Happy, Peaceful, Creative Chaos

Rethinking the Stuff We Buy, Food We Eat, and How We Spend Money

2011-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Rethinking the Stuff We Buy,

Food We Eat, and How We Spend Money

Using The Natural Step (TNS) to Improve the Fulfillment of Basic Human Needs

(An excerpt from a Sustainable Design project,

Minneapolis College of Art and Design by Sarah Nelsen)

Most of us know that the more stuff we consume, the more stress is put on the earth. We know that there are practices we can adopt that can ease this stress on the earth itself, but what about the many populations that don’t really consume that much stuff? Is how much stuff we buy, how much food we eat, and how we spend our money affecting more than just the physical earth?

Survival in underdeveloped countries is based on basic human needs. Developed countries’ overconsumption is having a negative impact on their needs. This is a vicious cycle that will continue if those of us in developed countries do not make specific changes. The Natural Step method is a guide to sustainability that uses four system conditions for evaluation and those conditions help to make a decision to create change.

The four areas of focus include the ideas of not increasing what we TAKE from the earth, what we MAKE, what we BREAK, and finally how human NEEDS are met around the globe. By applying TNS, current practices can be changed by taking simple steps towards sustainability.

Here are three examples of how to meet human needs through sustainability:

1. Rethinking the Stuff we Buy - World Vision Gift Catalog (worldvision.org/giftcatalog)

Instead of buying things that have a finite life span, how about buying things that keep on giving and providing? By purchasing something like a flock of chicks for another family in need, you’re providing them with income and nutrition. World Vision is a 4-star charity that offers numerous ways to help sustain families from underdeveloped countries. With everything from goats and chicks to sheep and fish, you can spend as little or as much as you are able and make a true difference to help families become more self-sustaining and not just survive, but thrive.

2. Rethinking the Food we Eat – The Ministry of Food Program (http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food/)

The amount of food we consume in America is out of control compared to most of the world. All of the processed meat, dairy, imported food and lack of balanced diets causes our rates of obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses to skyrocket. Jamie Oliver is educating people through his Ministry of Food program on how to cook for yourself and your family. This allows people to become healthier by choosing good food and preparing the foods themselves rather than using fast food and junk food to fulfill hunger. It not only applies to U.S. But all countries can benefit from learning how to prepare nutritious meals themselves with simple ingredients.

3. Rethinking How We Spend Money – Financial Peace University (http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/)

Stop creating more debt, live with financial freedom and then be able to give back to the world. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University kit teaches people how to get rid of their debt, respect money, and then be able to give back to the world. This is a no nonsense course based off of biblical principles that encourages mindful spending and using hard-earned money for living – NOT DEBT. Many people don’t think of being frugal as eco-friendly – but being frugal is one of the best ways to be sustainable. Don’t spend everything you make, just as we shouldn’t use all of the earth’s resources up until they’re gone – the earth doesn’t offer it’s resources on “credit.”

Your Guide to Netflix Instant Movies on Sustainable, Eco, Green Topics

2011-12-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

Your Guide to Netflix Instant Movies
on Sustainable, Eco, Green Topics

(These are all available for viewing if you are a Netflix Instant subscriber!)

General Eco

1. David de Rothschild's EcoTrip Series (8 episodes, 25 minutes each)
This is a Sundance channel series and David has a really enthusiastic attitude towards discovering the truth about daily habits and products we use. He also has a pretty nice accent to listen to. Topics of this TV series include chocolate, cotton, gold, paper, light bulbs, bottled water, cell phones, and salmon.

2. No Impact Man (91 minutes)
I really enjoyed this movie - it shows you how life might work if you decided to reduce your impact to nothing. Takes place over the course of one year with a husband, wife and child. I especially liked seeing Michelle (wife) try to deal emotionally with changes like not using toilet paper anymore (!). This film is honest and will make you realistically think of what you would be willing to change - or not. Takes place in NYC, too - so involves city living at less impact.

3. Radically Simple (35 minutes)
A shorter film showing how one man changes his ways to become happier with less. Doesn't get an overall good rating, but will at least show you the perspective of one man and how he tries to reduce his use of the earth's resources.

Fossil Fuels
4. Fuel [Fields of Fuel] (112 minutes)
A documentary relating to fossil fuels and the world's dependence on them. The pleasant surprise is that this film is made by a guy who grew up in Australia with a very natural upbringing, then ends up in America and promotes his passion for biofuel and his green machine vehicle... he's honest, determined and earned the Grand Prize at Sundance film festival.

5. Crude (104 minutes)
Thought-provoking and a true story, this film explores the massive oil waste that is destroying indigenous communities in South America. It focuses on the battle between Chevron and the local community that experienced their lives changed by big oil's greed that caused an environmental catastrophe.

Sustainable Agriculture
6. Blood Into Wine [Maynard Keenan of Tool is now a winemaker!] (99 minutes)
Here we have a documentary that is not really about sustainability at first, but about winemaking. The awesome thing about this movie is that you begin to realize that it's all about sustainability and respecting the earth - getting back to your roots and doing something that is satisfying and honorable. Not to mention it's a pretty great story about what the world-famous lead singer of Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer is doing these days.

7. King Corn [You are what you eat] (90 minutes)
This 2007 documentary is called "Enormously entertaining!" and give you in depth knowledge of corn and how much it is used throughout society - not just for foods and additives, but so much more!

