I believe that I've finally decided on my supportive thesis visuals!
I just had an epiphany tonight about what I want to do for my supportive thesis visual: Since my topic argues how important and necessary it is to incorporate the use of Biomimicry into the graphic design process, I would love to create a kind of resource guide that designers can use. I know that not every designer's process is the same, so it is just to serve as a reference guide. I'd like to have example categories, like: environmental design, informational wayfinding, emotional branding and ID, creating a productive and effective workflow, and a few more. This guide will also cover things like certified materials, what it means to be "certified", printers, inks and so on.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Recommended Readings...
I was on the Biomimicry website today, and found a recommended reading list:
Biologic: Environmental Protection by Design. David Wann. 1990.
Guide to designing our way out of the environmental conundrum we are in by taking a system’s view of technology – asking, “how does it fit in?”
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997.
Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products.
Cat’s Paws and Catapults: Mechanical World of Nature and People. Steven Vogel. 1998.
Investigates whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much.
Deep Design: Pathways to a livable Future. David Wann. 1996.
A new way of thinking about design by asking: “What is our ultimate goal?” The idea is to produce designs that are sensitive to living systems.
Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004.
Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design.
Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change. Victor Papanek. 1984.
One of the world’s most widely read books on design. Author provides a blueprint for sensible, responsible design.
Design in Nature: Learning from Trees. Claus Mattheck. 2004.
Describes and verifies external shape laws in nature. Also explores self healing. Many optimization examples.
Design Lessons from Nature. Benjamin De Brie Taylor. 1974.
Describes strategies in the plant kingdom with some suggestions on their relationship to human designs..
Design with Nature. Ian L. McHarg. 1969.
A blend of philosophy and science, author shows how humans can copy nature’s examples to design and build better structures.
Biologic: Environmental Protection by Design. David Wann. 1990.
Guide to designing our way out of the environmental conundrum we are in by taking a system’s view of technology – asking, “how does it fit in?”
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997.
Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products.
Cat’s Paws and Catapults: Mechanical World of Nature and People. Steven Vogel. 1998.
Investigates whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much.
Deep Design: Pathways to a livable Future. David Wann. 1996.
A new way of thinking about design by asking: “What is our ultimate goal?” The idea is to produce designs that are sensitive to living systems.
Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004.
Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design.
Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change. Victor Papanek. 1984.
One of the world’s most widely read books on design. Author provides a blueprint for sensible, responsible design.
Design in Nature: Learning from Trees. Claus Mattheck. 2004.
Describes and verifies external shape laws in nature. Also explores self healing. Many optimization examples.
Design Lessons from Nature. Benjamin De Brie Taylor. 1974.
Describes strategies in the plant kingdom with some suggestions on their relationship to human designs..
Design with Nature. Ian L. McHarg. 1969.
A blend of philosophy and science, author shows how humans can copy nature’s examples to design and build better structures.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Degrees in Biomimicry.
Since 99% of my research is covering the marriage between graphic design and the graphic design process with biomimicry, then I really need to know:
Are there any degrees in biomimicry? Who's teaching it?
And in that case, are there any classes in graphic design that introduce the idea of biomimicry?
Are there any degrees in biomimicry? Who's teaching it?
