Final Commitment

Final Commitment

I’m committing to finding a place in this sustainable system. My career choices are just so damn contradicting. I love to write about everything that needs a personality. To come up with the ideas that power it, give it a new image, and give it a future. This can be anything powerful, it just has to move people and move myself to mean anything to me. On the other hand I love simple, natural things as well, and can’t understand why they aren’t represented in a way that makes more people feel personally connected with them. I suppose all this rambling really gets down to why things that sustain and redevelop the environment can’t be seen as a personality rather than a forced cause. I spent so much time not seeking out knowledge of sustainability because I have such an interest in objects that are seen as destructive to the environment. Why can’t they be combined?

I’m committing to combining these 2, because now it feels just weird to see them as separate. Both areas are so important to creating powerful ideas that move people that aren’t convinced of our current situation.

After discussing Denmark and its more than different lifestyle, it was apparent that the group of people we need to be talking to are those in the American culture that bend their lives around the assembled nostalgia of our excessive lifestyle. Why wouldn’t they, when there is nothing in their faces that convinces them of the dire situation, and there is no common practice that makes it a reality? There needs to be an element of everyday life for everyone that constantly reminds what life has really become. I’m committing to living this way myself, no matter where it is.

Commitment 8 | Celebrity influence

Commitment 8 |

This commitment is devoted to understanding the funding that happens from online conversation publicity. Where does the money come from? Where does the money go? Why are certain pop-culture icons involved, and what do they personally contribute that makes them poster children of this ‘sustainable design’ revolution? They celebrities that people respect are focusing their efforts on sustainable issues. Now how can that be taken further, and maximized to create a real ‘image’ around this idea.

Commitment 7 | Cultural Change-Over

Commitment 7 |

My commitment must CHANGE! The reason being is that there are many other people far more talented at the art of gardening than I, and I’d really prefer to hone in on my skills of convincing people about the social and cultural benefits of changing to sustainable ways. My specialty is Advertising and everything from the brands to the conversation techniques that surround it. I should be committing to the time to create a cultural ‘sexiness’ that surrounds the idea of sustainability. Right now it’s a cute, trendy thing to do. Perhaps it’s my job to market this lifestyle to the people that lean towards professional, sexy, and social advertising. It could be very powerful.

Commitment 6 | The Ecosystem Experiments

Commitment 6 |

The terrarium is the only way for me to really commit to observing what happens to a natural environment when exposed to common growing products. It’s everything from rocks, dirt, moss, and the purified water that goes into caring for the mini-ecosystem. Now that I’ve made this time commitment, I see many dilemmas in the building of a whole new ecosystem. It’s not even a matter of implementing the technology, it’s the cost of the technology, and then finding other alternatives to pest control. IT would appear that my commitment has created fruit flies. Therefore I must commit to finding the origin of everything that is happening in the terrarium.

Commitment 5 | The Energy Experiments

Commitment 5 |

My involvement with experimentation is taking a huge role in my commitment to understand the way technology can control an environment. This week I’ve gone over my experiments in solar power and water purification to apply them to yet again a much larger-scaled situation. My commitment is about theorizing ways to transform the electrical power that can be generated by solar energy, into heat power that purifies large amounts of water. I already know that heat can be made from electricity. People use It all the time with common appliances like electrical stoves. Now it’s a matter of making the time commitment to testing its efficiency.

Commitment 4 | Understanding

Commitment 4 |

Africa’s plan to commit to a sustainable lifestyle is more than amazing, but it’s really been about technology for many of the continent’s problems. The nation failed to keep up with the world, and in exchange the continent suffered much less pollution, and consumes less of many resources. My commitment is first here, in understanding how technology has the ability to pick up an entire ecosystem. Not to mention that my understandings of population and disease in this part of the world will be opened to info that I’m sure I don’t know.

