The ever growing hamster

The New Economics Foundation has published a new report arguing that economical "growth isn't possible". Their intention with the video above is to confront people with the meaning and logical conclusion of the promise of endless economic growth. As economists and politicians express their relief that the economy has grown by 0.1% in the last month, the NEF warns that we should be wary of celebrating rising GDP.

"We are using a hamster to illustrate what would happen if there were no limits to growth because they double in size each week before reaching maturity at around 6 weeks. But if a hamster grew at the same rate until its first birthday, we'd be looking at a nine billion tonne hamster, which ate more than a years worth of world maize production every day. There are reasons in nature, why things dont grow indefinitely. As things are in nature, sooner or later, so they must be in the economy. As economic growth rises, we are pushing the planet ever closer to, and beyond some very real environmental limits. With every doubling in the global economy we use the equivalent in resources of all of the previous doublings combined."

Flooded London: Maps and Visuals

Scene of the movie "The Flood" (2007) by Tony Mitchell

What would London look like if sea levels rose further? There are a numer of maps in the web which let you imagine in what extent different areas of London would/will be affected by the flood. Not all maps show the scenario of the Thames Barrier breaking and releasing tidal waters to the city centre which would have an even more dramatic impact.

Maps:

Environment Agency Flood Map
Type in your postcode and see if you were affected by the flood. 

A Google Maps Overlay


Global Warming Art Sea Level Explorer 

Ecosia: The eco-friendly search engine

Ecosia is a environmental-friendly search engine that saves the rainforest while your're searching the web. At least 80% of their search income goes to a rainforest protection program run by WWF, which uses this money for the sustainable protection of rainforests in the Juruena National Park in Brazil.

It saves 2m² of rainforest with each web search you do. Their search results are as good as Google or Yahoo. So far (28.1.2010) Ecosia has saved 18,795,321 m² (22,479,204 yd²) of rainforest. They're not running any servers powered by alternative energy yet though. None the less I suggest you make it your browser's default start page!

SlowFood-youth movement

The Youth Food Movement is a network of young farmers, cooks, artisans, activists and students that are actively changing the future of food and farming. With the goal of bringing more food that is good clean and fair, to their communities, they realigning local and regional food systems with the principles of justice and sustainability.

Building on the strong foundations of Slow Food, the Youth Food Movement provides shared platforms for communication, knowledge exchange, support for local action and leadership development. Day by day this network works to connect like minds, projects and activism with similar goals and shared philosophy.

Individually we can change communities; together we can change the world.

Already, Youth Food Movement members are:

• Starting farms based on traditional methods and sustainable practices
• Demanding food justice and equal access to good food for their neighbors
• Starting farmer’s markets and gardens on campuses
• Organizing Eat – Ins - protest potlucks where good, clean, and fair food is prepared and shared in public spaces
• Changing school cafeteria sourcing practices to local, sustainable products
• Confronting agribusiness and demanding they change their production methods and workplace standards
• And many more…

http://www.youthfoodmovement.org/

Urban tactics and self-organisation

As mentioned yesterday by Kathrin Bohm of Public Works, here is the information related to Atelier d'architecture autogérée, of which Doina Petrescu (the external examiner for the MA Design and Environment) is a member: "Atelier d'architecture autogérée / studio for self-managed architecture (aaa) is a collective platform which conducts explorations, actions and research concerning urban mutations and cultural, social and political emerging practices in the contemporary city.

aaa acts through ‘urban tactics’, encouraging the participation of inhabitants at the self-management of disused urban spaces, overpassing contradictions and stereotypes by proposing nomad and reversible projects, initiating interstitial practices which explore the potential of contemporary city ( in terms of population, mobility, temporality).

It is by micro-political acting that we want to participate in making the city more ecological and more democratic, to make the space of proximity less dependent on top-down processes and more accessible to its users. The ‘self-managed architecture’ is an architecture of relationships, processes and agencies of persons, desires, skills and know-hows. Such an architecture does not correspond to a liberal practice but asks for new forms of association and collaboration, based on exchange and reciprocity and involving all those interested (individuals, organisations, institutions), whatever is their scale.

Our architecture is at the same time political and poetic as it aims above all to ‘create relationships between worlds’."

Eco life style

In December I went around in Brick lane and there was a ECO fair.
Here are some of the product I saw..

ECO Nuts for your laundry

It is made from the sun dried fruit of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree and its Fair Trade. The shells of these nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent, which gets sudsy in water. Since Eco Nuts doesn’t leave any residue, you can actually skip the rinse cycle and save gallons of water, energy and money. As you can see its sell in recycle packag The seller said those shells is odorless and foamless, you can use it over times till the shell dissolve totally. I didn't buy them as I still have half box of family pack of washing powder.

Moroccan Rhassoul Clay wash for hair and body

It has a powerful negative charge and acts as a detoxifying agent. It come as power and you just need to add water before use.
Its 100% pure clay minerals and full biodegradable.
I bought that for 5pounds 100g and I am using it as facial wash and its better then what I except.

Natural Deodorant

Its the raw natural look crystal like deodorant which made from alum mineral salts.
Non-aerosol, no Aluminum Chlorhydrate, non-staining unisex formula and not tested on animals.

Also...

Recycle Knitting Kit

Its using those normal supermarket plastic bags and cut them into a long strip and use those strips instead of wool.

Brainstorming in Studio

As promised, here are the photos of our very productive brainstorming day in studio.
Hope you enjoy them!!!

This is how we started off.....













... and this is how it looked in the end!