Aquinas College, Center for Sustainability
Biomimicry is utilized as a foundation text in the "Industrial Ecology" course taught by Matthew Tueth and a required course in Sustainable Business. Deborah M. Steketee has also utilized biomimicry in a management level Industrial Ecology course. Contact: Deborah M. Steketee, Executive Director, Center for Sustainability
Auburn University, College of Architecture, Design and Construction
Auburn offers a third year interior architecture studio that is working with InterfaceFLOR and David Oakey on designing a new InterfaceFLOR Customer Service Center. Contact: Sheri Schumaker
The Biomimetics Network for Industrial Sustainability (BIONIS)
To promote the application of Biomimetics (Design Inspired by Nature) in products and services and its use in education and training.Contact: Jo Lakeland, BIONIS co-ordinator
California College of the Arts
The College offers a course entitled "Applied Biology for Designers and Artists". The goal of the course is to introduce students to the basic concepts of biology and relate these concepts directly to design and artistic work using the field of biomimicry. Contacts: Tom McKeag, David Hammond, Suzanne Redding
California State University - Northridge , Biology
Janet Kubler teaches an on-line course called "Biology Taught Functionally". Contacts: Janet Kubler
Georgia Institute of Technology, Center for Biologically Inspired Design (CBID)
CBID staff drawn from two institutes (Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory), five colleges (College of Engineering, College of Science, College of Architecture, Ivan Allen College, and College of Computing) and 14 schools. CBID is developing undergraduate and graduate programs in biologically inspired design at Georgia Tech. Contacts: Jeannette Yen Professor, School of Biology, Marc Weissburg Associate Professor, School of Biology, Craig Tovey Professor, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mohan Srinivasarao Associate Professor, School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Milwaukee Institute of Arts & Design
Contact: John Caruso
Minneapolis College of Arts and Design
Offers an on-line course called "Biomimicry for Designers" taught by Dayna Baumeister of The Biomimicry Guild. Contact: Curt McNamara
Onondaga Community College
Kevin Stack teaches an ecological building course based on biomimicry.Contact: Kevin Stack
Southern California Institute of Architecture - Design Studio
Ilaria Mazzoleni (faculty) is teaching a course called Biomimicry: Innovation in Architecture Inspired by Nature (AS3304 [1]. Contact: Ilaria Mazzoleni
Stanford University, Bio-X
The Stanford University Bio-X program supports, organizes, and facilitates interdisciplinary research connected to biology and medicine. The program operates across the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Earth Sciences and the School of Law. Contact: Heideh Fattaey, Director of Bio-X Programs & Operations
State University of NY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Kevin Stack teaches an ecological building course based on biomimicry. Contact: Kevin Stack
University of California at Berkeley, Bioengineering
Biomimetic Engineering: Engineering from Biology. This graduate course, taught in the Mechanical Engineering Department, is cross-listed with Berkeley's Integrative Biology Department and the Bioengineering Department. Contact: Hari Dharan Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of Berkeley Composites Laboratory
University of California at Berkeley, Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research
The Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research will lead the development of a new field of Integrative Systems Biomechanics and train the next generation of integrative biologists. To extract principles in biology that inspire novel design in engineering and train the next generation of scientists and engineers to collaborate in mutually beneficial relationships. Contact: Robert Full, Director
University of Maryland, Mechanical Engineering Department
Developing Mechanical Engineering undergraduate curriculum to cover the design and manufacturing technologies and analysis principles that are needed to develop bioinspired products and devices.Contact: Hugh Bruckor Satyandra Gupta
University of Minnesota, College of Design
Contacts: Marc Swackhamer, Assistant Professor of Architecture, John Carmody, Director, Center for Sustainable Building Research
University of Montana, Environmental Studies
Cindy Gilbert from the Biomimicry Institute is teaching "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature", fall 2007. Contact:Cindy Gilbert
University of New Mexico, School of Architecture
Teaching biomimicry as part of a course called Sustainable Design. The students conduct a biomimic design project using the local ecosystem to inform their design solutions. Contact: Kris Callori
University of Illinois, Chicago, School of Architecture, College of Architecture and the Arts
Contact:Elva Rubio, Assistant Professor
And in that case, are there any classes in graphic design that introduce the idea of biomimicry?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Schedule At A Glance...
Thursday Feb 14 Annotated Bibliography/Literature Review
Tuesday Feb 19 Artist Statement / or Design breakdown
Thursday Feb 21 Introduction
Tuesday Feb 26 Methodology
Thursday Feb 28 Conclusion/ Timetable/ Preview
Tuesday March 4 Deadline for presentation of Prospectus in class
Tuesday Feb 19 Artist Statement / or Design breakdown
Thursday Feb 21 Introduction
Tuesday Feb 26 Methodology
Thursday Feb 28 Conclusion/ Timetable/ Preview
Tuesday March 4 Deadline for presentation of Prospectus in class
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Assignment: Annotated Bibliography
For my thesis writing class, we have to choose six bibliographical entries and compile a sample Annotated Bibliography.
