Self sustaining, autonomous systems

Notes from a session held at the Luminous Green Retreat, 28th of April 2007

Consumption has to be reduced
Expecting growth of 'green collar' jobs for in service industries (USA)
NZ project which present power consumption of cities on TV
designing games to encourage agency re. these
deceleration
how to counter idea of exponential growth / constant acceleration
how to 'justify doing less'
doing less → ephemeralization
how to change a neo-liberal economic system
offer choice, as cheap as possible
tyranny of choice
gradual persuasion rather than revolution
evolutionary strategies
augmented with intelligence / education
debates now on the table re. agricultural methods, biofuels, etc+
a lot of behind the scenes action
persuasion through branding /design/etc+
- rebranding of chiquita → campaign of antagonism
- smart cars
  - visibility → succesful
  - daimler chrysler → seen as financial failure
human perspective
- capacities for development
- motivation →
  - how to encourage self development →
  - education as viral, rather than institutional

personal power generation
- discounts for power production at health clubs
- various types of discomfort
- future 4th warrior
EC parliament relocation →

“If it can be measured it can be managed”
Measuring is the key concept, this makes energy use visible and motivates people because they see the direct result of their actions
Awareness raising at any level is important and necessary
From measurement to understanding
Ad-hoc social enforcement
Making a step by step change
Responsive environments → reinforcing sense of agency → feedback
First step to any change is awareness,
- Examples: The Watt Bug / DIY Kyoto
We need a paradigm shift (ongoing in US at local level)
- Away from linear thinking and competition
- We need to change the capitalist system
Green products: success depends on good design & comfort
Inner Consciousness has to be developed worldwide - education is crucial

What lifestyle do you want to maintain? - at what cost…
Recognize interconnectedness - reciprocal relationship with environment rather than consumption only.
From fundamental disconnection → fundamental interconnectedness
Environmentalism as enlightened self-interest

In field of design, the word ìethicalî has been hijacked (strong growth of 'green' shops (organic food…) Ethics as a philosophical → marketing phrase

bedzed (bioregional)/ zed factory
how has it progressed, are they willing to bring in new technology?
you can't “just despise the national grid”
- reciprocal arrangement with the grid, power consumers.
how does a pilot project scale?
reduced power consumption - 1/5th of avg. uk homes.
city planning
minority opinion re. most efficiency can be gained by knocking down all the houses an beginning again

balance in an ecosystem →

climate change has overtaken environmental debates
- short term threats, deforestation, etc+
smaller initiatives
culture of decelleration →
many initiatives are dealing with issues on the surface,
- not connected to the biosphere
- linearity of cause and effect.. .
- the mindset 'we' are in is not those that are necessary to address these problems

civilization as degrees of separation

difference between raising awareness about issues/ connectedness and imposing ideologies

High-brow people from the '1st' world talking of energy issues:

some decadence involved when 'feeling guilty using a hair dryer'
Often ppl who 'use most' have the least shame/guilt about their use
Seeing where one sits, within a whole → aspiration rather than guilt
Challenges of emerging nations, how they fit into an emerging regulators system
How does the 'developed world' sit at the table / tell others how to live, without taking serious changes to our own lifestyles.

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