There was so much over the two lectures to be digested!
In simple terms I thought the speaker was explaining that we are being introduced more and more to ethical issues going on throughout the world and to think about the impact that they have on us in a professional and personal capacity. Can we all help in some small way to change the choices we make into more greener ones to help reduce our carbon foot print? Do or even will these changes help to repair some of the damage done already, when there are many other countries throughout the world oblivious to changing there own practises?
I was drawn also to the choices we all make in our every day lives as to what products we buy, which shops, banks etc. that we go to and the clothes we wear. There seems to me to be a domino effect in everything we do. Not that I am ignorant of some of these issues but I felt the lecture helped me to think of the bigger picture and what does actually go on in the world around us and the consequences of our choices.
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I hadn't really stopped and thought about what my own ethical issues were, what products I should or shouldn't buy and the reasons why?
I was surprised while conducting research for this topic to discover so many companies have boycotts against them, such companies include:
Adidas - on the list due to a boycott call from Viva for using kangaroo skin to make some types of football boots.
Bacardi - on the list for continuing to use its' Cuban origins in its' marketing, despite being active in anti-Cuba lobby groups in the US
Barclays - this bank is subject to a boycott called for by Ethical Consumer for its involvement in the Canadian oil sands.
If you are interested you can find out a little more information from the web site below
I have tried to break the lecture down into categories.
The book below explains many questions we have been asking:
The above book was published in October 2006 by Allen Lane, Penguin Press.
The book below explains many questions we have been asking:
HEAT
The above book was published in October 2006 by Allen Lane, Penguin Press.
Below is an extract:
"We know that climate change is happening. We know that it could, if the worst predictions come true, destroy the conditions which make human life possible. Only one question is now worth asking: can it be stopped"?
In Heat, George Monbiot explains how he thinks that it can and demonstrates that we can achieve the necessary cut – a 90% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 – without bringing civilisation to an end!
"We know that climate change is happening. We know that it could, if the worst predictions come true, destroy the conditions which make human life possible. Only one question is now worth asking: can it be stopped"?
In Heat, George Monbiot explains how he thinks that it can and demonstrates that we can achieve the necessary cut – a 90% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 – without bringing civilisation to an end!
Combining his unique knowledge of campaigning and environmental science, he explains in the book how we can transform our houses, our power and our transport systems but he also shows that this can happen only with a massive programme of action which no government has yet been prepared to take.
He writes some exciting, disturbing ideas that expose the cowardice of our politicians with their excuses for doing nothing: that it would be too painful and expensive to sustain life on earth.
He supports his ideas with investigations into what works, what doesn’t, how much it costs and what the problems might be. He wages war on bad ideas as much as he promotes good ones. He is not afraid to attack anyone whose claims are false or whose figures have been cooked up. HEAT also contains a new exposure of the corporations trying to stop us from taking action. It is an inspiring, original, fast paced book that could change the world if more people were to read it.
RECYCLING
John Thackara says " make sense not stuff " his 3 step plan can be found on the link below.
http://changeobserver.designobserver.com/feature/make-sense-not-stuff/22518/
Is it something new or have we been doing it in our own small way differently for years all along?
http://changeobserver.designobserver.com/feature/make-sense-not-stuff/22518/
Is it something new or have we been doing it in our own small way differently for years all along?
Here is some things that I have thought about that have already been done.
Taking pop bottles back to the shop for the 10p refund
Putting your old milk bottles out
Taking packaging waste into schools to be used to make things or to play "shop" with
Socks were darned
Patchwork quilts made out of fabric scraps
Giving items to a needy friend or neighbour
Giving church or school fetes unwanted items
Old clothes given to smaller siblings, friends or charity shops
Nowadays even MORE THINGS CAN BE DONE.
Car boot sales, recycling glass bottles, paper, cardboard, cans and different plastics.
recycling phones
recycling batteries
spectacles
water bottles
Some recycling places also have a bin for books, Cd's and DVDs.
We are apparently recycling 3 times more than we did 6 years ago according to the Mail online.