8. Hemp Revolution (72 minutes)
Hemp's many applications will surprise you - paper, fuel, medicine, textiles, food, and oil. This will explore the many uses as well as the prohibition and how it's reputation of an illegal drug has overshadowed those.

Human Life
9. The Business of Being Born (84 minutes)
Baby delivery and sustainability - this is more of an "ethical" perspective of sustainability. Sustainable baby delivery - not wasting manpower, money, resources, and energy... vs. the modern hospitalization for deliveries. Very interesting. If you're into "natural" then you should watch this - male or female.

10. Babies (84 minutes)
Yes, another baby one... why? because this one is completely different and shows how babies are raised in different parts of the world. It is so interesting to see the things that are important depending on where you're from... a San Franciso mother does baby yoga and buys toys, whereas the mother in Namibia is calm and cool as her babies are thrilled playing in the mud... this is sweet and gives a great variety of perspectives on the human condition and where different cultures set their priorities.

Nature
11. Ken Burns: The National Parks: America's Best Idea (6 episodes, ~100 minutes each)
Wow - can you imagine what all of the stunning national parks' land would look like if our ancestors had not preserved it? Find out how our National Park System came to be and how it changed the course of America's land development - not to mention open the eyes of our government. If you've ever enjoyed a day in a National Park, you should watch at least one of these episodes.

12. The Botany of Desire (114 minutes)
Based off of Michael Pollan's book of the same name, this film will take you through the history of four common plants that have had a significant influence on the cycles of humanity's desires. You'll be able to see the natural world from a new perspective and refreshing imagery. Not your typical heavy hitting political documentary.

13. 180 Degrees South (86 minutes)
The imagery in this movie alone is stunning, not to mention the story told by two driven outdoorsmen who use their achievements and connections to work on preserving land in Patagonia. They make huge steps towards protecting land from environmental threats against the will of many - but positive change to years to come.

All About Our Food System
14. Food Matters (80 minutes)
Focused on obesity and our overall food health

15. Food, Inc. (93 minutes)
All about our Food Industry in America - as you're probably thinking - it is disturbing. Features author Michael Pollan and Fast Food Nation's Eric Schlosser.

16. How to Cook Your Life (92 minutes)
Rather than the typical negative reality of the food industry - this one talks about inspiring culinary creations, how food nourishes our bodies, minds, and spirits. Respect your life by serving yourself healthy foods.

17. The Future of Food (88 minutes)
More on GMO's and biotechnology on food that we eat up every day. Get ready for the hard core truth!

18. Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America's Greatest Threat (104 minutes)
Focusing on America's sky-high obesity rate and what is causing it. This reviews all the angles and hmmm... does it have to do with overconsumption?

19. The Beautiful Truth (91 minutes)
This documentary is based on the Gerson Method of nutrition, but really shows how big Pharma and processed foods are causing major diseases. The creation of processed foods and very unnatural drugs to cure the diseases that are caused by the processed foods - is a vicious cycle that could be prevented if we go back to sustainable eating and living... less processed - less energy consumption.

Water
20. Tapped (75 minutes)
All about bottled water, the effects on the environment, how it is bottled and where it really comes from... just because it's water, doesn't mean it's "clean".

21. Blue Gold: World Water Wars (89 minutes)
This award-winning film takes a close look through documentary style narrative at water. It covers control of it, use of it, selling of it, and problems that result of the unwarranted abuse of power of it. This does a great job of showing the tug of war between the earth's resources and humanity.

Energy
22. Collapse (80 minutes)
How the world's economy is directly related to the energy that we consume. Features political theories, propaganda roles, and big business lies.

Products
23. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices (97 minutes)
How is Wal-Mart able to sell things at such low prices? well, you'll find out what one man discovers as he looks into his previous employer. This relates to ethical topics in sustainability and over-consumption.

Wildlife
24. The Cove (91 minutes)
This movie will truly move you to reconsider where all of your food comes from and how it was obtained. The actions that a group of very passionate people took to expose the truth about what was happening in a small cove in Japan shows determination and bravery. You'll see the terrible truths about exploiting dolphins for a profit. This is a heart-breaker - but also give you hope that individuals who are passionate enough really can make a difference.

Mining
25. Blood Diamond (143 minutes)
This may not be a documentary, but it will give you insight into one of the largest UNethical, money-making industries - diamond mining. It's not so bad to watch Leonardo DiCaprio, but in addition to that, you'll be able to see how African workers are exploited and mistreated - even murdered - for greed. There is also the environmental impacts of mining - although this mainly focuses on the human side of the story.

Melody is my Second Middle Name: Songs 1 & 2

2011-11-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

Singing takes the stress right out of me. It charges me up, gives me energy or soothes me when I'm feeling down or out of control. It can change my mood in an instant and inspires me to create and love.

So, Melody is my "confirmation name" as I chose it when being confirmed years ago - but what it reminds me of is how much I've always loved singing and music and although I'm not performing at the moment (Oh, the joys of being in my third trimester :), I've been doing some random recordings over the last year that I'm going to share...