Here is what I've come up with:
Benyus, M. Janine. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York:
William Morrow, 1997. Biomimicry is a book focusing on innovations as an end product of human creativity. There are case-studies of problems that are approached using nature’s solutions to these situations. Written by science writer Janine Benyus, Janine proposes ten lessons/steps to lead a better and healthier existence for all.
Biomimicryinstitute.org. ©2007-2008.
As a new science, Biomimicry studies and utilizes nature’s best ideas and then imitates them into design processes in order to solve human problems. The Biomimicry Institute is set out to promote biomimicry into our culture by transfer of ideas, designs and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.
Brower PhD., Michael, Warren Leon, PhD. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices.
New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999. It’s hard to be environmentally conscious when you’re still a consumer, getting the things you need. This book, which was put together by the Union of Concerned Scientists, acts as a guide to our decisions or any decisions that really matter. The Consumer’s Guide sets apart the signifigant from the insignifigant, so you can stop worrying. For example, page 17 mentions that we, as consumers, need to be given choices at the time of purchase. If we aren’t given healthy choices, then we can’t make an environmental impact. On page 13, it is said that key decisions need to be made on the corporate level, rather than by the individuals.
Gatter, Mark. Getting it Right in Print: Digital Prepress for Graphic Designers. Harry N. Abrams, 2005. Getting it Right in Print pinpoints what designers must do in order to create an efficient workflow and successful printed product, starting with the file. Some of the important and relevant chapters cover environmental paper choices and inks. Page 24 brings up a specifically excellent point when it suggests that you know and choose a printer that uses an echo-friendly and certified process, knowing that printing can be a highly-toxic process.
Gobé, Marc. Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People. New York: Allworth Press, 2001. Emotional Branding explains how important it is to approach branding on an emotional level, based on the target consumer. Specific to part of my thesis visuals, which is enviro-friendly packaging, chapter 14, “Emotional Packaging: The Half-Second Commercial”, provides information on topics like consumer psyche, p. 200 and cultural association with packaging, p. 216.
Pinto, Mark. Biomimicry at E4S. 17 Oct. 2007.
Biomimicry at E4S is a blog entry that was created by Mark Pinto, who was educated in process improvement, knowledge management, strategic decision-making and adult/accelerated learning. Mark’s blog talks about using Biomimicry in the human idea process. Mark even sets a guideline, based on group decision-making. There are specific key words that caught my attention, like Fibonacci Sequence, Wisdom of Crowds and Natural Systems. The latter two terms deal with decisions based on groups; these groups of people are mimicking the natural process of animal groups and how they make decisions. This natural process is key to my thesis, focusing on how I can integrate Biomimicry into the design decision-making process among a team of designers.
This Annotated Bibliography will be applied to my thesis, and has been created based on my current references and resources.
Here is what I've come up with:
Benyus, M. Janine. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York:
William Morrow, 1997. Biomimicry is a book focusing on innovations as an end product of human creativity. There are case-studies of problems that are approached using nature’s solutions to these situations. Written by science writer Janine Benyus, Janine proposes ten lessons/steps to lead a better and healthier existence for all.
Biomimicryinstitute.org. ©2007-2008
As a new science, Biomimicry studies and utilizes nature’s best ideas and then imitates them into design processes in order to solve human problems. The Biomimicry Institute is set out to promote biomimicry into our culture by transfer of ideas, designs and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.
Brower PhD., Michael, Warren Leon, PhD. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices.
New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999. It’s hard to be environmentally conscious when you’re still a consumer, getting the things you need. This book, which was put together by the Union of Concerned Scientists, acts as a guide to our decisions or any decisions that really matter. The Consumer’s Guide sets apart the signifigant from the insignifigant, so you can stop worrying. For example, page 17 mentions that we, as consumers, need to be given choices at the time of purchase. If we aren’t given healthy choices, then we can’t make an environmental impact. On page 13, it is said that key decisions need to be made on the corporate level, rather than by the individuals.