Art can also play a large part in recycling
Beer temple
Rubber
mixture
These are done by extremely creative people and there are many beautiful images of what can be achieved.
I think the above photos show a really interesting, different way of recycling!
I think the above photos show a really interesting, different way of recycling!
What happens when this can go wrong?
Household rubbish put out for recycling is dumped in landfill sites or sent to incinerators by three out of four councils, it has been reported.
"It's vital that we all continue to recycle what we can as the last thing we want is for recyclable materials to end up in landfill."
Quote above taken from link below
By funding recycling initiatives, Edinburgh council hopes to reduce the use of landfill sites | pic: guardian.co.uk
The lists go on and many of us have been doing small things to help and can't bear to throw things away, I am one of these people. I have not surrendered to becoming one of the throw away society people. I don't tend to buy things to "keep up to date with the Joneses"! as the old saying used to go.
I do, however, find that the pressures of the fast-paced society does draw me into the use of gadgets that help to improve my connection to people and convenience.
Child slave workers
The big question raised in this lecture was " Are we helping or hindering these children"?
Are we helping by condoning it so that they can help them gain money to support their families? What would happen to them and their families if they didn't work?
Are we hindering by buying products made by children who work long hours in poor conditions for so little money and also by not being aware, as consumers, where or how and who our products are being made by?
This was the bigger picture and I think it is important that we were being asked to think about our own ethics and principles.
Image taken from The Children's Rights International Report.
I found this article about Afghan children rummaging through trash to be used as fuel for fire in Herat, Afghanistan. It's been reported that at least 250 million school-aged children are child labourers for low wages and in hazardous conditions in Afghanistan.A comment made to me after someone read this part of my blog that the figures might have been misquoted and that it could be more like 25million so I checked! i'm correct according to the website!
( September 14, 2010- Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images AsiaPac)
Taken from website below
A boy works at a fishing harbour on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan.
Hope for Pakistan's child workers By Sarah Stuteville
Hope for Pakistan's child workers By Sarah Stuteville
"KARACHI, Pakistan (Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting) — Sher Shah is a hard-working neighbourhood — a confusing knot of cramped lanes offering up a riot of rattling power looms, puttering motors and booming furnaces. This rough suburb, with its garment factories, machine shops and scrap metal smelters far from the imposing cement skyscrapers of the city center, forms the industrial gut of Karachi".
The above quote made me easily picture the scene!
The above quote made me easily picture the scene!
Link to this artical is below.
I also found this piece of research!
This used to be a thing of the past!!
Children became children again and could get their rights to a basic education back. No more were they getting illness or injury due to their work and not growing up, ageing or dying before their time.
The child workers of the past.
The twelve year old boy in the photograph was unable to read or write. He'd been employed by a textile mill in Columbia, South Carolina for four years, since the age of eight. He told Hines, the photographer “Yes, I want to learn, but can't when I work all the time."
Link to this article is below
A young Utah or Colorado mine worker- copying the big blokes!
Who or what should we believe?
Examples were given such as .......
The internet,Wikipedia, Adbusters , The BBC , Government ,CNN, Fox News and even Blue Peter when the shows cat was replaced by another one and children weren't told.
Are we sometimes lied to to be protected from the truth?
Or are we sometimes made mugs out of?
The lecturer quoted that "We are also told that flying is evil and that it is 2% of pollution but we are not then told about another away to commute to get around this problem"
Sometimes to become greener we have to spend more money and what if this is out of our means budget - what then?
There are so many other companies who create a percentage of pollution but keep a low key. The cement industry is said to create over 5% but they choose to keep a low profile to stay under the radar. We use paper cups to help the environment but Starbucks paper cups have a coating on them and makes it so much harder to be degradable.The example was then used if we were to use a ceramic cup and take this with us wherever we go we would have to use it 1006 times to get back the money from its production! Confusing!
