Change as Art website now up

As part of a research project that I've working at with the David O'Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, I've been tracking examples of art works that have led to measurable social and environmental change. We decided to put the database of projects that we assembled on-line so that other people interested in this area of research might have access to what we have assembled. We are also hoping that others might share their projects or the projects of others on the site as well.

For more information, please visit: http://changeasart.org/

Art in Action, QPIRQ Concordia

Just a short note to mention an up-coming art show that I'm participating in, "ART IN ACTION: Creative student and community contributions related to social and environmental justice." The show runs from Novembers 11-15, 2012 (10am to 8pm) and is located 1455 de Maisonneuve West, 7th floor (métro Guy-Concordia) Montreal.  The vernissage is Sunday, November 11, 5pm-7pm, and if you follow the above link, you can learn all about the various activities running in conjunction with this event over the course of the show.

My contribution to the show is a modest collection of lino-cut prints that I did for a summer drawing class, which I've called "Oh, Canada..."

What if growth is not the solution?

I was just revising a presentation for one of my classes on the topic of economic growth, in the presentation I present a few alternative approaches to assessing "success" on the national and international level. Proponents of steady state economics and the degrowth movements suggest that in "(over)developed" economies there is no longer a strong correlation between  economic growth and the well-being of that society. Much like choice and wealth - going from having nothing to something is certainly a good thing, but the relationship is not always a linear one. In biology, growth is good to a certain point, and then it's not a good thing... people are starting to understand that the same is likely true with economic growth.

That being said, I pulled up all references to economic growth  in the recent US Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates, as I believe it drives home the point just how deeply ingrained the idea of growth as THE path to wellness is in North America - and how challenging it will be to challenge this underlying assumption at the policy level.

 

Eco-feedback website is up!

An important part of my PhD research has to do with the  study of eco-feedback tools, so I started a website, www.ecofeedback.ca, to share some of the neat projects that I've come across. Some of them are market-based solutions, but many of them are design based research which include prototype tools, such as Wn-Wn. It's neat to see all the interesting solutions people have developed to address issues around resource conservation. I can't see to see which ones become more common in the coming years. It's also one of the reasons that I'll likely be slowing down with this here blog for the next little while.

Wn Wn: an eco-feedback tool for the office

Here is a rough video on my final project, which was part of the Concordia University Year end Design Exhibition.

Concordia University Year end Design Exhibition

Formation poster (click to get details)

I'm going to be participating the year end design exhibition with a number of other graduate students. Some of the projects are pretty darn cool, I suggest you stop by this weekend and check it out. 

Friday April 20-Sun 10am-6pm 1515 Ste. Catherine St. on the 6th & 7th floors of the EV building. 

Vernissage is 6pm-10pm on Thursday, April 19th. 

International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas
WHERE: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WHEN: May 13-19, 2012
SPEAKERS INCLUDE: David Suzuki, William Rees, Mary Evelyn-Tucker, John Fullerton, Alain Gras, Joan Martinez-Alier, Serge Mongeau, Elizabeth Peredo Beltrán, Juliet Schor, Peter Victor, François Schneider

WANT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?
MONTREAL CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO GROWTH

Sustaining our future means rethinking the relationship of economic growth to human well-being and environmental integrity.  The International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas meets this May in Montreal to explore the possibilities of a post-growth world.

From May 13-19, 2012, Montreal will host academics, activists, artists, environmentalists and indigenous peoples for the International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas.  A fixation on economic growth is at the root of our environmental issues and social inequalities. Degrowth challenges traditional economic paradigms that fail to account for environmental and social costs and are obsessively driven by GDP and other flawed measures of well-being. Degrowth aims to achieve human happiness and well-being with less material consumption.  Family, music, art, culture, community, and meaningful employment are some values that drive more qualitative increases in well-being.

These issues are a priority for many people around the world, as demonstrated most recently by the Occupy Movement.  A new way forward that increases both environmental and social justice is essential.

Building on degrowth conferences in Paris in 2008 and Barcelona in 2010, the conference will place the décroissance movement that began in Europe in the context of the Americas.  The Conference will be hosted jointly by Concordia University, HEC, Université de Montréal, McGill University, and UQAM. Registration is now open at http://montreal.degrowth.org

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Bob Thomson at montreal(at)degrowth.net