Commitment 3 | Technology

Commitment 3 |

My commitment to technology is fairly apparent at this point, so now my efforts need to be focus on finding the right technology vendor. I’ve discussed the possibilities with Google, and can now see more opportunities with the organizations that surround Free Rice. There is even more possibility with social networking. Right now, the Aesthetics of Sustainability blog can only go so far, but a game like ‘Seed Feed’ has the possibility to better connect on other social networks already developed. My commitment is to research this, and make it work.

Pop Culture Awareness

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

The World Water Conundrum

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

Popularity | A Solution

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

Greenhouse Effect- in a Good Way?

For the next couple of weeks I’ll be focusing on yet another third-grade science project that I’ve never taken the time to look at so closely. I actually appreciate all those long days in elementary-school science class where each teacher drilled day after day about the importance of science. Well, now I’m listening, and now I can do something about it. I’m maintaining a terrarium; a small-scale, clear dome for the sustaining of plant-life. It’s rather amazing really, it needs about a half a cup of water, sunlight, and then just left alone. It’s the advertiser’s version of a garden, in this case at least.
My plant has yet to develop, as I just began the process, but all of these projects show terms of real results on a large scale. In other words, how can an extremely large outdoor terrarium, or green house, effect the crop development in most or all of sub-Saharan Africa? Well, the problems that are currently happening are obvious. The soil is terrible, the water is rare to be found, and there is an abundance of sunlight drying up what little soil and water the African farming community has, (Khamsi). The truth is that this part of the nation is very forward about thinking in terms of their current predicament. Parts of the continent have taken to harnessing the powerful solar energy to provide electricity and detract from using harmful substances like coal or other chemical products. Basically, the way to identify a positive step for energy use is a group of people that attempt to use anything, or create power without the production of chemicals. Food development and growth should be the exact same thing.
Ideally, there are many things that this underdeveloped continent is in desperate need of, but handling one element at a time is probably wiser. Many countries have the solar power in place to provide electrical needs. I think it’s time that money being raised actually saw it’s way to the area. Building greenhouses on designated land, and then providing the necessary materials for able farmers to produce within the greenhouses would begin farming that reacts to favorable technology. With technology being one of the supposed backslides of the nation, there’s no need to reintroduce industrial processes that failed countries like the U.S. I see more progress in only introducing processes that sustain everything from resources to money. Money is generally the main reason to do anything half as well, and deliberately introduce harmful processes for the sake of efficiency. It’s time to work harder to create solutions for the present and the future. It’s also time to answer an immediate call for help.




Bibliography

Khamsi, Roxanne. Soil Health Crisis Threatens Africa’s Food Supply. . March 31, 2006.
NewScientist. Sept. 30, 2008. <>

New Technology + Its Promotion Power

My goal as an advertiser is to grasp tightly onto new technology and use it to brings the needs of a brand to life through utility and message. I like others, am constantly in awe by the power of Google. It’s a search engine that has become so efficient and useful, but has remained a simple untainted design. Advertising is purchased through tasteful non-distracting forms. They also donate advertising to ideas that are truly useful in society, and for the good of promoting information. Not to say that they don’t have an agenda, but at the moment they continue to be a company that promotes much more good than evil. And now…drum roll… they have invented a search engine program that’s faster than any other, and that holds advertising possibilities beyond normal distribution. I say I commit to bringing the Seed Feed plan to a Google grant. This means that Google gives free advertising on the engine until the sit hits a certain number of hits, then the site is on it’s own. A generous ‘make the company look good campaign’. I appreciate, and I am committed to attempt using it.

Commitment 2: Game for Good

There’s a game that exists to feed starving countries, but it’s flawed. First, it’s not registered as a charity and that leaves it open to suspected income gain. Second, it doesn’t teach people how to correct the growing problem, it only provides a temporary solution. Feed people as much as you can, but don’t teach them how to feed themselves. Why not?
I am spending this semester devoted to the sustainable needs of Africa, and from what I’ve learned they are very developed in sustainable practices, they just don’t have the money or knowledge to make happen on a large scale. They are influenced by visitors because they have not kept up technologically as a nation. Therefore, to really make a difference, the visitors need to be educated in a way that consumes both responsible parts of their lives, as well as recreational. I propose a game-for-good that uses modern advertising technology. I propose Seed Feed, and I am committed to at least flush the idea out. Perhaps it will become something if I can clearly explain its purpose and it’s intrigue.

