic beef organic shellfish wild lawn* non-organic coffee non-organic chocolate non-organic lamb non-organic fish fish-farm cheese non-organic butter non-organic beef non-organic shellfish fish-farm self-production local transport international sea transport international ground transport international air transport plastic packaging Cell size 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.09 0.15 0.17 0.19 0.20 0.21 0.24 0.26 0.29 0.31 0.33 0.33 0.36 0.41 0.47 0.48 0.51 0.53 0.55 0.62 0.63 0.64 0.64 0.65 0.66 0.69 0.71 0.78 0.80 0.88 0.90 0.99 1.11 1.18 1.31 1.41 1.43 1.66 1.69 1.94 2.25 2.52 3.09 3.29 0 3.74 4.59 11.49 34.25 100.00 Score 3.29 3.28 3.27 3.15 3.13 3.10 3.09 3.03 3.01 3.10 3.09 3.08 3.05 3.03 3.00 2.98 2.96 2.96 2.93 2.88 2.82 2.81 2.78 2.76 2.74 2.67 2.66 2.65 2.65 2.64 2.63 2.60 2.58 2.51 2.49 2.41 2.39 2.30 2.18 2.11 1.98 1.88 1.86 1.63 1.60 1.35 1.04 0.77 0.20 0 0 -3.74 -4.59 -11.49 -34.25 -100.00 (*) Lawn is not considered food, however, it is included in the list because is the most world irrigated crop. area, energy and resources needed to produce equivalent amounts of different food 1. Water 2. Vegetables & Potatoes 3. Bread 4. Fruits 5. Sugar 6. Cereals & Rice 7. Fruit juices 8. Eggs 9. Milk 10. Biscuits 11. Poultry 12. Yogurt 13. Pork 14. Wine 15. Tea 16. Vegetable Oil 17. Lawn* 18. Coffee 19. Chocolate 20. Lamb 21. Fish 22. Cheese 23. Butter 24. Beef 25. Shellfish packaging organic eggs beef slow transport ecological footprint of 1 kg of packed & imported beef -104.39 sustainability score ecological footprint of 1kg of self-produced organic eggs 3.1 sustainability score 42 Thumbnail of the ‘Passenger Travel’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.3 ‘passenger travel’ NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR What I tried to show? Because I have always enjoyed travelling and often make long journeys, I have naturally spent time wondering if we might be more responsible about the way we use transport. Humans have always travelled, not only because of their conquering spirit, but also because people started moving from rural communities to factories or mines, especially in Western society during the industrial revolution. This relocation brought the need for new systems of transport; a problem that has increased over the years. In most cities today there are a variety of fast comfortable methods of transportation and because this of this improved accessibility, we now travel more and further. The design process. Since not every mode of transport is practical for every distance I made an energy analysis of some methods over three different ranges: a short one for travel in cities or villages, a mid-range one to move across regions or provinces, and a longer one for international journeys. After a few attempts, I came up with the idea of a ‘globe’ and a set of hand-drawn icons. The infographic shows modes of transport as piles of icons on the globe; the one at the top being the most efficient in each case. There is also a fourth pile showing types of energy used. Sometimes, these icons on the globe are blurry because although they may be efficient enough, they are not renewable or ethically accepted, and are therefore unsustainable in the long term. Outcome. What the graphic explanation of the data revealed is surprising. Some methods of transport which are renowned for being sustainable, such as an electric train, a bicycle or even walking, when employed in certain conditions, are not as efficient as we thought. If we keep in mind durability over distance and time, some methods are costly in terms of embodied energy. The addition of further associated actions –like having a shower– would make them slide down the list. Other interesting conclusions also appear, for instance, the fact that there are as yet no alternative renewable methods to replace the efficiency of air or sea transport over long distances. Recently, this list has been added to by the new electric car which is efficient even for one passenger, and may in the future be used for long distance journeys. MEASURING METHODS USED Ecological Footprint, Embodied Energy, linear scale comparison with undefined units. Pos Method 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 sail cargo-passenger liner bicycle commuter train commuter train tram/light rail electric car (1 pax) 1.6 litre car (4 pax) trolleybus walking airbus A330 (300 pax) national train (full) scooter (1 pax) bicycle+shower tram/light train trolleybus passenger liner 1.6 litre car (1 pax) horse city bus (half-full) zeppelin (full) ferry boat (full) Source wind oil bread green energy oil green energy green energy oil green energy bread oil electricity oil bread electricity electricity oil oil organic feed oil oil oil Mj/passenger-Km 0.00 0.015 0.50 0.59 0.74 0.76 0.77 0.80 0.87 0.90 1.00 1.56 1.60 2.10 2.28 2.61 3.00 3.19 3.30 3.50 4.13 9.06 +more efficiency Mj/passenger-km sYSTEM, SOURCE because many of our travels have an ecological footprint, this