Oh Do Lord

Redemption Song

5 Creative Things to Do with the Extra "Fall Back" Hour Next Weekend!

2011-10-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't want some "free" time every now and then? Here are five creative things to do in that one hour of "extra" time that you get this weekend:

1. Make a Mini Vision Board.

Who are you and what drives your dreams? Grab some glue, a piece of cardboard (from a shipping box, cereal box, or whatever), scissors, thick marker, and a few magazines and catalogs. Spend 20 minutes chopping out images that inspire you from magazines. Spend the next 20 minutes gluing them down onto the cardboard in any way you see fit. Then spend the final 20 minutes writing little notes of inspiration or affirmations next to the images. Admire who you are and what makes you amazing!

2. Take a Photo Hike.

Grab a camera, get out of your house, and just start walking outside. Don't let the weather stop you, either - that could create an even better experience. Take photos of details that are a part of your everyday surroundings that you may never have really stopped to look at. Try making them into black and white images to really highlight the shapes and textures. Don't forget to share them with friends via email, online, or print them out and put some on the fridge.

3. Bake Some [quick] Bread.

Choose some bananas, pears, zucchini, or apples and make some quick bread (no yeast needed). Click on the fruit above for an easy recipe or go to allrecipes.com to find your own. Before the hour's up, you'll be able to enjoy some fresh baked fruit bread and a cup of tea or coffee to bring in the new season! Don't forget to share the love with your house-mate(s).

4. Open a Coffee-Table Book.

You know all those art, food, architecture, or photography books that you bought because they were beautiful or you wanted a souvenir from the museum exhibition? Are they now just collecting dust on your coffee table? Open one up and just cuddle up on the couch to browse the big, beautiful pictures and immerse yourself in another world for a while.

5. Call an Old Friend.

Who really has time for phone calls these days with text messaging, Facebook, and emails? Knowing that you have an hour (rather than being rushed) pick up the phone and call an old friend to catch up. I'm sure it will make their day as well as yours - and if they don't answer, there's always the chance to leave a personal message wishing them well.

All images above from Flickr Creative Commons.

10% to Charity: Sarah's Photos

2011-09-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

PHOTO SHOWCASE
Explore photos, quotes, and shop with a cause, too! My new photography website which it focused on the EARTH, PEOPLE, and ANIMALS is up and running in coordination with SmugMug to allow for online purchasing of photography.

I have been working on this for a while and am really thrilled to finally announce it publicly!

DEEPER MEANING
My goal with this was to not only share my favorite photos, but to really highlight the meaning behind why I love the outdoors and documentary photography so much. I've selected different quotes that flow with the ideals behind my photography and things I respent in general and scattered them throughout the site.

SHOP WITH A CAUSE
You can also purchase photographs from the SHOP link that connects you to SmugMug store and I'll donate 10% of the proceeds to one of three charities focused on the EARTH, PEOPLE, and ANIMALS.

CUSTOM DESIGNS
Custom designs are also available if you'd like to have notecards or a poster paired with one of the quotes OR your own text!

Just email me or to learn more, visit sarahdesigns.com to see the type of work that I do!

Sarah's Letterpress Business Cards

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

I hired Sarah Deusch at Cardamom Press to print my new business cards on her traditional letterpress. What a fun experience! Sarah hand-feed and printed each sheet of 100% cotton paper and I chose to add three colors of paper to the backs of the cards to give them a truly unique look.

The Letterpress Process

The Final Business Cards:

DIY: Make Your Own Recycled Wrapping Paper

2011-09-09T09:14:00.001-07:00

Make Wrapping Paper from Re-using Old Maps, Posters, and More!

I have been saving maps, design posters, beautiful images from paper company samples, and the good old comics page of the paper. Not to mention, that I save wrapping paper and bows/ribbons from previous events to RE-USE.

This is so easy to do and it not only RE-purposes things that might otherwise be just thrown away or at least recycled in the paper bin - BUT it also is budget-friendly. The gifts always stand out under the tree and people are anxious to see what they are wrapped up in!

The Progress of an Oil Painting

2011-09-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finished this painting in January of 2011 while watching some great art documentaries including Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child and Exit Through the Gift Shop, The mountains can make you feel like all of your problems are simple and the world can surround you with it’s purpose for you: "Glow in the Hole" is the name of the final piece. Actual size is about 4 feet x 3 feet.

"From start to finish" series of images:

A Bundle of Oil Paintings to Share

2011-09-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Painting is one of my great loves because I can get my hands dirty and actually physically move around - contrary to sitting at my computer. It also allows a direct connection of color, texture, form, and overall visual creation to flow from my mind to the canvas.

Here are some paintings that I've done over the years (from 2002 through 2008) - I haven't really established my own style yet because I don't paint enough to have fully developed it, but I definitely enjoy the more loose, chunky, impressionistic style of motion...

A Bundle of Paintings to Share with You:

Nature Reflections, the Power of Biomimicry, and Change

2011-04-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Everything I see is infinitely more than meets the eye. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Beauty is not just skin deep. This ideologies run through my mind as I observe the world around me on this wet, spring day. Rather than focusing on the colors, sounds and obvious functions of nature, I find myself asking, "but WHY is it that way?". Why do the leaves on some trees point up and some droop down? Why do some tree trunks grow straight and tall and others are all bumpy and twisty? Where on earth do all of the animals go and hide during snowy and rainy weather?

I am finding my eyes to wander a bit more slowly around my environment rather than jut around quickly looking for fast observations and visuals. I always felt the inter-connectivity of nature when I was out in it, but feel like I understand it a bit more this time around. I am seeing each individual organism as it's own "life". Every thing has it's own story and it's own reason for being the way it is. I see the diversity of similar species - no two plant leaves are the same, just as no two thumbprints are alike.