Gatter, Mark. Getting it Right in Print: Digital Prepress for Graphic Designers. Harry N. Abrams, 2005. Getting it Right in Print pinpoints what designers must do in order to create an efficient workflow and successful printed product, starting with the file. Some of the important and relevant chapters cover environmental paper choices and inks. Page 24 brings up a specifically excellent point when it suggests that you know and choose a printer that uses an echo-friendly and certified process, knowing that printing can be a highly-toxic process.
Gobé, Marc. Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People. New York: Allworth Press, 2001. Emotional Branding explains how important it is to approach branding on an emotional level, based on the target consumer. Specific to part of my thesis visuals, which is enviro-friendly packaging, chapter 14, “Emotional Packaging: The Half-Second Commercial”, provides information on topics like consumer psyche, p. 200 and cultural association with packaging, p. 216.
Pinto, Mark. Biomimicry at E4S. 17 Oct. 2007.
Biomimicry at E4S is a blog entry that was created by Mark Pinto, who was educated in process improvement, knowledge management, strategic decision-making and adult/accelerated learning. Mark’s blog talks about using Biomimicry in the human idea process. Mark even sets a guideline, based on group decision-making. There are specific key words that caught my attention, like Fibonacci Sequence, Wisdom of Crowds and Natural Systems. The latter two terms deal with decisions based on groups; these groups of people are mimicking the natural process of animal groups and how they make decisions. This natural process is key to my thesis, focusing on how I can integrate Biomimicry into the design decision-making process among a team of designers.
This Annotated Bibliography will be applied to my thesis, and has been created based on my current references and resources.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Further Research
Key Words (cont.):
- Sustainable
- Self-Sustaining
- Enhanced Sustainability:
Source reduction, material elimination, energy reduction, greenhouse gas reduction, increased recycled content, use of renewable resources, shipping and distribution efficiencies, shelf impact.
- Green Chemistry
- Life-Cycle Management
- Nature as model
- Packaging
- Container
- Protection
- Graphics /Aesthetics
- Natural Selection / Human Selection
- Evolve / Evolving
- Conditions / Environment
- Species
- Adaptive / Adaptation
- Triple Bottom Line:
Financial bottom line; social bottom line; environmental bottom line.
- Agenda 21:
The name of the agreement signed by most countries at the UN Rio Conference in 1992. "Agenda 21 addresses the pressing problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next century. It reflects a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level on development and environment co-operation."
- Capacity Building:
The development of the skills and activities of individuals in an organisation to their full capacity. It means investment made with the purpose of enhancing the ability of individuals to achieve their development goals.
- Carbon Footprint:
Is the measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels - in the case of an organisation, business or enterprise, as part of their everyday operations. In materials, CF is the result of life cycle analysis that measures embodied energy.
- Carbon neutrality:
Is "the potential for net carbon emissions to be zero, all else being equal. For operational activity, this would involve some form of offset, with the question of ‘additionality’ being central. For plans and policies, carbon neutrality might mean no net increase in carbon emissions from the proposed activity/development, with offsetting done through investments in other sectors or locations. Both these definitions allow a clear distinction between carbon neutrality and ‘zero carbon’, where the latter is any activity (whether an operation, plan or policy) where absolute carbon emissions are zero".
- Carbon Offset:
Is a service that reduces the net greenhouse gas (see below) emissions of a party, by either reducing the greenhouse gas emission, or increasing the carbon dioxide absorption of another party.
- Climate Change:
Originally meant changes in climate over a period of time, although now it has come to mean the changes in climate, in particular temperature and rain, over the last few decades, and widely considered to be due to changes in industrial processes. Also called "Global Warming"
- Competency:
Is the set of skills and attitudes, described in terms of behaviours, which can be observed and which is essential for effective environmental performance. Competence is the ability to perform in the workplace to the standards required. (Environmental Management NOS)
- Continual Improvement:
involves the identifying areas for improvement, developing and implementing plans for improvement evaluating the results and using the findings to develop further improvements (Environmental Management NOS).
