Teal Farm by livingfuture

The Social Dimension of Bright Green

When most people think of ecology, sustainability, or green design they most often think of the physical and technological adjustments effecting the way we live. We think of infrastructure, insulation, light bulbs, energy sources, ecosystems and preserving the integrity of our natural resources. We rarely think of how WE (humans) act. The social dimension of bright green design (see Alex Steffen on Worldchanging.com and his great rant, The Revolution will not be handmade: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010691.html) is rarely spoken about, which is to say, we don’t really talk about what we are actually DOING inside our green buildings, inside our off-grid houses, while we walk the sidewalks sporting our hemp briefcases and leather-free footwear. Around what purpose do we organize our lives: Self? Tribe? God? Cosmos? What priorities are our personal and public spaces designed around: Security? Generosity? Evolution? Green design can embrace these questions and add a refreshingly lively dimension to the sustainability conversation. After all, form follows function…and if we want a lasting revolution, we designers need to get clear on what we’re living for, and we need to constantly entice ourselves to think bigger, and shatter the status quo…