I have been forced to look at nature from a scientific view and from a system-thinking designer's view at the same time which was a bit out of my comfort zone. I am comfortable in my right-brain zone of seeing, sensing, and feeling, rather than thinking of systems, processes and functions. The beauty of nature in all of it's peaceful chaos is still evident as it was at the beginning of this course, but being able to understand the cycles and function of organisms gives this world a whole new depth and what it can teach us.

As I was hiking in my special spot, I began to think of Pittsburgh area as a whole and it's place in the world of environmentalism. Being in Western PA, I have the utter [and very ironic] pleasure of living in the town that spawned Rachel Carson (so proud of that! she's got two non-profits, a coffee blend, a bridge, a festival, and a 36-mile hiking trail named after her) as well as the town that represents the pinnacle of the industrial era (steel and coal - the likes of industry magnates Carnegie and Frick among others who pretty much ignited the black haze that covered the city for decades).

Rachel Carson has been one of my heroes for her rebellious, earth-loving spirit and obviously THE pioneer of environmental awareness and vocalization against mainstream toxic chemicals (Ahem. Read "Silent Spring"!) In this little corner of the world, she is a symbol of hope amid a history of unparalleled pollution and greedy industry. Pittsburgh has been completely overhauled to where it is today - a bright, clear city comprised of a population with a huge affinity for the outdoors and nature. (2010 World Environment Day was here!) My point in mentioning this is that despite the plethora of horrific facts about how much we are ruining the earth, it is possible to turn things back around. Just look at Pittsburgh's transformation and look at all of those designers who are stepping out of their comfort zone to mimic nature's designs and take a closer look at the functions and strategies of things are a daily part of our lives.

Just as a delicate, shiny, green strand can sprout out of lifeless pavement, biomimicry can be a guiding light for sustainable design in our world of unbelievable over-consumption.

(Yeah. Yeah. I did end up getting a bit philosophical, but I was full of greeeeeeen inspiration!)

Sustainable Design Barometer: PodPaks

2011-04-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Cardboard is used to ship 90 percent of all products in the U.S. Recycling 1 ton of cardboard saves 9 cubic yards of landfill space and 46 gallons of oil. (www.earth911.com).

By creating an alternative to cardboard packaging for smaller items, PodPaks shipping system reduces cardboard waste, allows for lighter shipments resulting in less fuel consumption, and provides reusable materials for businesses and individuals.

http://www.seaheart.com

Sea Heart's journey of thousands of miles
(http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmay97.htm

Now, how are PodPaks really going to survive and thrive when it comes down to it? Just as the Sea Heart makes a journey of thousands of miles in it's native pod shell from the branch of a tree to countries across oceans, the PodPak's life is impressive (if I do say so myself - or at least I imagine it to be impressive when fully developed). By using hte Life's Principles checklist, we can take a look at all of the aspects of functionality and successful possibilities for this product. The checklist (outlined below) can help to highlight improvements that can be made as well as what is already working.

1. Adapting and Evolving

a. Locally Attuned and Responsive

b. Integrates Cyclic Processes

c. Resilient

2. Creating Conditions Conducive to Life

a. Optimizing rather than Maximizing

b. Benign Manufacturing

c. Leveraging Interdependence


Biodegradable Pot made from Natural Fibers. (kelbycarr.com)

PodPaks are resourceful in that they use natural fibers - like that of a biodegradable garden pot, sturdy, but also soft. It also uses a natural resin to provide a coating for the package. Several shapes are offered and all of the shapes are conducive to being hung on the clips inside the delivery truck. They are all basically envelopes, so they can clip easily into the pre-arranged clips. The design is simple - just fiber, resin, and closure, and uses natural materials that are readily available and renewable within a reasonable amount of time.

Specifically designed for reuse, the PodPaks allow ease of label removal (no scraping sticky paper off and using sharpies to cover up old labels!) and also are biodegradable which means there is no disassembly neecessary. It encourages reuse as anyone can reuse it up to ten times and it can be passed around from shipper to recipient without destruction beyond regular wear and tear.

The hanging system in the back of the shipping trucks - based off of the hanging Sea Heart pod chains in the trees, allow the PodPaks to be transported without touching one another - preventing the wear and tear that usually occurs when boxes are stacked and piled in delivery trucks. the key is for the delivery person to take care in placing the package at the recipient's location. (i.e. they can't just toss it from the truck onto a front porch!)

PodPak Envelope System showing Resin-coated
and Un-coated envelope shapes available.

Sea Heart Hanging Pod Chain
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmay97.htm

The PodPaks will need to be manufactured by creation of the fiber material, coating of the resin on the outside, trimming to the various sizes as well as application of the closure. Well-managed, FSC certified forests will need to be developed and maintained to provide the fibrous material content from a local area. The manufacturing process will need to set up so that possible the outer material can grow itself - this would be ideal, but may not be realistic for the supply and demand.

Less resistance is used in the delivery of the packages to the consumer as more packages can fit on trucks and the packaging itself is much lighter than standard cardboard packaging. This saves on fuel as well as costs in shipping as all of the packages basically "carpool" together in a truck.

Most of the Life's Principles are on track for this with the exception the manufacturing process that is still really loosely planned out. It can also be improved for growth - such as what if people need larger PodPaks - will the outer material be strong enough for larger items? Right now, though, starting one step at a time with the small package shipping market can still make a big difference!