What about the animal rights issues we were introduced to? He told us about featherless chickens that someone has designed to ensure that they don't get too hot.This then makes it easier to farm them. On the other side of the coin this cutting out of the middle man and saving money on plucking the chickens also means poeple are out of work! Would consumers be privy to this information before having a choice to buy the products - I doubt it very much. From an animal rights point of view "what gives them the right to mess with Nature this way"? It does not seem right to me - a bit like breeding people without certain limbs or faults within their make-up - who are we to play God like this?
For whatever the reason it's something to think about -what is fact and fiction?
Sometimes really getting the TRUTH is so much harder to find, especially on Government issues. Is it any wonder that there are so many conspiracy theories around?
Sometimes really getting the TRUTH is so much harder to find, especially on Government issues. Is it any wonder that there are so many conspiracy theories around?
Ethical Issues
As designers and artists can we be responsible to work to a set of standards?
A book called Design for Society by Nigel Whiteley, explains a designers role and discusses what is said about our own cultural obsession. It talks about how designers are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment and it explores what some people would say are possibly not "sound" values and the implications of exposing these methods, as it then shows how we can become responsible in our own design ideals.
Many companies now ask potential employees about their Ethical makeup in their interview before hand and what you answer can determine if you get the job or not. This comment surprised me because I hadn't thought that this sort of thing would go against you!
There are so many thing to consider with Ethical Issues, such as:
Designers will come up against these issues more often now as the design community has become a lot more pro-active in making design decisions.
The lecturer informed us about the 1964 Design Manifesto. Its just something to be more consciously aware of. What if it becomes between a choice of your beliefs and Ethics and being able to provide for yourself and may be family - does this then become an idealistic way to work?
- What if your client makes a choice that compromises your beliefs?
- Would it be possible to educate diplomatically your client to other alternatives and choices?
- Should you have or even could you have Ethics and standards that you can stick to?
Designers will come up against these issues more often now as the design community has become a lot more pro-active in making design decisions.
The lecturer informed us about the 1964 Design Manifesto. Its just something to be more consciously aware of. What if it becomes between a choice of your beliefs and Ethics and being able to provide for yourself and may be family - does this then become an idealistic way to work?
What the power of advertisement has on us.
Branding and labels
To me this use to mean a consumer relationship of trust in the company ( manufacturer) of quality and life expectancy of the product with electrical goods.
Branding of food products were also about quality and taste, rather than cheaper products which can be bad for your health.
Clothing and shoe branding didn't have much impact on me, except to say that it became and still is away of separation of those who can afford and those who can't. Especially for children this is why I support the school uniform. Yes it can be expensive but can also help stop bullying for many.
What would our lives be like if there was no such thing as branding?
Would this open the door to more problems?
Does packaging and colour influence or choices?
I'd say yes! Haven't we all bought something because it looks good on the box - a good example being food! We then get home and find it nothing like inside what the box shows us and may even disappoint our taste buds!
Would we still buy products if it had bland packaging and not had food colouring added?
Probably not even if it did mean that it would be better for the environment and our digestion! Why? This is because we have been made to believe that bland can mean cheap. I have done this myself dismissed things due to packaging.
Yes I think designers should have principles and ethics, within the society we live in today and information electronically at our finger tips. We are becoming more aware of these issues, as consumers some more than others do there best to help the carbon footprint and abide by there own disciplines.
The area we need to change!
I feel due to the speed of technology that comes out, it has made us become a throw away society and products are not made to last as long. Gadgets that are made to help us in the speed in which we live our lives now are placing strains on the environment and we must question how long we can tolerate it for?
I feel due to the speed of technology that comes out, it has made us become a throw away society and products are not made to last as long. Gadgets that are made to help us in the speed in which we live our lives now are placing strains on the environment and we must question how long we can tolerate it for?
My conclusion:
With more information available to make us more aware of issues,we all come face to face with choices every day and it is up to us to fall back on our own beliefs and ethics to guide us to make the right choice within our own means.
What a strange world we live in!
Images and some content taken off the internet, refrence to these areas used is acknowledged by the page link they were taken from. All of the accompanying photos are taken from various websites for research purpose only.
CONTENT 10/10
INTREST 10/10
DILEVERY 8/10
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