Holistic Design

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Recommended: Assess the environmental impact

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.

Janzen, J. Daniel. Review of Cradle to Cradle. Flak Magazine. http://flakmag.com/books/cradletocradle.html. November 3, 2003.

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.

Mollison, Bill (1988). Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. Tyalgum, Australia: Tagari Publications.

Reynolds, Michael (1990). Earthship, Vol. 1. Taos, New Mexico: Solar Survival Press.

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