Viewing Nature: Life's Principles Lens

2011-04-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

First of all, this was the most exciting nature blog, yet, because it was FINALLY sunny and warm, so I was thrilled to be outside without an umbrella and a hat. Just to top it off, I found an amazing place outdoors within walking distance to my job in Oakland (near the city). The atmosphere was more full of life than it has been in the past month due to the amazing weather. Green was sprouting out of everything it seemed and water was flowing from streams into a large pond.

All of the harmonious designs within my sight seemed to be orchestrated together so perfectly in preparation for growth and production over the summer months. The principles of life were surrounding me and definitely in action - but I'm going to focus on the mallard that was hanging out around the pond.

Design Principle: Optimizing Rather than Maximizing
Example of: Fitting Form to Function

Natural Model: Mallard's beak

Description: The beak seems smooth and slippery and sleek. It is also narrow and long in order to slip right down into the water to feed on vegetation. They slip their heads into the water and their tails go up on the other side. The beak's form follows the function of obtaining food in the water. It also fits the way they must chew the food for digestion.

Design Idea in real life: A water faucet that feeds water through a tube and arches over in order to distribute water downwards into your hands. The material is either metal or ceramic and it is round so it can carry water and last a long time without succumbing to rust or other elements of destruction.

Design Principle: Leveraging Interdependence
Example of: Fostering Cooperative Relationships
Natural Model: Female caring for chicks
Description: Little chicks are led to the water by the female mallard. They follow her and learn how to feed and swim and walk like she does. The chicks depend on the mother, but then they will learn and pass along those lessons someday to their own little ones.

Design Idea in real life: Today, there are reciprocate actions to benefit both parties involved. A simple example is buying my organic, local milk at the farm market. I have to buy the milk jug the first time, but then whenever I go back to fill it up, I get a discount on the milk itself, so the seller benefits from repeat customer and I benefit with saving money.

Design Principle: Benign Manufacturing
Example of: Using life-friendly materials
Natural Model: Mallard's nesting
Description: Nests are made close to the water and are hidden in vegetation (like the bird's nest in photo below). They are made from available materials that are friendly to living in that circumstance - such as grasses, feathers, leaves, and twigs. These help to blend in to the surroundings for protection (life-friendly) as well as completely recyclable and bio-degradable once the nest is abandoned after the eggs hatch.

Design Idea in real life: In the mountains, many people use logs to build houses and logs to create warmth. Cabins are so common in wooded areas where people want to live "away from it all" and they really do create a more life-friendly environment. The log cabins not only blend in with the surroundings, but they are made from a natural material that is created to withstand the elements of nature and be sturdy for years to come. In addition to that, the same log material harvested from around the house (always careful to plant new trees :-) is also used for warmth and energy. Instead of using electricity and gas, logs are burned for warmth in a fire place or camp fire as well as for cooking.

Design Principle: Locally Attuned and Responsive
Example of: Antenna, Signal, and Response
Natural Model: Mallard's quack, quack
Description: Mallards signal each other with the characteristic "quack quack" which is only from the females! The males are softer, actually. They use their sounds to get the attention of their ducklings or one another in breeding times.

Design Idea in real life: Traffic lights! Cars cooperate with the light signals on roads/intersections in order to create order on the busy system of transportation. We follow the signs - lights and colors - that communicate directions to us to stop, go, or slow down. This helps everyone to communicate and have cohesive responses that prevent simple accidents and painful collisions.

Design Principle: Integrates Cyclic Processes
Example of: Loops
Natural Model: Mallard's migration
Description: Mallards migrate from north to the south in the winter. Every year they do this migration and they know exactly where they are going without a GPS! They feed in the south all winter and then when it's time to breed again, they go back up north.

Design Idea in real life: Everyday at 9:00pm, my computer backs up my whole hard drive onto the internet storage space that I have designated. This allows a cyclic process of having all of the new data on my computer get copied onto another space creating a peace of mind and a routine that enhances my everyday living. This cycle of computer back-ups is necessary to carry on my work and business life and it saves me time and frustration as it is consistent and reliable.

Design Principle: Resilient
Example of: Redundant
Natural Model: Attack of females
Description: When there are lots of mallards - females in particular - all in one environment, the male mallards will attack the females in order to mate and sometimes kill them. They have to be agressive because there is a redundancy of females - there are "extras" (just like we have two kidneys) and some may be discards (even though that is sad :-( in order to continue breeding.

Design Idea in real life: Large semi trucks have double the tires that they need and all of them are running on the road! This is so that when one tire gets worn out and torn and flies off the truck, there is another one there to carry on the load of the truck without any falter (hopefully). It looks redundant at first with all of those tires, but it is in preparation for times ahead.

(Various Mallard information from: http://www.eol.org/pages/1047918 and wikipedia.com)

Here are some more photos from my day that you might get your own ideas of life's principles!

Case Study: Tree H20 Optimization

2011-04-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

So many hours of my life are spent in and around trees - whether it is hiking or viewing them through a window. I seem to always notice the leaves of a tree first - are they green, flowery, dead, or just budding? I notice how full the tree is, how tall it is, and how thick its trunk is. The one aspect that almost always skips my mind is how the biological organism "tree" becomes the grand structure that it is. What provides its energy and who feeds it?

