- Ambassador Hermann said “sustainability is not a cost, it’s an opportunity”. What did he mean by that?
He meant that sustainability is an investment and that what you pay for today will repay itself in the future and that investing in the world now means that we won’t have to work more, pay more, and do more in the future.
- Why has Denmark always had such a progressive and consistent commitment to sustainability over the years? How does this contrast with the US and/or your own country?
Denmark didn’t always have the opportunity to buy oil like America, and so bicycles became a large part of the community and it has stayed this way. Thus the creation of The Dryline and the Urban Rigger.
- Describe the environmental injustice issue that is taking place in Arizona as described by Professor Redniss in her upcoming book. What are some of the drivers of this problem? How do you feel it could be resolved?
The environmental injustice is happening in Oak Flat, a sacred land in Arizona that also has a ton of copper. We, as a consumer-driven technology-based community, are desperate for this copper because it’s what fuels our lives – like our smartphones – that we are so dependent on. I believe that some of the drivers of the problem are the fact that we – the technological and consumerist community – want to take take take! We take but don’t give back, we don’t care about what happens to the people or places we take from, and don’t think about recycling, reusing, or attempting to manage our mass consumption and then eventual waste. I feel the true resolution behind a ‘surface’ level problem is the fact that our way of thinking needs to change and that we cannot keep up this cycle of take take take because the earth has limited resources.
- What do you think it means to redesign design? How would you redesign design?
I feel like redesigning design means to be doing the ultimate goal of this class, to be able to look at a design that can be improved upon and take into the considerations of the world, not necessarily the greedy culture we have acquired, but the needs of the environment and other cultures. In my own way, I believe that I could redesign design by bringing awareness to things like climate change or deforestation, or anything really, and create the space to talk about and approach these issues in a way to promote positive change.
- What are the benefits of using concrete as a building material?
The weight and endurance of concrete is what we as a community want and need for security in our buildings and structures. It insures stability which is what grounds us and makes us feel safe. It protects not only us but dams, the electric grid, etc.
- What are some of the negative environmental and health impacts of concrete?
Magnification of extreme weather, Silicosis and other respiratory diseases, destroys nature/natural infrastructure without replacing what it has taken,
- What are some alternative materials to concrete? List the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Timber/Wood – lightweight, versatile, fast to work with /// absorbs moisture from the air, is prone to rot, pests, and fire.
Fly Ash – accessible, reduced greenhouse gas emissions /// heavy which leads to more expensive transport which also produces carbon.
- What is Green Infrastructure?
Green infrastructure is when nature is put into use with infrastructure that can help with air quality, heat, flooding, soil, and water quality. It’s also a smart and cost-effective way to grow away from grey systems.
- Can you think of examples of Green/Natural Infrastructure in NYC or in your home city?
Back at home in Kāne’ohe, Hawaii – the windward side of O’ahu, there’s a botanical garden that has a pond/lake that helps prevent flooding in that area, especially since it was a marshland before and it’s the side of the island that is always rainy.
