EcoLabs is a network of designers and visual artists addressing sustainability and systemic change. They aim to nurture whole systems thinking, foster ecological literacy, and create an alternative cultural vision that will drive transformational change to meet the needs of a fully sustainable society.
Aims:
- create material, projects & programs that support ecological literacy.
- promote an ethical agenda within the discipline of design.
- critique ‘green-washing’ practices and hold agencies accountable.
- work to embed sustainable thinking into the design industry.
- use the skills in art & design to address environmental issues directly.
- provide a resource, network and a platform for designers
& visual artists interested in these issues
Current projects:
The 2012 Imperative Teach-in will confront critical environmental issues; resource depletion, loss of biodiversity & especially the issue of climate change – as they inform priorities within the design industry and design education. The event will be held in London spring 2009 and is being organized by PhD candidate Jody Boehnert as part of her work on the communication of ecological literacy.
Teach-ins have a history in movements for social change from the 1960s and have recently been used to great effect by environmental educators in America. The 2012 Imperative Teach-in works within this tradition, aiming to embed ecological literacy in design education by 2012. Ecological literacy asks that we consider ecological systems and an awareness of how society operates within natural imperatives as an educational staple. Informed by an understanding of ecological systems, new concepts, tools and methodologies can help the design industry become an important player in the transition to a sustainable system. This teach-in aims to help catalyse this transition in design education. Presentations will be made by climate scientists and by a cross-disciplinary panel of designers working towards low impact, One Planet LivingTM.
Groups of students are welcome to attend or set up a group screening of the proceedings on-line. Date and location will be announced the February 1st 2009. For more information and to sign up please visit: www.teach-in.co.uk
more on EcoLabs: We have no alternative but to learn to live within the natural imperatives of the ecosystem. How can design participate in this change? The primary tool in this transition is systems thinking, a conceptual process necessary for reconfiguration of the systems that are presently entirely unsustainable.
Design has the potential to communicate systems thinking and help embed new cognitive facilities into public consciousness. Design can communicate integrated thinking and is useful towards visualizing & instigating transition. Still, this vision of design is still largely unrealized. The notion of design itself must change. Design must embrace its ability to facilitate change. Unless this change happens, design will be superfluous to the most basic challenges we now face.
This is great. This is something that could be easily reached as well, depending on the effort of people within institutions.
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