Environmental Blogging and Green Book Publishing

Posted on October 18, 2009 by itees

I am a member of various design, green and environmental groups on the site, LinkedIn, and recently joined “Green Publishing,” a subgroup of “Green.” I have seen discussions by those who are writing environmental blogs, and publishing green literature. Here are some of the sites I’m following and what they’re doing to help get some important information out there.

Greenprofs – Green Business Professionals Sharing Information, Insights and Best Practices On The Environment, Corporate Social responsibility and Climate Change

“Founded in August 2008, Greenprofs supports Green, a group of over 55,000 environmental professionals on LinkedIn. Greenprofs is a resource of information on ‘all things green’ a one stop shop for insights, employment and the sourcing of green business suppliers.”

GreenandSave.com - Green News, Tips, and Services for Saving Energy, Money, and the Planet

I found this site to be organized in a very easy, “find and click” way. Showing lead-ins to articles on a variety of topics, such as, most popular, discover, movers & shakers, podcasts & video, green columnists, and tips & lifestyle.

SEECFoundation.org – A Sustainable Future

From their site:
“The Social, Environmental and Economic Concerns (SEEC) Foundation is a sustainability-focused nonprofit organization that helps the community and businesses progress towards a sustainable future. To do this, we provide strategies and resources that address environmental issues, social conditions and realize financial benefits. The SEEC foundation was created to help reflect the positive synergy that exists when social, economic and environmental concerns are simultaneously addressed and work in unison.”

Her Guide To Green – A Better Living, For A Better You

Her Guide To Green is dedicated to incorporating eco-friendly products, people, and initiatives into the lives of women around the world.

The EcoSpheric Blog – Informing and inspiring those who want to live and laugh more sustainably

The most recent post title is: Don’t Leave Your Children A Dying Planet
I was just reading one of my National Geographic magazines and each page I turned was reporting on the decline of another species. Bees, fireflies… and if this wasn’t sad enough, the places with polluted water from the chemicals we put out there.

When I saw this post, I had to read it and I agree. We must do what we can now, so we’re helping, not destroying this planet and not leaving it to the next generation to fix.

Photo from Kids vs Global Warming

Also, check out Kids vs. Global Warming, a non-profit organization founded and led by 14 year old Alex Loorz.

Haddock Research & Branding – Understanding people’s relationship with climate change and the low-carbon economy

They are a full service market research agency with many years of experience in running international, quantitative studies.
From their site:
“The international Environmental Choices™ monitor is fully-owned by Haddock Research. Based on a very wide-ranging questionnaire, it provides a single-source to measure the interrelationships between people’s circumstances, attitudes and behaviour relevant to the low carbon sector. The survey provides both specific analyses and holistic understanding of people’s lives – particularly important given policymakers concerns about the ‘rebound effect’.”

Lollypop Publishing – Books For The way we Live

Lollypop Publishing Ltd is a small independent book publishing company in the West Midlands. They specialize in both children’s and reference books on environmental, social & sustainable transport topics.

What does Green Design mean?

Posted on October 16, 2009 by itees

In the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what being a “green” designer means. Of course I have been environmentally friendly for many years, but how does this tie in to being a designer?

A few weeks ago I received an email from Graphic Design USA, asking me if I’d like to be one of the featured designers in their October “Green” issue. I was thrilled and humbled of course, and realized it would surely send people to the cause I’ve been working very hard on, since May. My writing partner, Mary Jo Rhodes and I have been blogging about the Frog extinction crisis at (FrogsAreGreen.com), and our posts range from backyard habitats and deforestation to chemicals polluting the water.

GD USA had sent along a few questions for me to answer, and this opened a whole can of worms as Mary Jo and I discussed what the answers might be.

The main question that started this was, “What does being a “green” designer mean to you?

There are so many ways I can answer this question. Are we talking about whether I’m working on an assignment or company that projects “green” ideas, for example, the Frog blog or this blog.

Am I working on an event campaign where I might be designing invitations, envelopes, brochures, and postcards and will make sure it’s printed on eco-friendly, recycled paper, using soy or vegetable inks.

Or lastly, are we talking about what I do in my own studio to be eco-friendly, such as using a Brita water filter, recycling paper, posting information on my desktop, rather than printing it out, and so on?

I suppose it means all of it.

So I ask you, what does being a “green” designer mean to you?

(If you want to see what 12 designers/agencies answered, pick up the October issue of GD USA which should be out this month.)

Designer Bicycle Racks

Posted on October 14, 2009 by itees

When I ride my bicycle down to Hoboken and want to lock it up at one the bicycle racks around town, there aren’t enough and sometimes I have to lock it to a bench or pole. So this started me thinking about how many people are now riding around by bicycle (at least in this area) and the fact that we need more bike racks in Hoboken and definitely some in Jersey City. There aren’t any in my neighborhood (The Heights of Jersey City) at all.

In looking on the web about bicycle racks, I discovered there are artists creating original bicycle racks.

The Coffee Cup, bicycle rack, designed by David Burne

David Burne, who rides the greenway of NYC, has collaborated with the New York City Department of Transportation and designed some original concepts which were installed around Manhattan and Brooklyn and will remain there for a year. As a coffee lover, this one struck me, because so many of us park our bikes for that afternoon coffee or tea, after a ride. Maybe we can get some of these cool designs in NJ?

From his site:
“David Byrne and the New York City Department of Transportation, in conjunction with New York art gallery PaceWildenstein, have unveiled nine unique bicycle racks designed by DB and installed in various locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. An avid bicyclist for almost 30 years, Byrne was invited to join the panel of jurors selected by the DOT to judge a design competition for outdoor and indoor bicycle racks. Inspired by the city’s initiative, he submitted some original design ideas of his own named after specific locations and neighborhoods, which the DOT enthusiastically agreed to install for a period of 364 days.”

http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/bike_racks/index.php

Also, online at the New York Times today was this video of David Byrne riding his bicycle on the greenway.

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In addition, I found that the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition had a bicycle rack contest and has announced the three winning designs. they are by Kirk Scott, Todd Gilens and Daly Genik. Have a look!

http://www.sfbike.org/?treasureisland

Do you know of any other cool bicycle rack designs and can you share them with me? Feel free to send me a link or photograph. I’d also like to know whether your area has enough bicycle racks installed.