I Am Committing...To Enjoyability

Week 1 (The Initial Commitment)

I have a plan, a plan that’s already been done. I think it still qualifies as new. This plan is for a planet that has the ability to sustain itself, so the idea may as well be new because it’s as if the idea never existed.
My specialty is Advertising, therefore I feel that I have the knowledge to do something grasping. From a marketing standpoint, the idea of eco-friendly and sustainability is difficult to grasp because in fact it isn’t sexy. That seems like a stupid thing to matter, but it does. It matters because no one wants to spend their hard earned money or what little energy they have left after work, school, or whatever, on an idea that has no reward with personality. No one wants to claim something that feels like a never-ending chore! Today’s outlook on a chore-like living plan is like a Charles Dickens story, just riddled with depressing scenarios, and waiting to live or die. We’ve gone beyond that and we expect happiness. I think this can happen.

Solar gone Hydro

Dan, Jake, and Laura

As hard as we may try, it will take some tweating with this one. However showing small signs of progress froma ll angles suggests that tightening all the small experiements to create a large one will actually be better to incorporate a variety of alternative energy sources. The experiment is as follows: How do you get Solar Energy to become purified water. It's a bold one. But shopping around 'Axeman' gave Jake, Dan and Myself the inspiration of many alternative sources.

First we already know a couple different ways that definitely work to purify water. The hankerchief one seemed to work best. Now to get solar energy to purify the water for us could be a great combination of our discovered sources. We decided that the best way to make the initial connection between the 2 power sources would be to use the easiest of the old and go from there. We know that boiling water turns it into steam, and allows the water to purify via heat. We also know that if you hook up solar power to either a generator or rechargable batteries, that it generates electrical power.

By revamping rechargable batteries with the solar panels, the small amount of energy has a chance to store, and then be used for a larger solution. The batteries are then attached to a conductor-wrapped heat plate. We found this to work on a beyond pathetic scale. This is due to everything from the wire-connecting job, to the ill-proportioned scale of devices. But the possibilities are endless from a power source that's well-built and scaled to fit the project. In theory the batteries heat the plate which on a large scale, could become an ongoing, powerful heat source. This makes the boiling experiment possible.

Soundtracks: Economy Money Makers

Music has always been most powerful to me when presented in context of something aggressively visual. Even the film that was seen last week in class grasped my senses in a way that they generally never are. This makes whatever message that stands behind this music about a million times more interesting. But does this music have the ability to solve problems. Maybe not on it’s own, but if music, in the form of a soundtrack or otherwise holds the tone of a production that brings millions of dollars in revenue to a continent or country that desperately needs the boost in economy; I say that this music may have even saved lives.
The movie Blood Diamond was filmed almost entirely in Africa, Mozambique to be more specific. “The reasons are somewhat intangible. Africa is a place of great contrasts. Everywhere you go is breath-taking beauty and heart-breaking squalor,” (Edward Zwick, Levy). The point being of course that a film strictly about the suffering, sound, and most importantly the environment can only be really seen from the location itself.
So what does it take to mimic the emotion of this harsh environment? It takes time, effort, and the contribution from and back into the environment. This can mean millions, of dollars that is. Does this sound krass when discussing an element so beautiful as sound? Not to me. To me it makes the sound of another school being built, or a couple more kids eating. IT makes the sound of an economy picking itself up through the power of very artistic communication. This penetrates the minds and helping hand of richer economies by appealing to their artistic nature, and their emotional side. IT certainly doesn’t sound cynical if in fact the money earned from the film and the resale of it’s millions of soundtrack sales filters back into the African economy.
The best part about all this power is the teaching tools that are put in place from the success of the production. The website, another major selling point for the music,a nd the feeling also holds political information maps that grasps you first in terms of the story, then in terms of real life, (Official Blood Diamond).
So how does music really come in? Many would say that the music has very little to do with the overall hype of the film and it’s story that made this economy-saving money possible. The truth is that nothing in the production world happens without the quality of sound to drag the viewer in. It creates the experience that makes it feel real. I’ll be analyzing the strength of the soundtrack.



