Month: November 2018

This article by Brad Plumer, raises many difficult to swallow steps that America will need to take in the decades ahead in order to adapt and survive during climate change and the inevitable disasters it will cause.  Rethinking how we farm is a major step, yet this is a step that is already being worked on and innovated as we speak. Alternative protein sources and lab-grown substitutes are already on the market and becoming more accessible as the days go on, it’s only a matter of time till America full accepts these alternatives, but the fact this change is already in motion is a good sign. Building for the future is another major step, but a step that has only just become relevant, as speculative design and design for the worst case scenario is only now being taught and advocated. This step will take some time before it is understood in society, as it takes some major rewiring and changes in thinking to plan for a future that doesn’t exist, instead of designing based on the past, which society is built upon (the past). Retreating from the coasts is an inevitable and sad fact of the reality we live in. I was exposed to this sad reality pretty recently as my family has a beach house on the great ocean road on the coast of Australia. Here I saw The Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, crumble one by one everytime I went to visit. This was a vivid and honest portrayal of the impact climate change is having on the world, and this change has happened in only a matter of years. Moving away from the coasts is a smart and practical step to take, especially with rising sea levels.  Enlisting nature to help is a great method to control the destruction of climate change. It’s been proven that certain fungai can clean up oil spills and toxic waste, and trees can help clean the atmosphere. With many companies creating tree-planting benefits or systems to encourage awareness and participation in trying to slow down the damage of climate change, it’s increasingly apparent that people are beginning to care and they are wanting to give back to mother earth by helping rebuild and replace what we took from it, as well as using it to help us repair our damages. Of course, all these steps are just speculative, and only time will tell if these will actually help in the long run. All I can say is that these steps are definitely a step in the right direction.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20181115-why-climate-change-photography-needs-a-new-look

This article by Diego Ortiz, was very eye-opening regarding the psychology behind how people view climate change. Visuals play a huge role in this, and Ortiz emphasizes this notion in his article. Much of a person’s early exposure to climate change has been through stock images showcasing pollution excreted into the air, or sob stories about losing the polar bears or sea levels rising because of melting ice caps. Although these are viable issues and ones with real-world consequences; for many, these are issues they can simply avoid, as they don’t see these issues immediately affecting them, so why take immediate action or care. Why care about those polar bears, animals i’ve never seen before, that are dying, in a place, I’ll never see. Why care about the rising sea levels, when I live in a state in the center of the country, lacking access to the coast. It isn’t until we humanize the visuals, and bring visuals that don’t seem too far from reality, where people react and new-found climate change care is conveyed. This is the sad reality of the climate change situation, where we need to show humans dealing with bleak situations before people notice and are aware of the true dangers, but at least we are aware of this and can start to educate people about climate change in a more empathetic manner.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/28/global-food-system-is-broken-say-worlds-science-academies?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

This article by Damian Carrington mentions many valuable facts about why the global food system and industry is broken but doesn’t really raise any new ideas. The disparity in food access and pricing between countries around the world is something I’ve been exposed to in real time, so i’ve understood the price differences and quality of the food I access and obtain in America, compared to Australia and Indonesia for example. The article was great in maintaining awareness of this subject matter, yet didn’t delve too heavily in ways to fix or restore balance in the global food system until the very end of the article where Carrington mentions growing “crops that are more resilient to climate change, smarter crop rotation, soil protection, precier use of fertilizers and less use of pesticides.” He also mentions how academics support the innovation of laboratory-grown meat and insect-based foods. I believe if Carrington had delved deeper into the ways as society we can help mediate such a broken system, the article would give a stronger response and call to action, rather than just mentioning something many of us had already assumed is the truth; that western countries waste too much food and less fortunate countries have access to less food. The mention of alternative protein sources like lab grown meat and insect based foods is an extremely important point and should’ve been expanded upon further. As having eaten both crickets on my waffles and the impossible burger, I can wholeheartedly say that if these products were more accessible and readily available to purchase, I’d often find myself substituting my usual meat purchases with these alternatives. Focus on raising awareness of these protein alternatives should be a priority in the transformation of a more sustainable and food balanced world, as these are changes that can easily be adjusted and utilized in an average persons life and it’s a fix that doesn’t deal with politics, consumerism or major food community issues.