- Corporate Social Responsibility:
Is the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. (Source:World Business Council for Sustainable Development)
- Counting Carbon:
Counting Carbon for Offset Purposes measures three sorts of the carbon sequestration: annual fluxes, long-term changes in carbon stocks, & cumulative carbon storage. Counting carbon within many organisations will measure and monitor energy, which will be translated into carbon use and CO2 emissions.
- "Cradle to grave"
Is a life-cycle approach that examine products, processes and services from origins through production to disposal.
- Demand-side:
Are the stakeholders who need skills and need to say what they are.
- Duty of Care:
applies to anybody who carries, keeps, treats, or disposes of waste, or who acts as a third party and arranges matters such as imports or disposal. They must ensure that nobody in the chain commits an offence regarding waste.
- Ecology:
Is the study of communities of living organisms and the relationships among the members of those communities and between them and the physical and chemical constituents of their surroundings.
- Ecosystems:
are systems in which organisms interact with each other and with their environment. There are two parts; the entire complex of organisms (biome) living in harmony and the habitat in which the biome exists.
- Environment:
Is everything that surrounds us, including ourselves.
- Environmental culture:
Is 'the way we do things for the environment around here' along with the shared assumptions, beliefs, values and norms. More on organisational culture.
- Environmental Management System (EMS):
Is the part of the overall management system which includes organisation structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy." (ISO 14001 Def) There are two main systems - ISO 14001 internationally and the EU Scheme EMAS.
- Environmental Performance:
Is the relationship between the organisation and the environment. It includes: the environmental effects of resources consumed, the environmental impacts of the organisational process, the environmental implications of its products and services, the recovery and processing of products and meeting the environmental requirements of law. (Environmental Management NOS)
- Environmental Practices:
Are those work practices which reduce negative and promote positive impacts on the environment.
- Environmental Practitioner:
is a skilled employee who is capable of helping implement procedures for improving the environmental performance of the organization.
- Employee Involvement:
Refers to internal communication, training and assignment of responsibilities in job descriptions, as outlined in EMAS.
- Global Warming:
Is an increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth.
- Greenhouse Gases (GHGs):
Are gases in the atmosphere that contribute to the "greenhouse effect" (below). Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and ozone.
- The "Greenhouse effect":
Some sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface is absorbed and warms the earth - which then radiates energy at much longer wavelengths than the sun. Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before they are lost to space. The absorption of this longwave radiant energy warms the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases also emit longwave radiation both upward to space and downward to the surface - this being the "greenhouse effect". (although this isn't how greenhouses are warmed...)
- Green Productivity (GP):
Is a strategy for simultaneously enhancing productivity and environmental performance for overall socio-economic development that leads to sustained improvement in the quality of human life.
- Green-wash (green'wash', -wôsh') – verb:
The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.
- Health and Safety:
Refers issues related to chronic ill-health caused by work (occupational health) and more acute damage caused by physical environment.
- Just Transition:
Keeps workers and communities whole when toxic chemicals, or other environmental damaging processes, are banned or phased out.
- Level 1 (Foundation):
Indicates an initial stage below the usual standard for work. The QCA definition of Level 1 is "competence in the performance of a range of varied work activities, most of which may be routine and predictable."
- Level 2 (Intermediate):
People who work under supervisions or who work in teams are considered as 'Intermediate' or level 2. The QCA definition is "The QCA definition of Level 2 is competence in a significant range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts. Some of the activities are complex or non-routine, and there is some individual responsibility or autonomy."
- Level 3 (Advanced):
People at level 3 are employees who do not have the responsibility of managers, but do not work under supervision, and have the freedom to move about at work. The QCA definition is "competence in a broad range of varied work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts, most of which are complex and non-routine."
- Level 4 (Management):
Is for people who are responsible for organising people and production. QCA definition is "Competence in a broad range of complex, technical or professional work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts and with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy. Responsibility for the work of others and allocation of resources is often present".
- Life Cycle Analysis (LCA):
Examines the impact a product has on the environment from the beginning to the end of its lifetime, in order to idenitfy where to increase resource-use efficiency and decrease liabilities.
- National Occupational Standards (NOSs):
NOSs set out realworld job skills defined by employers, and other stakeholders
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) are qualifications which assesses someone’s competence in a work situation. NVQs are based on national occupational standards.
