We may look back on March 2007 as the time when the world came to its senses. Recent reports have finally dispelled any lingering doubts we may have had about mankind’s contribution to global warming. It is now beyond dispute that we will be forced to deal with the effects of our post-industrial lifestyle for many years to come. But, if we act now, we can still have a huge influence on what nature holds in store for us. Many individuals and businesses around the world have been quietly working away on these issues for a long time. Gradually, many more of us will join them, and it will seem less of a statement to do so. In fact, it may come to seem more of a statement, and a very nihilistic one at that, to do nothing and pretend that this is all going to go away of its own accord.
But even though we know there’s a lot we can do, it’s hard to know where to start. “If you’re starting off, it’s best to do the things that are fun and engage you,” sustainable design consultant Edwin Datschefski points out. Major lifestyle changes could be put to one side, focussing more on the changes you feel you can make at the moment instead. Edwin’s recently been experimenting with an energy monitor that sits between any particular appliance and the mains socket, informing him of the amount of power it’s drawing from the grid. For you it might be exploring a farmers’ market or riding your bike to work once a week instead of driving. Becoming more sustainable is a bit like trying to live more healthily: if you’re going to keep up your commitment, you’ve got to enjoy it.
For those wanting to make bigger steps on their already existing journey to sustainability, it can be confusing to decide what to do next. Edwin has made the situation much more manageable by listing four simple actions to make anyone 80% more sustainable with immediate effect:
- Make a quick call to switch your electricity supplier.
- Fill the car up from a different pump (or even better plug it into the mains – once you’ve already taken step 1).
- Change your holiday plans (to minimise flights).
- Revise your shopping list (to support sustainable products and companies).
“I always say it’s good to focus on the most important things, which are food and fuel,” he says. “After all, 80% of our impact comes from these two things alone – in stark contrast to plastic bags and disposable nappies, which are responsible for just 0.1% and 0.4% of the average person’s impact respectively. So it’s much more effective to focus on the simpler actions that reap the greatest rewards.”
Edwin’s recommendations don’t necessarily involve using less, rather changing the type of fuel and food we consume. So instead of lighting and heating our home using a coal-powered source, he suggests we switch to a green energy supplier who’ll pump more wind or solar power into the grid on our behalf. Instead of using fossil fuel to get around, we can choose a car that runs on biodiesel, green electricity or compressed air. And as we’re yet to see a plane that doesn’t use fossil fuel, he points out that the most responsible option would be to do all our travelling by train, bus or ship – which has about one fifteenth of the impact as the same trip by air. And as for food, he recognises that while it won’t appeal to everyone, the vegetarian option is the most environmentally friendly, with locally grown, organic fruit and vegetables helping the planet even more.
The ideas above can seem a little overwhelming, but as Edwin observes, “When I published these ideas back in 2001, many people felt it was just too extreme – suggesting that people didn’t fly, for example. But now, it’s starting to be accepted as a principle even if it’s not yet a reality”. Rather than feeling daunted by Edwin’s suggestions, we can apply his principles to the degree we think is reasonable for us at this point in time – and keep the rest in mind for when we feel ready for a new challenge.
As we start to assess our own lifestyles, we will become more aware of what shade of green we are now, and what we would ideally like to be. We will learn more about our impacts, and the ways in which we can reduce them – without sacrificing too much comfort or enjoyment. Here at better thinking, we will continue to celebrate the people and brands who are making a positive difference. So please visit again, tell us what themes you would like to see us cover in the future, or let us know about any interesting companies you know of that are pushing the boundaries of sustainability.
'The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products', Edwin Datschefski's book
An energy monitor will help you to understand how much power your household objects use
Here at Threesixty we handle quite a lot of print and production for clients as part of our design service. At present we are actively trying to develop a set of simple principles here in terms of how we operate our own business in an environmentally sustainable manner. Alongside this we are researching paper stocks, packaging systems, print processes etc. with a view to being able to advise our clients on how to promote their brands in a more sustainable manner. I should mention that we are based in Ireland and are finding that the design & production industry here is very slow to embrace these issues. Perhaps this isn't the right place to ask (and apologies if it is not) but I would be very grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of good resources that would help us. We would be happy to share anything that we find along the way. Many thanks and I have very much enjoyed reading through this magazine.
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Siobhan O'Dwyer
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I hear that some manufacturers, notably Philips (with their ongoing commitment to all things sustainable), are starting to reduce the power consumption of devices on standby. It always helps to tackle problems at source as well at the point of usage.
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Mike Betts
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