infographic explores ways to be more efficient and use less energy to cover the same distance 1 ST sail, wind 2 ND cargo-passenger liner, oil NON-RENEWABLE 3 RD short distance bicycle, bread 4 TH commuter train, green energy medium distance 5 TH commuter train, oil NON-RENEWABLE 6 TH tram/light rail, green energy 7 TH electric car, green energy 8 TH 1.6 litre car, oil NON-RENEWABLE 9 TH trolleybus, green energy 10 TH walking, bread 11 TH airbus a330, oil NON-RENEWABLE 12 TH national train (full) ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE 13 TH scooter, oil NON-RENEWABLE 14 TH bicycle+shower, bread 15 TH tram/light rail, ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE 16 TH trolleybus, ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE 17 TH passenger liner, oil NON-RENEWABLE 18 TH 1.6 litre car, oil NON-RENEWABLE 19 TH horse, organic feed NON-ETHICAL 20 TH city bus (half-full) oil NON-RENEWABLE 21 TH zeppelin (full) oil NON-RENEWABLE 22 TH ferry boat (full) oil NON-RENEWABLE —LESS efficiency long distance 44 Thumbnail of the ‘Past, Present and Future’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.4 past, present and future NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR What I tried to show? The evolution of demands on energy over time and most importantly demonstrating how a lifestyle of comfort and economic success –plus the ever increasing population– cannot be sustainably followed by most of world’s population. The design process. In order to make the comparison between the past, the present and the future, I chose to symbolise world resources as a planet, and represented the world’s population, in billions, as teeth on a cog. The world economic system is expressed by two properties, firstly by size –where the year 1950 is equal to one planet and in 2015, when the world would need 1.8 planets to recover the use of its resources. Secondly, by the number of icons shown on the cog’s perimeter –where each icon represents 10 million people. The population is shown as a rotating cog that keeps the system turning, grabbing resources from the Earth. Outcome. To find the trend over time I made an estimate for the year 2100. It was clear that everything would get worse as a result of increased population density, demand for energy, and future depletion of resources. However, in order to offer a possible, more optimistic new perspective, I propose a vision of the world population, detached from the current economic system, which is self-sufficient and sustainable. If we followed a nature-centric vision, which would give hope to everyone by growing products directly from our natural surroundings, it would no longer matter how many inhabitants there were in the world. MEASURING METHODS USED Earth Overshoot Day. Year Concept and Units Data 1950 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million) 2.50 2015 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million) 7.30 2100 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million)* 11.20 1950 1973 2012 2015 2100 energy used, increase interval per year (2,56%)* energy used, in Terawatt/hours energy used, in Terawatt/hours energy used, increase interval per year (2,56%)* use of energy, increase interval per year (2,56%)* 1950 needed resources, as planets Earth required 2015 needed resources, as planets Earth required 2100 needed resources, as planets Earth required* 1950 size of the world financial system* 2015 size of the world financial system * 31,992.45 54,335.00 104,426.00 112,445.90 227,230.97 1.00 2.50 3.40 similar to Earth 180% of Earth (*) Estimated values relating the trends as result of the past data’s analysis. 1950 2.5 billion people of world population 1.0 planet required if humanity follows a european lifestyle 2015 7.3 billion people of world population 2.5 planets required if humanity follows a european lifestyle you, and 10 million people more which would you prefer for 2100? A plan 11.2 billion people of world population 3.8 planets required if humanity follows a european lifestyle B plan 11.2 billion people of world population 1.0 planets required if humanity follows a nature awareness lifestyle 46 Thumbnail of the ‘Renewability Index Hive’ poster which was reproduced on 80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.5 ‘renewability index hive’ NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR What I tried to show? To invite the audience to consider their surroundings; to think about what the world is made of and what kind of energies we use. Secondly, to raise awareness about the consumption of materials of any kind, even food packaging, and to encourage discrimination before buying any new product. The design process. The rows and columns of the data in the first scale I made were too rigid and technical, and likely to be easily forgotten. Therefore, I looked again to nature for inspiration, to find ways to organise aligned units into geometrical order. The concept of a beehive came up to my mind, and