As I think of the biological taxonomy (the groups it belongs to and its purpose) of this beautiful phenomenon, I realize the source of its beauty and energy is water. A tree gets water from its environment, then captures, absorbs, and filters the water, a liquid. Trees are the longest living organisms on earth (http://treeservice.com/Fun-Facts-About-Trees.html) and can induce rainfall by cooling the land and transpiring water into the sky from their leaves. An acre of maple trees can put as much as 20,000 gallons of water into the air each day. The average tree will drink approximately 2,000 litres of water each year (http://www.hariyalithane.com/?p=37). Trees have evidently been around for a long time, but their intelligent process of pulling water from the ground and reusing it is a invaluable tool for modern day life that has not been used for its full potential.

Salter's second design for the "Solar Water Still and Pump"

Exactly how can a tree's water processing design can be used today? Most would agree that we could use a way to get pure water from contaminated soils and salt water - especially in places where no clean water alternatives are available. Stephen Salter (www3.telus.net/farallon), has begun a quest with this worthy purpose in mind. His "Solar Water Still and Pump" was designed to mimic the power of a tree's water harvesting system. By using the energy of the sun, it pulls water up from under the earth and then saves the evaporated water. The captured water is then distilled so that it can be used where pure water is unavailable. Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds (http://www.treesaregood.com/funfacts/Environment.aspx).

Salter's Illustration: http://www3.telus.net/farallon/

Salter's design works well for improving water quality. His second design was successful in using solar power to capture water, filtering it and then collect the fresh water in a small jar. I would imagine this could be done on a larger scale as well. Just think of the possibilities - fresh water for those who live in areas of drought - California here on our own soil or African desert areas. Water pulled from moisture in the local soil in areas, eliminating the need to walk for hours to get clean water from a stream. No streams or rivers are necessary for this design to provide water!

We can truly learn from Salter and the ancient tree. Herb Waite, a researcher mentioned in Janine Benyus' book Biomimicry, puts us in our place. He explains "Nature invents and we invent... humans and other life-forms have been evolving toward similar points, but [they] are just farther along than we are. They have already faced and solved the problems we are grappling with" (Biomimicry, Janine Benyus, p. 119). We may be behind, but as humans, we have the intelligent capacity to learn from nature's successes. If we look at the problems solved by nature - such as the tree's need for clean water - we can help to provide clean water to those in need with designs that cost little to nothing once put into action. Then, we just might be getting close to the point of the wise water usage evolution that the tree has clearly mastered.

Discover more about the scientific process of water capture in trees here and the details of Salter's water filter process here.

"Roots Maximize Water Uptake: Plants" from http://www.asknature.org

Jagged but Curved! Agreeable Opposites

2011-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Jagged, pointy, and hard but also smooth, curved, and symmetrical. How can something have such seemingly disagreeing characteristics and also be a part of one single organism? I discovered there were opposite traits on not just one, but many types of greens. Here are three of them in focus.

My observation started in the late gray afternoon in the woods of Western PA. I was observing the plants around me that seemed really to be stagnant because there was no sun to give them life. But the closer I got to all of the plants, the more I noticed how much they were expanding, growing, and blossoming. But not everything was colorful and beautiful to the common eye. I noticed many had abrupt shapes that seemed a bit more rough and tough.

A thorny, long, straight bundle of stems caught my eye first as it had bright white thorns sticking out of the lanky dull green branch. Sitting just down from the the thorns are blushing little buds - I'm not quite sure what they are going to be, but they look friendly enough.

Thorns are white and from what I've read, they are considered to be a part of the stem or a modified version of the branch. Why would they be white? I feel like they should be red - like a warning - not white - like an innocent bride... but there has to be a purpose. White makes them stand out from the main branch making them more visible. This may be to warn herbivores from consuming this plant. It also could protect the buds from being destroyed. If the buds were eaten or destroyed, then this plant might not be able to survive.

What about the wildlife that DOES get close? The thorn will stick to the fur of approaching animals. If these pointy thorns stick to the animals' fur, it might allow the DNA of the plant to spread around to other areas that might otherwise be impossible! Transportation becomes one of the functions of the pointy thorns.

A tangled, twisted, arched, ruby grouping of buds was visible on several plants. The groupings make the color more vibrant. If each bud was on it's own, it would not be as energetic and attractive.

These buds are almost begging to be eaten or pollinated. They do have slightly pointy ends though - almost like they are teasing the hungry insect or animal into eating them and then getting stuck in their throat. An herbal remedy of some kind?

Then there is the third type of strategy - a nest of intertwining, layering branches. Instead of just growing straight up, these branches all grown over and under one another to create a roof for it's roots. It's almost like the branches are growing adjacent to one another in order to protect something sacred underneath. It would be hard for any organism, insect or outside plant to get to the bottom of this. This "roof" is protecting the nourishment that gets to the roots - the earth they grow in and the possible the water that is stored in the roots. The yellow flowers are along the the outer layer and underneath is just the gray, plain branches.

Three very unique designs of plants all working toward staying alive and making sure they survive - whether it is protecting their "food", ensuring they spread their seeds, or providing healing.

Life's Patterns and a Century-Old Home Design

2011-04-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Jay Harmon, a prominent sustainable innovator, said "Nature is clean, green, sustainable... If you don't copy nature, you're wasting your time." Well, I have to say that whomever created our home might not have looked at nature for the best solution in design, but they definitely used [at least part of] the basic life pattern of the necessity for an inside and an outside. Just like organisms in nature, our house provides us with so many things that keep us safe and healthy.

