1) What kind of projects and work do you think might be needed by designers because of the Great Acceleration? What are two ways that the changes resulting from the Great Acceleration are affecting your life?
Great Acceleration is the time period from 1750 to 2010, within which technology development, natural resources exploitation and the negative changes in Earth System accelerate drastically after the industrial revolution set out. As a role of integrating different materials, structures and forms into products used by people living on earth, designers as creative thinker should work with conscientiousness for the sake of the users and their future. Products are better to be designed made with green or recyclable materials. Or even without use new materials, designers can come up with strategy on how to tweak or re-use abandoned objects and better product strategy for sharing economics. The natural resources is limited as there is more and more population living on earth.
The good side of Great Acceleration, could be easily told by someone who lives in a cozy environment with AC and various electronic appliances which created convenience and ease for people’s living. We enjoy the happier and easier home made possible by the artifacts and technologies. We enjoy going to different places for weekend which is made possible by transportation used fuel so we don’t need to walk for hours to the nearby county like people did ages ago. However, our families and friends can tell that the summer is getting hotter and hotter, not like the summers that used to be during their childhood. It is climate change. In some countries like China, the sky was gray and the air is polluted (which leads to the water pollution). Soil was contaminate or dried out, then no enough food could be grown and people have to migrate to somewhere else to exploit new land. I cannot tell the exact aftermath of these unpredictable change but I can tell the fear of people when there haven’t exist or quick solution to bring good things in old time back.
2) What do you think it means to “think and design beyond the present” as a designer? Why might this be important?
Design should be humane as it was used by people and born for people. And we all know there are generations to come. Our kids, or the grandchildren of our kids. They are the continuum of people who use our products today, and also the future of our current civilization. If one designer wants to be responsible for his designs, then he should try to be responsible for his user and user’s future. By thinking about the consequences possibly brought by the use of the design/product, by examining if the production of the design overly or harmfully used the natural resources, by coming up with what should the user do after he finishes taking use of the product and proposing the right recycle solution. These things are what designers should try to do when they are working. Also, try being creative as making the design work more efficient and take less un-recyclable resources. Make the design can bring the user an excuse to keep them and use them for a longer time.
3) Research the word Anthropocene and write a short description that you would share with a close friend (using your own words/language to explain, not an internet definition). What is one example of how the Anthropocene is affecting your home country? Images are encouraged.
One must heard of Jurassic, which indicates the time period on earth when different dinosaurs and fern plants lived in their thriving time. Jurassic was identified by certain common geologic findings (like fossils in earth layer) and is often referenced to indicate that time period on earth. Similarly, Anthropocene is also a time period on earth. It should be much closer and unfamiliar to us, since the beginning of Anthropocene is defined by a nuclear explosion in 1945.
After that nuclear explosion in New Mexico, the nuclear substance was blew up in to the atmosphere and traveled along with air to all over the world.After these substance slowly fell down on earth covering every corner of earth, it stayed in the surface of the earth and became part of the strata.
This is kind of unprecedented. Since before the era where that explosion happened, the geographic features and climate were all made possible by the natural force like wind, water, or crustal movement, rather than man force. And this explosion made by man has changed the elements in earth strata forever, which is similar to the changes and impact had been made by human to earth during Great Acceleration. Since, scientists named the period from then Anthropocene.
And in China, besides the air pollution made by the factory or cars, I would say the water dams also played an critical role to the strange climate change and geographic disasters in recent year. Three Gorges Dam, which located in the upper middle part of Yangtze River. It is built for generating electricity, which is good. However, the enormous reservoir holds up so much water that it is believed that it added additional unwanted pressure to nearby earth crust which leads to earth movement which leads to earth quake. And it surely changed the local climate since it holds so much water there.
4) Read the following article, “Everything that’s in your iPhone”. What surprised you most about this article? What are some of the locations involved in the process of making an iPhone (list three)? What are some of the materials (list three)? Describe some the effects (at least 2-3) that these materials have on humans, air and water systems.
I’m not surprised to see that iPhone was made of many different metals that mined from Congo. But I did get surprised to realize that it is very hard and complicated for product development people or designers to be responsible on the material use since all the parts came many factories and these parts were made from materials from all over the world. It is hard to control and make sure all the materials are produced in the right way.
Materials: Aluminum, Cobalt, and Gold!!!
Tin: I did soldering before. So I know it is bad for people’s health. Just by smelling it a little bit by chance, one will feel dizzy and feel like going to vomit. So people who work with Tin, have a big chance to get poisoned by it.
Lithium: The mining, production and use process of lithium might cause ecological toxicity like water and soil pollution, which is toxic to human body and extremely harmful to agriculture and natural plants.
Cobalt: the ores of cobalt always contain arsenic which is toxic to human body and it can cause harm to workers in the mining and smelting process.
5) Next week we will tour Parsons’ Healthy Materials Lab Resource Library on campus. Please visit their site to learn about their work and watch the Green Science Policy Institute’s video series (7 videos in total, each about 3 minutes long) on the “Six Classes of Chemical Concern.” Answer the following questions: Do you use any of these materials commonly in your work or personal life? Will you change your behavior as a result of watching these videos? Why do you think so many chemicals exist in contemporary designs?
– Do you use any of these materials commonly in your work or personal life?
Yes. Like non-stick cooking appliances and water bottle. I mean, I use them all the time. LOL.
– Will you change your behavior as a result of watching these videos?
Sure. I will considerate the environmental effects when I purchase goods.
– Why do you think so many chemicals exist in contemporary designs?
Oh, people want functions and convenience! Chemicals could often be the shortcut to create and enjoy a easier life, like cleaning goods or non-stick pot. And if these chemicals are cheap, stores want to sell them to get more profit by attracting more people to buy.Anyway, scientist should come up with more environmental friendly solution for materials.