idea which was ingenious because it let me show empty cells without the diagram resulting in an ‘unfinished’. Outcome. The shape of the cell is reminiscent of an isometric cube which also evokes the idea of volumetric material and allows many alignment directions (two more than a square would allow). Finally the scale is aligned in two dimensions; the scoring level (horizontal), and the tilted vertical, as the kind of resource, that seems to fall to the scarcity and danger, while, like stairs, invites the viewer to ascend again and reach the ‘Sun’ as the more renewable element. ‘Gamification’. Scoring the 20 row table is easy since each stage corresponds to a new level of renewability; creating an analytical scoring tool was part of the primary intention of the design. At the start, there are three examples of different types of house. The following methodology was used: every resource used was coloured in black and took account of two properties: the position level and the number or total points used. MEASURING METHODS USED Scale/Score comparison with undefined units, Embodied Energy, Ecological Footprint. Methodology for calculating the ‘Renew-Score’ of the 3rd example: average west’ home non-renewable energy score of all used resources 1+6+6+8+9+11+11=52 11 9 8 division of amount of used resources 52/7=7.4 6 renew-score 1 7.4/20 g er en IES al ur lS nat teria ma SUN WIND straw ethically unaccepted me tal 19 ed ss ce l S proteria ma 20 s WATER cotton nettle widely recycled pre GEO TERM BACT ERIES BAMBOO n ANIMALS wood w 14 paper e 15 wool e 16 hemp r 17 us cio 18 leather lime a CHARCOAL stone i l 12 b 13 cork glass sand iron Y 10 i t 11 clay I N aluminium COAL D 9 cement copper E 8 X OIL plastic asphalt 4 lithium 3 diamond 1 average west’ home 50% green energy average west’ home non-renewable energy renew-core=14.9/20 renew-score=10.9/20 renew-score=7.4/20 gold coltan 2 natural home with solar panels silver e 5 i v 6 h 7 URANIUM 48 references& links REFERENCES & LINKS CHAPTERS 1,2 AND 3 (7) Interwiew to José Mújica on 1:15:05 in ‘Human, Extended version VOL.1’: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vdb4XGVTHkE (1) Cómo si no hubiera un mañana by Jorge Riechmann (Spanish): http://lecturassumergidas.com/2015/04/29/jorgeriechmann-consumimos-el-planeta-como-si-nohubiera-un-manana/ (8) Luis VS Goliat blog: http://luisvsgoliat.com (2) ‘Planned Obsolescence’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_ obsolescence (10)“La gran llave para frenar el cambio climático la tiene el consumidor, no la política” by Javier Gregori (Spanish): http://www.eldiario.es/norte/euskadi/llave-frenarcambio-climatico-consumidor_0_424157762.html In order of appearance (3) Cómo si no hubiera un mañana by Jorge Riechmann (Spanish): http://lecturassumergidas.com/2015/04/29/jorgeriechmann-consumimos-el-planeta-como-si-nohubiera-un-manana/ (4) Accelerating the planetary transformation by Benjamin Butler: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/acceleratingplanetary-transformation-benjaminbutler?published=u (5) Planetary Boundaries by Johan Rockström: http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/ research-programmes/planetary-boundaries/ planetary-boundaries/about-the-research/the-nineplanetary-boundaries.html (6) Sustainable Development Goals by UN: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ sustainable-development-goals/ (9) Gapminder Project Prof. Hans Rosling: http://www.gapminder.org/ (11) Tearing Down the Master’s House interview to Derrick Jensen: http://www.counterpunch.org/2006/08/12/tearingdown-the-master-s-house/ (12) Wildebeest animated cartoon from Birdbox Studio: http://youtu.be/JMJXvsCLu6s All the links are working on Dic 10th 2015. 49 REFERENCES&LINKS REFERENCES & LINKS CHAPTER 4 In order of appearance (2) Colour filter Gels: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0PyxLVXDkeY (3) Interview with Dr. Mariana Amatullo: http://www.icsid.org/feature/current/articles2071. htm (5) Gapminder Project. Prof. Hans Rosling: http://www.gapminder.org/ (7) Earth Overshoot Day: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/ GFN/page/earth_overshoot_day/ http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/ GFN/page/video_overshoot_expla ined/ (8) Opinion of Chief Scientist Peter Kareiva about Ecological Footprint: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001700 All the links are working on Dic 10th 2015. 50 bibliography &data BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTERS 1,2 AND 3 In order of appearance Other related reading Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd. Matson, J. 2013, Renewable Energy’s Hidden Costs, Scientific American Dressler, Camille. 1999, Eigg, The Story of an Island, Edinburgh University Press. Ashton, Tin et al. 2004, Change the World for a Fiver, Short Books Ltd. Hunter, James. 2012, From the Low Tide of the Sea to the Highest Mountain Tops, Community ownership of land in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, The Islands Book Trust. Clift, Jon and Cuthbert, Amanda. 