The Story of Cap and Trade

http://www.storyofstuff.org/capandtrade/

Annie Leonard is great. She gives a no-bullshit, concise look at the heart of many of our worlds problems. In terms of how the industrial design community should react to the issues and solutions discussed in the movie, there is a lot we can do. In many ways we are in a much more significant position to bring about change than the average person. By designing products that do not use energy heavy production methods we can bring about an instant drop in CO2 emissions. By designing lighter, more easily transported products, or with locally sourced materials we can get rid of useless carbon emissions for freight.

These practical concerns are important but as Industrial Designers we can also influence economic and social change. For example, if we emphasise the way our designs have succeeded in NOT contributing to climate change, consumers will develop this expectation from their products. Furthermore, the more designers specify environmentally friendly methods and materials, the more these avenues become cheaper due to economies of scale and when this happens the change will speed up exponentially.