The main objective of a house is that it provides shelter - a basic human need. The outer shell and framework meets the life pattern of the necessity for an inside and outside. The house's outer shell is made of bricks layered to form sturdy, resilient walls. These walls create a protective barrier against weather, other people, insects, animals, and also create a personal inside environment for living. Just inside the brick outer layer are wood slats lined up adjacent to one another to create an inner wall and ceilings. This wood provides a surface for the plaster which is the final layer.

http://texas.inetgiant.com

Occurring along each wall, are also windows in various sizes, that are made of the old "wavy" single-pane glass to offer a nice view to the outside world - almost like an eyeball is to an organism. On the top of the house is a roof that is made up of thick shingles on the outside that are layered like the scales on a butterfly's wing (pg. 10 Exploring the Way Life Works). Beneath the shingles, there is wood, then plaster. Inside of the plaster of the roof and walls is the chamber of the house. The walls succeed in created an outer shell that is specific to the outside world - resilient in all kinds of weather, sturdy and thick for protection against intruders, and straight and level to create a shape that is livable for humans. Other than the basic properties of the outside shell, there is not much else that is self-sustaining for our home. It was not built with nature's inspiration of self-regulation patterns. You're right, if you're thinking our house, 100 years old in 2011, was build with no insulation at all!

Photo: http://www.physorg.com/news202054025.html

Hence, many aspects of this design have not met the pattern of inside / outside. I think of the earth as an organism and how the atmosphere regulates the earth's temperature by protecting life from the sun. Our house should do the same and regulate the inside temperature as well as insulate us from the cold in winter. I am still boggled as to why nothing was designed with more of that thought process. Our home's structure could be greatly improved by deepening the way it incorporates this life's pattern. The idea of homeostasis could be applied to achieve a balance of temperatures in all seasons -- the way that water, earth and air make up the outer shell of the earth. The outer shell needs an "inner membrane" -- a layer of insulation that helps to regulate temperature by containing the hot or cold within the walls.

Photo: http://critterconsulting.com/info/?p=28

We could use vegetation as a regulating layer and material that uses the sun's rays to heat the house. The sun's rays could be turned into energy in the summer and stored so that it could be used in the winter when it is cold. The walls of the house could be ventilated and "breathe" like we sweat in order to cool down. Like a dog sweats through it's mouth, maybe our walls could have openings that let out the hot air and act as a dehumidifier in areas that have high humidity. The roof could be utilizing the sun's power as well as having some sort of wind-harnessing system to generate air movement throughout the house in the summer. Just as fat helps us to insulate, a similar insulation could be placed in between the bricks of the outer shell and the inside walls.

The life pattern of outside / inside has taught me many valuable lessons about improving the design of the common house. There are elements and materials all around us that provide energy (free!) as well as heating and cooling powers. In addition to the power of the elements around us, it is so important to look at other organisms and how they "self-regulate" temperatures inside and outside the body - including humans. We plan on getting insulation in our home and new windows as well as look into a "green" solar roof, but I still feel there are many more natural processes that could further improve overall functioning of our home as a type of "organism".

Viewing Nature through a Pattern Lens

2011-04-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

The way the branches must cross over and under each other in order to move toward the sky makes up my favorite pattern. They have to almost weave in and out of one another to get their own little part in the sunlight. Even though there wasn't much sunlight today, the branches still arc to the sky waiting for the clouds to part. These branches crest the closest parts to the sky and when I followed them down with my eyes they start the connection between everything outside. I started to feel that everything really was touching and sharing energy with each other.

(The video format allows everything to flow together and the collage below allows the patterns to be compared in their essence - in black and white.)

Every repetitive shape that I observed created very different patterns, even though most of them started out just as lines or dots or individual shapes. As I followed the branches down, they turned into the trunk of the tree which had bark patterns, that led to the roots which had thick snaking patterns.

The snaking roots went into the ground which turned up patterns from all the rainwater and led to rocks which had rougher patterns of asymmetrical shapes. Around the rocks were more plants and bushes - each with branches of different shapes and sizes then, again, reaching up towards the sky for light. Inside of the each of the patterns around me, I knew there were living organisms moving around that I could not see.

Animals like squirrels, snakes, bugs, mice, rabbits, and lots of birds. Because it was very gray out and it had been raining, it truly seemed all the animals were in thier homes trying to stay warm and out of the weather. These animals that I could not see were alive and well, I'm pretty sure they were breathing the same air that I was breathing, feeling the colder temperature and wind and waiting for the sun.

There was truly not much sound besides my breath and the subtle breeze. The air felt as if it was just about to rain or the sun was just about to poke through the clouds - it was like I was in limbo - in between weather conditions. What I really started to feel was that the connections I observed between the patterns flowing into one another are part of the whole system of nature as a whole - each shape and design had a reason to be there. Nothing was created without purpose in nature - just as in design, everything needs a function. Learning these purposes is now the task at hand.

Mimic the Most Powerful Designer of All: Nature

2011-04-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center

Biomimicry is so smart, its truly a wonder that our human minds have not grasped the idea in everything that we create. By using the intelligent, inspiring, and sustainable designs that naturally occur in our world, designers can mimic this utter brilliance in our own man-made creations. This is biomimicry - mimicking the perfect building blocks of biology in our creations to make our world a more efficient sustainable and beautiful place.