Bibliography

Levy, Emanuel. Blood Diamond, Shooting in Africa. EmanuelLevy.com 2004-2009.
Roger Ebert. Sept. 23, 2008. http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=3832

Blood Diamond. Blood Diamond. Official Blood Diamond Website. 2008.
Warner Brothers.Sept.23, 2008. http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/

Water, Water...Very Little!

THE WATER FILTER PROJECT

If 2% of the earth’s water is fresh and we’re running out of that fresh water, the obvious answer is to find a way to turn the 98% of water that is salty into fresh. If removing the salt is all that is necessary, then experimentation for filtering is an obvious answer. So despite the fact that this has probably been done several times over, I’m going to do just that and filter my experimental fresh water with known means. If anything, understanding the process will only leave room for the me or other who are doing the same to suggest better ways to make the process either more cost-effective or incapable of consuming other needed resources. The definite result is that this project will demonstrate the importance of educating the new generation to think this way.
The goal here is to advance upon a simple grade-school science project in order to make is not only easier, but to provide larger scale ideas. The idea is just trapping boiling water, therefore I’m going to use a simple device like a tea pot to aim the evaporating water that allows the trapped condensing water to flow down into a glass that does not also sit in the boiling water. I fear the glass might break, or I might only have plastic.

After the experiment this is the verdict: this process is very inefficient. For the 2 cups of water I poured into the pan around the bowl, I only received about a spoonful of fresh water. I can imagine that if this process were imagined in upscaled proportions that it would cost far too much to execute this process soon. It may even cost too much to experiment with. The concensus is that we may need to cut costs elsewhere to make it happen. How else will we maintain fresh water?

Solar Forward

I’ve been going on about the basic needs that Africa has been desperately trying to hold onto, food being the main concern. After which, it seems that a general education supporting sustainable elements is a very necessary tool in the process of bringing up the nation. However, with every good idea or observation links another issue to be addressed in order to increase quality of life. This issue effects the lives of citizens and specifically in this case teachers. This issue is one that connects most power problems in the nation, and it more importantly it addresses fundamental needs that can’t be afforded by many people throughout the nation. This issue is electricity, and the way to solve this without repeating industrial mistakes is solar power.
The people who run the power elements of the nation are very aware of solar power’s positive affect on life in Africa. Caroline Hombe is a 35-year-old teacher in Africa who’s life has greatly improved. She used to suffer from headaches, and stinging eyes because of the kerosene lamp she was forced to use while grading papers at night. She and anyone on the lower end of the income spectrum in the nation accept this as an affordable way to be productive after dark, (Madamobe). The problem is that only so many solar panels have been brought in because of the high cost of installation. While they are worth their value in both short term and long-term conditions, the price is generally just too high. So how can the installation of solar panels be supported? This is now a major question because its not the unhealthy discomforts of kerosene and other harmful chemicals, we’re talking about revisiting a national budget that had no room for flexibility or growth.
Solar panel prices range anywhere from $500-$1000 per installation, and this powers about 6-8 rooms plus a black and white T.V. (Madamobe). While this is far too expensive to be disbursed amongst the average African household, there is indeed hope. It’s already begun, and it’s likely that Africa has the potential to lead other more impoverished areas like South America and Brazil. These and Africa are estimated to reach their emission cap in 2012, Scientific Research and Essay Vol.3 (8), pp. 326-332, August 2008Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SREISSN 1992-2248 © 2008 Academic JournalsGroenwalde, Yolandi. Environmental News Network. March 28, 2008. Panos London.Sept. 11, 2008. <>">(Groenwalde).
The Upington Project in the northern part of South Africa has installed a solar unit that will produce the power equivalency of 1.5 million barrels of oil, Scientific Research and Essay Vol.3 (8), pp. 326-332, August 2008Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SREISSN 1992-2248 © 2008 Academic JournalsGroenwalde, Yolandi. Environmental News Network. March 28, 2008. Panos London.Sept. 11, 2008. <>">(Groenwalde). The region also remains holder of some of the world’s more prominent records of sunniest days, that’s a lot of solar power. While this is exciting and wonderful news for the power front, this means terrible hardships for the farmers of Africa, and leads us back to the devastating problems of starvation and irrigation inaccessibility.