2008, Climate Change, Simple things you can do to make a difference, Green Books. Braungart, M. and McDounough W. 2009, Cradle to Cradle, Re-making the way we make things, Vintage Books. Arthus-Bertrand, Yann. Movie on 2015, Human, Extended version VOL.1, Bettencourt Schuller Foundation. Freire, Paulo. 1996, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin Clift, Jon and Cuthbert, Amanda. 2007, Greening Your Office. From cupboard to corporation: an A-Z guide, Green Books. 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY&DATA BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER 4 DATA SOURCES INFOGRAPHICS (1) Parker J. Palmer, 1993. To Know as we are known: Education as a Spiritual Journey, Harperone. Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd. (4) Mark Baskinger, 2013. Drawing Ideas, a hand-drawn approach for better design, Watson-Guptill. M. Wackernagel and W. Rees, 1996. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New Society Publishers. (6) M. Wackernagel and W. Rees, 1996. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New Society Publishers. Global Footprint Network: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/ Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd. David McCandless. 2014, Knowledge Is Beautiful, Harper Design. David McCandless. 2014, Knowledge Is Beautiful, Harper Design. David McCandless. 2010, Information Is Beautiful, Harper Design. Keith Albarn et al. 1977, Diagram, The instrument of thought, Thames and Hudson. A. Collins, A. Flynn and A. Netherwood. 2005, Reducing Cardiff ’s Ecological Footprint: A Resource Tool for sustainable Consumption, WWF Cymru. David McCandless. 2010, Information Is Beautiful, Harper Design. Simon Fairlie, 2007. Can Britain Feed Itself? (paper). Daniel Dorling et al. 2010, The Atlas of the Real World, Mapping the Way we Live, Thames & Hudson. Richard Boston et al. 1979, The Little Green Book, Wildwood House. In order of appearance Bill Mollison.1988), Permaculture: A designers’ Manual, Tagari. Ross Porter. 2015, VoyageVert. 52 acknowledgements 53 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Seaton Baxter & Roberto Fraquelli, supervision Luis VS Goliat, learning process Sybilla Higgs, reflection,..., correction and editing Scotland & Wales, mindful exploration Inez Aponte, external advice Tamar Correa, external support and acceptance David Sánchez, companionship Malcolm Baldwin & Anna Lunk, external advice Ecological Design Thinking Group, companionship Dee Cunninson, external advice Schumacher College Community, livelihood Rafa Jimenez, external support Daniel Christian Wahl, external support Adriaan Alexander Dekker, psychological support Bob Tomlinson, information Wirat Rachburi, external advice Miquel Baidal, external advice Luisa Ripoll, external support Margarita Jaume, logistics Raul Woollands, external advice ... ...and to you, my parents, who believed that I could bring something, I think this could be it, I wish you could see me now. Thanks, for supporting me, I always will love you, Luis. 54 appendix APPENDIX CHAPTERS 1,2 AND 3 Examples of communities Transition Network is a structure for towns to operate and be resilient to oil: https://www.transitionnetwork.org/ Lammas, self-sufficient ecovillage off the grid in Wales: http://lammas.org.uk/ Munksøgårds, co-housing model in Denmark that shares resources and cares: http://www.munksoegaard.dk/index_en.html Cohousing, the sharing economy for housing, explained in an infographic: http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/ cohousing-test.html Roxbury Farm, a community-supported agriculture –CSA– http://www.roxburyfarm.com/ Centre for Alternative Technology, a laboratory community about sustainability: http://support.cat.org.uk/index.php/welcome Samye Ling is a monastery and residential community for international Buddhist training: http://www.samyeling.org/about/ Findhorn Foundation is a spiritual community, learning center and ecovillage: https://www.findhorn.org/ Economy for the Common Good, a new economic model based in the fair-share between acommunity, businesses and nature: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-governance/ggievents/christianfaber Common Eco-ethical lenses Alternative education: Other approaches to education need to be considered as mainstream education fails to emphasise the essential values of life. Being outdoors: People need to connect with nature, sometimes as a source of inspiration, sometimes as a context in which to discover their origins or balance. Community ownership of land and resources: Some people think that private property, both individual and corporate, creates a disruption in society and support common ownership schemes instead. Fair-Trade: Buying Fair-Trade goods as a way to contribute to social development, especially in countries where human rights are being violated. http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/ Population control: World population growth should be regulated in order to guarantee everyone the right to their basic needs. Local markets: Sharing wealth within the local community by contributing directly to the local economy and local farmers, also because these products are healthier more ecological. Nature’s renewal: Concern to give nature time to recover green energies, natural materials, and the ability to produce sufficient food – the need to plant and harvest during the right season. Non-governmental organizations: Financial contributions supporting NGOs around the world; these organisations are not part of any government, usually set up by ordinary citizens, and operate on a not-for-profit basis. 