Photo: Whale: Natura Paparazzo/Flickr; turbine: Envira-North Systems

The first thing people are eager to learn are the tangible examples. Biomimicry was used to develop everyday items such as velcro (mimics burrs stuck to fabric) and swimsuits (mimics shark skin), famous structures such as the Eiffel Tower (mimics a leg femur) and the Crystal [glass] Palace (mimics a lily pad structure), and machines such as wind turbines (mimics bumps on whale) and airplanes (mimic vultures' drag/lift actions).

As designers, we provide the public with a momentum toward the future. Designers are given the task of inventing the products, buildings, systems of living, communications, materials, and environments that make up our world and point us into the future. Biomimicry allows that future to be sustainable. Using nature as inspiration guarantees that we are using a system that works and preserves life itself.

Illustration from morganga.org

Biomimicry and sustainable design are perfect partners in preservation of the earth and the creatures - including ourselves - that inhabit it. Their partnership includes their parallel foundation of the principles of reducing, reusing, recycling the materials and energy available. The true impulse of nature is ultimately survival, so if designers mimic nature in their creations, they are inherently creating designs that thrive. This in turn creates a thriving and surviving earth that is self-sustaining in a perfect cycle of life.

Screen Shot from Conference website: http://designconference2007.aiga.org

I first heard about biomimicry actually from Janine Benyus -- live in person (!) at a lecture she gave at the AIGA Design Conference in Denver, CO to over 2000 graphic, product, and web designers. Her message has always stuck with me in one way or another throughout my graphic design career after that lecture. I am interested in learning more about how animals use their natural surroundings - how they inhabit their home and thrive in it with minimum impact. I believe we can not only learn from the biological build-up of organisms, but also from the way of living that the living creatures have within the natural world. This can help us to see our world in a different way - as a partner in our lives, rather than just a supplier of finite resources.

Design from Sarah's Website

The main biomimicry principle that I use on a daily basis is one based on color, pattern, and aesthetics. 99 percent of my inspiration for visual designs comes from color groupings, patterns, and compositions that I have observed in nature. Because I am a graphic designer, everything I do is visual, rather than structure-based design. Everything I design is also based on communicating a message. I can feel how colors in nature evoke emotion and this guides my design - the blues and tans of the seashore are calming and peaceful; the richness of spring flowers is celebratory and evoking new beginnings. Paper choices, mediums of web and print design, and aesthetic organization of design elements come into play as well.

As designers, we have the power to offer the public a new way of thinking - designs that use all of the senses and designs that are created from building up, not from tearing down. The idea of not using pigments for color, but the layering of translucent materials and using light to create a "color". The idea of noticing how communication is executed in nature through sounds, sights, and smells that I might be able to use in my websites and printed materials. We can offer a new way of thinking to modern society that can be one of the greatest gifts offered back to the earth - to help people see the power of nature.

Naturalist Lens in Spring Snowfall

2011-03-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's almost spring, but so many things are trying to fool us into thinking it is still winter. I'm outside in the cold and the snow is falling onto everything in sight - including my nose. Everything around me that just one day before was budding and dry and prepared for spring at first seemed confused. Should the buds continue to blossom? The squirrels go back to their stores of food? It's March 29, 2011, 5:07 pm, Pittsburgh, PA, and I'm in the woods of Bellevue in a spring snowfall. This day is about adaptability and transformation. Just when you expect one thing, you must be ready to adapt to the unexpected and transform your outer shell - even if temporarily.

Though at first confusing to the plants, earth, and organisms, they're adapting to the cold weather and snow that arrives - just before the warmer temperatures are here to stay. All of the things around me are adapting - holding onto their robust qualities that help them endure the winter. Bracing themselves and protecting their nearly complete buds from the harsh snow. I hear dripping, but also the somewhat silent patting of snow onto the ground, onto the leaves, the rocks, the pine needles, the dirt, the plants, and the grass. The sound of the snow reveals that everything is being lightly touched by a piece of heaven. Snow is kissing everything from the green grass that was just beginning to poke through the dirt to the tops of the 60-foot evergreens all around me. It is intriguing how the snow transforms the look of everything around me. I now feel privileged to witness this transformation right before my eyes. The lime greens, mossy olives, and chocolate browns are now coated with powdered sugar white.

But there are those elements that are protected and untouched by the snow. The pine needles underneath the great evergreens, the little hole in the ground under the bushes that was created by an agile petite animal of some sort. These things are protected from the snow and never experience the snowflake laying on their skin or bark or greenery. They never have the chance to transform their outside appearance. The snow makes all the colors brilliant and sparkling and some of the snow is transparent and creates a new color. Whether lighter or more brilliant, the world around me is changing like a kaleidoscope of colored crystals.

The color is what is most appealing to me, but the sound of the dripping is really beautiful as well. (the temperature is right at freezing - so the melting snow and simultaneous snow falling are obvious. The dripping is a perfect soundtrack to the changing colors and constant movement. It is steady, although not perfectly timed. It is calming, but I know it's creating mud. Although it is cold and snowy and I had really been expecting spring and warm weather, I was given a nice show of color with sound. I have faith the world around me can handle the snow and it might just make sweetness of spring, a bit more sweet.

Natural inspiration for design

2011-03-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

I collect patterns in nature that inspire my designs. Here are a few.