Bibliography
Madamobe, Itai. Africa Renewal. Oct. 2006, page 10 of Africa Renewal. UN Africa. Sept. 11, 2008. <>

Scientific Research and Essay Vol.3 (8), pp. 326-332, August 2008
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE
ISSN 1992-2248 © 2008 Academic Journals

Groenwalde, Yolandi. Environmental News Network. March 28, 2008. Panos London.
Sept. 11, 2008. <>

Less Electricity Means Less Coal | Oil | + Bad Crap

THE SOLAR PROJECT:

September 7, 2008
The basis of solar power in my experimental case is this: why would we need to conserve electricity? Well now that I know I’ll share it. Electricity is produced via coal or oil, both of which produce many toxic chemicals that deplete our environment, (Beck). The idea with making anything sustainable is to not emit anything harmful into the environment, waste no resources, and recycle any resources used. With this in mind the goal for solar power in my experiment is to create battery power from the sun. This will save electricity because rechargeable batteries, one step in the right direction, need to be recharged using electricity. I want to use less of it dammit! Therefore, the experiment in progress is to deplete my purchased rechargeable batteries, and attempt to recharge them using a small solar panel containing a positive and negative wire.
What this has the potential to do is give me a model to demonstrate the power of this practice on a much larger scale. This scale could then be put into use for the developing sustainability practices of the continent I am studying; Africa (sub-Saharan).


Beck, Kristen Brooke. “Conserving Electricity”. Kristen’s Guide. Oct. 20, 2004. Tripod. September 7, 2008. http://kristensguide.tripod.com/Activism/Environment/conserve_electricity.htm

A Gold Idea; Turned Chrome

Last week I explored Africa (Sub-Saharan), and its ineffectiveness in feeding a large portion of its people. The suggestion was this: take fundamental “games for good” websites like, freerice.com, and turn them into an online game for good that brings aide to the problems of a specific area like Africa. This is still an answer, but what brings further interest to this area is that despite constant bloody battles for money, power, and resources in a large part of the nation; this country remains in an early state of development.
I’m taking a moment to highlight recent events in national developments of China to create my position. Recently China signed a contract with Iraq, one of the world’s leading oil producing countries, that secured China to be paid in oil in exchange for labor to produce and run a new, productive, Iraqi oil well, (Goode, NY Times). The incentive for China is this: to create a level of living up to par with countries like the US or other European countries they feel that they must reflect their histories of industrial growth. Nations that have already gone down this road highly disagree. Countries like the United States and others are urging underdeveloped and impoverished countries like China to refrain from the same eco-destructive path; one in which these more developed countries are trying to undo. China as a country remains too poor to assume the alternative route. This route takes more effective methods that keep toxins out of the natural environment and actually create processes that reverse the damage already caused to the natural world and its resources, (Goode, NY Times). Obviously, though the reason we as a world population don’t just go changing over willy-nilly is because they are very expensive, and currently, even the most advanced countries are still trying to find ways to efficiently and cost-effectively take on this way of life. So how can a much more devastated and poor country or continent like China or perhaps Africa take-on a sustainable conditions that also improve quality-of-life? Well the answer is simple; never begin the path that destroys the resources and environment in the first place.
The idea in fact is to integrate technology and advancement by immediately connecting with the most cost-effective, sustainable inventions that are being produced specifically for the conditions of these countries. There’s absolutely no reason to go down the same road as countries that have depleted the continent over time. We have the knowledge, and we have the fellow-country support to make this work, (Design for the other 90%). The entire purpose of this proposal is based on the idea of cradle to cradle, rather than cradle to grave, (Braungart, McDonough). Africa, as a continent and a variety of cultures, remains in a place that allows this possibility to flourish. My start is the advancement of consumer- accessible online games that allow for easy day-day interaction with the cause, and choice of when, where, and how.
My research on the larger issue at hand, the need for more advanced farming to feed the outrageous population of malnourished people in mostly sub-saharan Africa, is promoting the idea that sustainable, learnable intervention on behalf of farming and seed supply is a powerful and effective solution. So how can the basic idea to take an online game that is supported by contributions from corporations be focused on the needs of sustainable teaching and seed supply? The new focus hones in on the brand new search engine, Google Chrome. This is Google’s brand new search engine that appeals to the need of speed and uploading power desired by both businesses and consumers alike, (PR Newswire). By associating this game with the full version of Google Chrome, and then utilizing the consumer powered application tools that accompany it, the game will be powerful and could easily used by everyone based on an individual’s schedule. This will not only create the most powerful brand association for online power and efficiency, but it will create a powerful buzz for large company dollar donations due to the association with an engine designed for business needs. Not to mention that Google Chrome empowers one of the most widely used search engines in the world, Firefox, (PR Newswire). It’s time to take this innovative game idea, and turn it from gold to chrome.

