5/12: Reflection

After seeing another perspective through Professor Deal's lecture, it seems our sustainability problems are even further encompassing. He did a really great job of explaining the impact of our inefficiencies and in turn reliance on fossil fuels. I thought his illustrations and connectivity of our energy source uses and exactly where it is the energy comes from when we perform simple tasks such as turning on a light. I think the average consumer has knowledge that it takes a lot of energy to carryout the daily functions of our society. As Deal's lecture brought to light though, the systemic costs of even having the ability to burn the coal or natural gas it takes to produce on sight energy are much greater than the general public realizes. So sure a first step, as many advocate could be turning off the light switch, using less water during showers, driving hybrids, etc. These practices do a decent job of cutting back our usage, and is an initial step of conserving. This is the point though, where must un-sustainably-educated, greenwashed consumers will stop. This greenwashing has instilled in them the idea that they have saved the earth by taking a 9 minute shower as apposed to 10, or getting 27 mpg instead of 21. As Deal illustrated again, going a step further and conserving to the point of using more efficient energy sources, eventually alternate, and hopefully renewable, only then will we have conserved to a truly sustainable point and can then load from there.

The conflicts and tensions then, as discussed in the Growing Cooler article and reiterated in Deal's lecture is that we as a general public are first of all uneducated as to why we remain in such an unsustainable rate, don't take the responsibility for the problems, and are so used to our current way of life. Every day of every week we get up, use our cars to get to work, school, etc. and rely on them for transportation. Our communities and facilities, although not desirable in my opinion, are built to support driving. They and everything around them use energy and have become the American status symbol that is hard to avoid and live without.

My thoughts, now that I am becoming more and more informed and less of an average brainwashed consumer, have shifted to the how aspect of sustainable design. I am really interested in how we can get everyone to see our environment from the new perspective I have found. Once they are there, I don't think there will be much trouble in engaging in more sustainable activity and actions. I used to think these problems of unsustainable infrastructure, water waste, and poor economic decisions were not mine, but the problem of someone above me with more power. I figured these problems would work themselves out without my help, because for all I know ever time I flip the switch, the light comes on, what else should matter to me.

A question I would ask the authors and Professor Deal, would be first of all how do they choose and reach the audiences of their research, material, and findings. Secondly, what is their reaction to what they have to say. Is the message overwhelmingly absorbed, accepted, exciting, and involving to people? Does it spread easily this way? Do you find any people/audiences that blow off, or discredit what you have to sa regarding sustainable design?