Holistic Design
Thesis: Design is the root of action; if we can creatively construct our products and systems with purpose and understanding of the processes and side effects of these systems, we can improve our relationship to the natural world.
Introduction to Industrial Design
Our modern lives are full of manufactured products. Nearly everything that surrounds us in our day-to-day lives is born of intense industrial processes, yet rarely do we think of the systems that support our lifestyles. Finding a single action in a day that does not somehow depend on fossil fuels is nearly impossible. Everything we use, eat, or come in contact with has either been shipped or manufactured (or both) far away from where we live, and arrives at our door via processes that gobble up mounds of natural resources (Chiras, 2000). Because of the affluence of our lifestyle, we do not see the effects of these processes, and thus we rarely consider the long-term sustainability of our daily actions.
While humans have always survived by our ability to use our surroundings, the industrial revolution increased our power to thrive, also increasing the size of our "footprint" (amount of land or resources required to sustain us). The machines that arose (and the knack for utilizing the energy in fossil fuels) during the industrial revolution greatly increased the output of manufacturing companies, also increasing the inputs of raw materials (Chiras, 2001). This increase in demand has led to intense mining, logging and agricultural processes that have left us with a less healthy world. Since industrial systems have been in place (mid 1700's), greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased, raising global temperatures, and threatening drastic...
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...iras, Daniel (2000). The Natural House. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Haines, Andrew, McMichael, Anthony J., Epstein, Paul R., McCally, Michael. Sept. 19, 2000. "Environment and Health 2: Global Climate Change and Health." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 163, Issue 6.
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Lancaster, Brad. Lecture. May 2003. Tucson, Arizona.
McDonough, Bill and Michael Braungart (2002). Cradle to Cradle. New York: North Point Press.
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry Home Page. http://www.mbdc.com/profile_clients.htm November 3, 2003.
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A well-known expression is that money can’t buy happiness, yet people fantasize of winning the lottery, living in their dream house, and possessing enough tangible objects to feel satisfied with their lives. Most are under the preconceived notion that the absence of wealth and power translates to hardship and despair. This, however, is not the case, because a self-effacing lifestyle is not an indication of a lower quality of life, and often is better than one of great fortune. People yearn to have the financial independence and capabilities of those in higher ranking positions, and are willing to abandon their morals and own personal well-being if it means being successful. It seems that by reaching a level of wealth in which money is no longer
“What time should we leave? Two hours in advance? Three? Four?” Millions of people ask these questions each year before boarding a plane. Between driving, security, walking to the gate, and getting settled, boarding a plane exhausts travelers. But out of all of these different activities, one frustrates and restrains travelers the most: TSA security. People ask why they need all this security, complain about the inconvenience it causes, and ultimately annoys people to no end. Created after 9/11, Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, nationalized airport security, increased screening duration, and supposedly increases security on flights. However, statistics say these added security measures never come to fruition and potentially cost more lives than they save.
The dependence on hard core drugs in the United States is on a continuous climb. Heroin is the leading reason for this. Considered by many to be the hardest of hard drugs, thus making heroin a very popular choice among drug addicts. Heroin is a narcotic produced from the opium of the poppy plant and poses a serious risk to society. Since it could be injected, snorted or smoked heroin also causes health complications and the possibility of death. Sadly, none of that matters to an addict because they only want their next fix. A century ago the doctors who developed heroin were only hoping for a way to help patients, they were unaware their new found medicine would lead to decades of addiction, abuse, health problems and even death for many.
Before the dreaded day of September 11, 2001, a person or persons flying could be escorted to their gate by family members and loved ones. The thought that a gun would or could be brought on board of an airplane and used as a means to hijack an airplane never crossed a passenger’s mind. Isaac Yeffet said, “After Lockerbie, everyone thought; now we’ve learned the lesson of how to be proactive instead of being reactive. Unfortunately, September 11 came and we know the result. Thousands of people lost their lives. Security totally failed, not at one airport, at three different airports around the country.” Due to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the United States government decided airport security needed to be updated and become more stringent. These updates included a formation of TSA and Sky Marshalls, tighter security measures, and policy changes.