Bibliography

Braungart, Michael; McDonough, William. Cradle to Cradle. New York: North Point Press, 2002.

Goode, Erica. “Iraq signs oil deal with China worth up to $3 billion.” New York Times August 28, 2008: Middle East Pages. September 7, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=china's%20oil%20deal&st=cse&oref=slogin

Design for the other 90%. Walker Art Center. Minneapolis, MN.

PR Newswire. “Netsuite On-Demand Business Applications First With Native Support for Google Chrome”. The Wall Street Journal Digital Posting. September 5, 2008. Market Watch. September 7, 2008. < guid="%7BBDE8A7B2-B269-4134-9157-FA12548FBC19%7D&dist=">

For the other 90%

One of my favorites: Bamboo Treadle Pump by Gunnar Barnes...

This is one of my favorites simple because it's designed for the everyday tasks in the work lives of people in this area.

it's a device that pumps water, and it works a lot like an eliptical! This piece syphons water from the ground by hooking pumping mehcanisms up to bamboo-made foot plcements. The user places their feet on the bamboo surfaces and moves them in a sort of bicycle-like movement. This rotates what I'm assuming are wheels that pump a method of suction. This drives the water to surface level and allows it to pour into a container.

All the parts are made of bamboo, or other products from the same region. It's cheap, affordable, and works well with little impact tot he bodies of those using it. Thus far it's definitely a design made for sustaining life (quality that is) in an impoverished region of the world.

