Government’s Role in Design
Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior (Michael Maniates)
Choice Editing – the process of editing citizens’ options through laws, taxes, and subsidies.
-It is about shifting the field of choice for mainstream consumers: cutting out unnecessary
damaging products and getting real sustainable choice on the shelves.
-One may be concerned with the government’s invasiveness but in reality, this has always
happened, in the past to promote consumerism, now it is needed to promote sustainability.
Examples - Environmentally harmful products can be removed (incandescent light bulbs,
CFC’s) or made expensive (plastic grocery bags).
-Better options need to be provided, efficient streetcars or intercity rail for example. Fair trade
products, Home Depot’s move to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) lumber products or
Walmart’s move to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild-caught fish.
Product Labeling – is an important component in the transformation of consumer societies to
sustainable ones. When product information (nutrition, child labour free, fair trade, energy
efficiency) is made available, it influences shoppers.
-Japan has produced a system of labeling where similar products are divided into classes and
then graded and labeled on a 1-5 scale on energy efficiency.
-Though choice editing is important, it should be noted that it can still promote consumption!
Building Cities of the Future (Peter Newman)
Eco-cities - Around the world, cities are becoming more sustainable through resilient buildings,
alternative transportation systems, distributed and renewable energy systems, water-sensitive
design, and zero waste systems.
-In Vauban, Germany, an eco-village of 5000 has been created that uses 100% renewable
energy. Hanover Germany, a city of 500 000 has reduced its GHG emissions by 50%
Car Control – Cars are most often chosen because they are quicker than other means, therefore,
public transit systems must be improved to be made more attractive.
-A good bicycle system and walkable urban network can help dramatically. In Copenhagen
Denmark, 27% of all work trips were by car while 36% by bicycle in 2006.
-When cars are used, control them, energy efficient, create high standards of maintenance, make
cars more expensive as a whole, eliminate SUV’s, and control speedometers.
Live Smart – This is the idea of sustainability at the household level, reducing energy, water,
and waste.
-With education, public programs, government incentive, tax credits and subsidies, significant
savings can be made in the household!
-In Perth, Australia, the “LivingSmart” program includes eco-coaches who work with families to
help determine eco-savings in the household. It has been super successful!
Reinventing Health Care (Walter Bortz)
-The major contributors to global mortality today are for the most part preventable.
-Childhood/maternal malnutrition= 200M deaths/ year, obesity = 150M, unsafe sex = 80M,
tobacco =50M.
-The collective response by the medical system has been primarily to alleviate symptoms.
-Worldwide, the emphasis of medicine needs to be on health, not disease, and on prevention
instead of repair.
-Greening health care is important too. The current health sector has high usage of energy and
other resources, rising emissions of GHG’s, and the release of toxins such as mercury and
pharmaceutical chemicals into the environment.
-Hospitals are starting to supplant steel mills and oil refineries as major polluters.
Earth Jurisprudence (Law) (Cormac Cullinan)
-The law defines land, water, other species, and even genetic material and information as
“property” which entrenches an exploitive relationship between the owner and the property.
-Legal systems are failing to protect the Earth community because humans are viewed as
separate and superior to all other members of the Earth.
-Most laws do not recognize that any indigenous inhabitants other than humans are capable of
having rights.
-Some lawyers are starting to preach “Earth Jurisprudence”, essentially, recognizing the rights
of nature. This would allow law suits on the behalf of “natural objects”, like trees.
-The advantage? One who wishes to destroy an environment would have to justify why this
should be permitted, instead of making people who wish to prevent destruction prove why
nature should be conserved.
-Environmental laws mainly regulates how quickly natural communities are destroyed rather
than preventing their destruction, this must change.
-Corporations have shaped the law so that it allows commercial interests to override the interests
of the local community, this must change.
-A group called the CELDF (USA) has helped communities re-assert their right to prohibit
activities harmful to their well being, recognize the rights of nature, and enable local
governments and individuals to sue for damages to be used for restorative purposes.
-Lawyers are beginning to specialize in environmental law and more are needed to represent the
local communities as opposed to the corporations (who have all the money). This is starting to
happen as per Juan Dominguez.