- Precautionary Principle:
Is part of the Rio Declaration that says: "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation" (Principle 15).
- Product Stewardship:
Denotes the responsible management of the health, safety and environmental aspects of the basic configuration of a business in terms of a product throughout its life-cycle and / or the investment and operations to produce a process or provide a service.
- Quality and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
Is the guardian of standards in education and training in England & Wales. The Scottish equivalent is SQA.
- Reasonably Practicable:
'As far as is reasonably practicable' "implies that a computation must be made by the employer in which the quantum of risk is placed on one scale and the sacrifice in the measures necessary to avert the risk (whether in money, time or trouble) is placed in the other." Edwards v NCB 1949 used in H&S at Work etc Act 1974
- Resources:
Are the people, time, equipment, materials, services, energy and premises. (Environmental Management NOS).
- Risk Assessment:
Is the process of estimating the risk to health or environment of a product or work process by determining the possible extent of damage and the likelihood of that damage occurring. The goal is to produce "objective" data as a basis for making managerial or regulatory decisions.
- Sector Skills Councils (SSC):
Replaced the National Training Organisations as the bodies responsible for developing skills and the standards to define them.
- Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA)
is the central body responsible for conducting the overall development of both generic and sector skills
in the UK.
- Sustainable Development:
"Is development that meets that needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." according to Our Common Future - the Bruntland Report in 1987
- Systems:
Are sets of interacting elements organized in relation to a goal. Systems theory gives a view of how complex networks work, often using analysis of mow natural or eco-systems work. At work, quality systems are set up to provide the required goals as efficiently as possible.
- Triple Bottom Line:
Is for companies aiming for sustainability, who have to perform to not just a single financial bottom line, but the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity - Profit, Planet & People.
- Zone of Acceptability
Refers to package design, and what is acceptable to consumers, based on how they relate to the item.
- Sustainable
- Self-Sustaining
- Enhanced Sustainability:
Source reduction, material elimination, energy reduction, greenhouse gas reduction, increased recycled content, use of renewable resources, shipping and distribution efficiencies, shelf impact.
- Green Chemistry
- Life-Cycle Management
- Nature as model
- Packaging
- Container
- Protection
- Graphics /Aesthetics
- Natural Selection / Human Selection
- Evolve / Evolving
- Conditions / Environment
- Species
- Adaptive / Adaptation
- Triple Bottom Line:
Financial bottom line; social bottom line; environmental bottom line.
- Agenda 21:
The name of the agreement signed by most countries at the UN Rio Conference in 1992. "Agenda 21 addresses the pressing problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next century. It reflects a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level on development and environment co-operation."
- Capacity Building:
The development of the skills and activities of individuals in an organisation to their full capacity. It means investment made with the purpose of enhancing the ability of individuals to achieve their development goals.
- Carbon Footprint:
Is the measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels - in the case of an organisation, business or enterprise, as part of their everyday operations. In materials, CF is the result of life cycle analysis that measures embodied energy.
- Carbon neutrality:
Is "the potential for net carbon emissions to be zero, all else being equal. For operational activity, this would involve some form of offset, with the question of ‘additionality’ being central. For plans and policies, carbon neutrality might mean no net increase in carbon emissions from the proposed activity/development, with offsetting done through investments in other sectors or locations. Both these definitions allow a clear distinction between carbon neutrality and ‘zero carbon’, where the latter is any activity (whether an operation, plan or policy) where absolute carbon emissions are zero".
- Carbon Offset:
Is a service that reduces the net greenhouse gas (see below) emissions of a party, by either reducing the greenhouse gas emission, or increasing the carbon dioxide absorption of another party.
- Climate Change:
Originally meant changes in climate over a period of time, although now it has come to mean the changes in climate, in particular temperature and rain, over the last few decades, and widely considered to be due to changes in industrial processes. Also called "Global Warming"
- Competency:
Is the set of skills and attitudes, described in terms of behaviours, which can be observed and which is essential for effective environmental performance. Competence is the ability to perform in the workplace to the standards required. (Environmental Management NOS)
- Continual Improvement:
involves the identifying areas for improvement, developing and implementing plans for improvement evaluating the results and using the findings to develop further improvements (Environmental Management NOS).