55 APPENDIX Organic farming: Buying or growing organic food because it is the healthier for them, the soil and the world. Recycling: Investing in properly run recycling schemes as a way to re-absorb the vast amount of waste produced by humans. Renewable energy: Turning to green energy because it has a less polluting outcome for the environment and is reliable and cost effective. Living ‘off grid’ is the best way to achieve this goal. Rights for all living beings: Respecting all other species and refusing to abuse them as a resource to feed our needs whether for animal energy, food production or leather production. Transport sharing schemes: Concerns over increased pollution and cost of personal transport could be overcome by sharing transportation across a larger community. Spiritual values: Believing that ethical values and faith will give us hope for a world of peace and beauty. Technological efficiency: Science and new technologies are inventing more efficient, energy saving solutions for industry, which may in turn create a more sustainable life. Tree planting: Sustaining tree populations on earth as among other things the tree is the most effective solution to CO2 absorption. It is also a significant source of structural and combustible material as well as being a useful source of food and health for the soil. Vegan/vegetarian food schemes: Contributing towards a sustainable planet by eating vegan or vegetarian food, and seen as a healthier way of life, both personally and for the planet, as well as an ethical approach to animal rights. APPENDIX 56 APPENDIX CHAPTER 4 MEASURING METHODS Ecological Footprint. This concept was developed in Canada in the 1990’s by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees. Their method allows us to compare all the goods and services. All we use and all the activities that we undertake in our daily lives; by considering them in terms of the amount of land required to provide each of them in a sustainable way. This method assumes that all the energy is grown and can be reduced to an area of productive land. Wackernangel and Rees call a ‘fair earth-share’: the amount of land available for each person on the earth, currently considered to stand at 1.70 global hectares in 2015. However, PLoS Biology, co-authored by Nature Conservancy Chief Scientist Peter Kareiva, have a more updated opinion: “The Ecological Footprint had utility in its day8; It alerted the world to the notion that humans have a huge impact on the planet, and that eventually there may be limits that feedback to undermine the global ecosystem. Now policy-makers and business leaders are demanding much more sophisticated information about the benefits we get from nature —information that can be used to inform smarter investments and decisions,” he adds. “We need better metrics to support those demands.” Earth Overshoot Day. Marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. For the rest of the year, we will maintain our ecological deficit by drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We will be operating in overshoot. On August 20 was the Earth Overshoot Day 2015. Embodied Energy. It is the sum of the total energy that a product, material, service or living being needs to be made and ready for use for consumption. Food can be also analysed through this rule as it takes energy to manufacture and operate the tractors that prepare the land before the crop is sown; to make the seed drills and the sprayers; to make, the package and deliver the fertilizers and pesticides; to harvest, transport, process and package the food; to transport the food to the shops; and, finally, to sell it. Natural Renewability of Resources. They are the resources that can be recovered naturally in the planet in time. If we are not able to recover the non-renewable, eventually we will have a world that could support us all only with the simplest possible lifestyle, unless we would find a vast renewable planet source of food, energy and materials. Scale/Score comparison with undefined units. Using the extreme side elements on a list, the minimum element and the maximum establish a proportional scale through all the other elements within them. The smallest element it is considered as the unit to quantify the others. 57 APPENDIX