There are an estimated 25,000 heroin users in Victoria (Hodder, p.10). This is a very large amount of people on drugs, in the last 10 years it has been shown to increase and therefore the drug issue is becoming a major problem to all the people in Victoria.
"The Industrial Revolution and its Impact on our Environment." Eco Issues. N.p., 27 Aug 2012. Web. 10 Apr 2014.
In the United States today, many teenage girls are facing lots of problems. New problems are rising such as an increased pregnancy rate among teenagers. Our teenage girls are less developed and unprepared for the problems which come along with their decision to have sex. It is also too early for teenage girls to become pregnant. Many teens think having a baby is some sort of joke. They believe it will never happen to them but the reality is that every time teens have sex, there is a possibility that the sperm will find its way to the egg if they do not get protection. As a nation, or society, it is in our common interest to protect our teenage girls from getting unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. However, this issue of protecting or preventing our teenage girls from pregnancy plays a dynamic role and is a matter of choice. Many parents and educators have long argued over whether teens should get a comprehensive sex education or abstinence only education. The question is which of these programs is more effective at stopping teen pregnancy. To prevent teenage pregnancy, the United States, should force schools to teach comprehensive sex education for many reasons. For many people, instructing teenage girls about the usefulness of birth control and condoms is more important than just simply mentioning to avoid sex until marriage. Comprehensive sex education is needed to teach teens about the usefulness of condoms.
The use of heroin is increasing in almost every part of the United States. All age groups are all over the drug, including high school and middle school students. What doesn't help is that the availability of heroin has increased as well. New sources and networks of distribution have been reported. The comeback of heroin is not only apparent in the inner cities; it has been making its way to suburban life as well.
Kohler et al. (2008)“Abstinence-only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4): 344-351.
The Anthropocene marks a point in time where human activities were able to greatly alter the environment, some historians believe that it marked the point in time where the industrial revolution began (1700CE to 1900CE). The Industrial revolution essentially was mankind’s breakthrough into modernity, the rapid advancements in technology and the utilisation of fossil fuels gave man a seemingly infinite supply of energy that could be used to transform manual processes into automated ones which was a massive game changer for the manufacturing, communications and transportation industries.(1)
Sex before marriage has always been a major issue. Teen pregnancy seems to double yearly: with no sign of stopping. Some teens use contraceptives and birth control incorrectly. They think pregnancy just can’t happen to them. In a lot of cases their embarrassed to buy protection or just simply unsure of how to use them. Many unplanned pregnancies happen beca...
"Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health." Guttmacher Institute: Home Page. 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Instead they rely completely on money to be happy. People often do not appreciate what they have, and they feel like they deserve better, and they complain instead of making the best of what they have. It is not necessary to be rich to enjoy life. Often those who have everything tend to live miserably. People can become too attached to money to the point that they forget about enjoying life and caring for their family. The theme of materialism is shown throughout the story of “The Rocking Horse Winner” to explain how being too attached to money can ruin people’s lives.
...ions on Two Decades of Research on Teen Sexual Behavior and Pregnancy."The Journal of school health 69.3 (1999): 89-94. ProQuest.Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Sustainability Revolution: Earth, the planet we call home, is a complex system made of interdependent parts and pieces of life that are constantly changing. Earth’s planetary system has maintained a balance of dynamic equilibrium—it has been sustainable— since its beginnings about 4.5 billion years ago. This balance, however, has been progressively disrupted by us—humans— especially during the last few decades. Mother Nature has provided us with natural resources and the habitat for all species to sustain life on our planet. Since the industrial revolution, we have maintained a belief that these resources are infinite, and that economic growth and our attempts to improve our standards of living can continue forever. All forms of human economic