Sustaining is Tough when Starving

My first thoughts about Africa as a sustainability subject were this, “There’s so much going on here that I have no idea what to report on first!” Well that in turn made me hungry, because stress on this reporter causes eating like a pit without end. That though is where to start. How can a country begin to sustain itself when it cannot even feed itself? Well, they can’t. I’ve decided to start this conversation with the simple suggestions of a scientist, Professor Calestous Juma of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (Wachai, GMO Africa Blog).
Prof. Juma promotes the use of biotechnology on the growth of food and farm enrichment in Africa. This is generally an idea argued by many ‘green organizations’ because the idea of promoting bio-engineered food, farming, and community is seen as for profit purposes and with the addition of potentially harmful chemicals. That is partially true. I’d personally rather see a nation getting on its feet by way of slightly diminished food, rather than half the nation starving, eliminating that part of the population, and then giving the more expensive enriched crop to the remaining few. That sounds terrible, but hear me out! I feel that Africa needs to sustain basic needs first. It is not ideal. I ask while learning about the agricultural processes in Africa, “Is it better to begin with more toxic food to sustain the general well-being of the population, and then reform growing processes into organic practices?” I’m not sure to be perfectly honest. The result could be catastrophic. 25 percent of the world population that struggles to feed itself resides in sub-Saharan Africa (Wachai, GMO Africa Blog). The majority of small-scale farming is performed by hand. The problem with the argument about organic food vs. bio-engineered food is probably not the necessary topic of discussion in terms of learning how to sustain one of the poorest parts of Africa.
“I’m not saying that it’s going to be a magic bullet, but I think it’s one of the solutions that we should use.”
-Ruth Oniang’o (GMO Africa Blog)
Ruth Oniang’o is a member of the Kenyan Parliament, and Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Wachai, GMO Africa Blog). Her interview, which can be seen on the GMO Africa Blog, suggests that the information needs to first be given to the citizens of the poor regions throughout the continent. How can a nation decide which method of food production is best if they haven’t been exposed to all the possibilities? The truth is they can’t. Oniang’o believes that the entire area is uninformed, and without the necessary technology that allows any nation to develop. Science and the mechanics of modern farming are absent in this part of the continent. Still the overall opinion of Oniang’o and professionals like herself is that the argument of how to grow food responsibly is never on the table, it’s how do we get food period?
I’m repeating right now an idea that was touched on in Jerry Allen’s Aesthetics of Sustainability Course on Wed. August 27, 2008. “A good example of design unused is a windmill designed and erected by an Italian designer in a small region of Africa. It was designed, constructed, and then broke after the inventor left. There was no one to fix it, and more importantly, no one to teach anyone to fix it.” –Allen, MCAD.
The tools are here. There are examples where great inventors have seen solutions to critical problems such as this, but they weren’t implemented correctly. That should be the goal, the key to first sustaining life in Africa. Teach the nation how, not in general terms. Obviously this nation has come along living the way they’ve seen fit in the past. It’s about teaching a nation how to deal with modern devastation that has crept up at an unnatural rate. Disease, population explosion, and many other unnatural states have disrupted life’s place for natural, healthy, and organic ways of farming as a solution. It therefore seems that unfortunately it will take another engineered lifestyle change to begin the path to ‘greener pastures’.
So the question is then, “How can we as outside analysts, bring our skills and resources to the table as a way of providing, and teaching the habits and supplies that will turn around a nation too large to carry it’s weight in problems?” This advertiser has experienced some starting points that may be excellent ways for people of all nations to effortlessly, or with little effort, supply food to one of the world’s largest struggling nations, freerice.com.
Freerice.com is a sister website to poverty.com. Both of these sites work with large companies, that’s right corporations have their place in ‘good’ these days! Each large company donates so much money per participation in the creative marketing plans of organizations like The UN World Food Program. Freerice.com is the marketing plan of the UN World Food Program in this case. It is a game and promotional site that has been developed to encourage people to expand their vocabularies, learn about world hunger, and when they have finished participating in the site’s game, each big company donates 20 grains of rice for each correct answer. It literally informs, and takes away the depressing angle of food devastation, which encourages people to keep on participating. I myself played for an hour before realizing that I could learn some great facts, and feed part of a nation. I also learned some great, big, beautiful words that day! It’s a little silly, and to some people angering and sad. I think the people that get angry about something this silly finally being a solution to feeding others may need to realize that humans have a difficult time going on encouraged, when focused on despair 24-fricken-7. Regardless, I propose ‘fun for farming’. Who’s to say that the same technique couldn’t be used in a way that taught people sustainable skills rather than just language. What if this game also donated time to teaching Africa how to sustain life in their environment. Finally what if a game donated all this, and then also donated seeds instead of rice to give a head start.
The entire point of expanding beyond freerice.com is that it didn’t diversify the generosity of the game to have as much impact as it could have. Now that we know the power, we can make the necessary changes to make a permanent difference.



James Wachai, GMO Africa Blog. July 6, 2008. GMO Africa
Publisher of GMO Africa Blog. August 31, 2008 http://www.gmoafrica.org/2008/07/harvard-researcher-roots-for-agricultural-
biotechnology.html

James Wachai, GMO Africa Blog. July 3, 2007. GMO Africa
Publisher of GMO Africa Blog. August 31,2008
http://www.gmoafrica.org/2007/07/oniango-sees-urgent-need-for-
food-biotechnology-in-africa.html