- Corporate Social Responsibility:
Is the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. (Source:World Business Council for Sustainable Development)
- Counting Carbon:
Counting Carbon for Offset Purposes measures three sorts of the carbon sequestration: annual fluxes, long-term changes in carbon stocks, & cumulative carbon storage. Counting carbon within many organisations will measure and monitor energy, which will be translated into carbon use and CO2 emissions.
- "Cradle to grave"
Is a life-cycle approach that examine products, processes and services from origins through production to disposal.
- Demand-side:
Are the stakeholders who need skills and need to say what they are.
- Duty of Care:
applies to anybody who carries, keeps, treats, or disposes of waste, or who acts as a third party and arranges matters such as imports or disposal. They must ensure that nobody in the chain commits an offence regarding waste.
- Ecology:
Is the study of communities of living organisms and the relationships among the members of those communities and between them and the physical and chemical constituents of their surroundings.
- Ecosystems:
are systems in which organisms interact with each other and with their environment. There are two parts; the entire complex of organisms (biome) living in harmony and the habitat in which the biome exists.
- Environment:
Is everything that surrounds us, including ourselves.
- Environmental culture:
Is 'the way we do things for the environment around here' along with the shared assumptions, beliefs, values and norms. More on organisational culture.
- Environmental Management System (EMS):
Is the part of the overall management system which includes organisation structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy." (ISO 14001 Def) There are two main systems - ISO 14001 internationally and the EU Scheme EMAS.
- Environmental Performance:
Is the relationship between the organisation and the environment. It includes: the environmental effects of resources consumed, the environmental impacts of the organisational process, the environmental implications of its products and services, the recovery and processing of products and meeting the environmental requirements of law. (Environmental Management NOS)
- Environmental Practices:
Are those work practices which reduce negative and promote positive impacts on the environment.
- Environmental Practitioner:
is a skilled employee who is capable of helping implement procedures for improving the environmental performance of the organization.
- Employee Involvement:
Refers to internal communication, training and assignment of responsibilities in job descriptions, as outlined in EMAS.
- Global Warming:
Is an increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth.
- Greenhouse Gases (GHGs):
Are gases in the atmosphere that contribute to the "greenhouse effect" (below). Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and ozone.
- The "Greenhouse effect":
Some sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface is absorbed and warms the earth - which then radiates energy at much longer wavelengths than the sun. Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before they are lost to space. The absorption of this longwave radiant energy warms the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases also emit longwave radiation both upward to space and downward to the surface - this being the "greenhouse effect". (although this isn't how greenhouses are warmed...)
- Green Productivity (GP):
Is a strategy for simultaneously enhancing productivity and environmental performance for overall socio-economic development that leads to sustained improvement in the quality of human life.
- Green-wash (green'wash', -wôsh') – verb:
The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.
- Health and Safety:
Refers issues related to chronic ill-health caused by work (occupational health) and more acute damage caused by physical environment.
- Just Transition:
Keeps workers and communities whole when toxic chemicals, or other environmental damaging processes, are banned or phased out.
- Level 1 (Foundation):
Indicates an initial stage below the usual standard for work. The QCA definition of Level 1 is "competence in the performance of a range of varied work activities, most of which may be routine and predictable."
- Level 2 (Intermediate):
People who work under supervisions or who work in teams are considered as 'Intermediate' or level 2. The QCA definition is "The QCA definition of Level 2 is competence in a significant range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts. Some of the activities are complex or non-routine, and there is some individual responsibility or autonomy."
- Level 3 (Advanced):
People at level 3 are employees who do not have the responsibility of managers, but do not work under supervision, and have the freedom to move about at work. The QCA definition is "competence in a broad range of varied work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts, most of which are complex and non-routine."
- Level 4 (Management):
Is for people who are responsible for organising people and production. QCA definition is "Competence in a broad range of complex, technical or professional work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts and with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy. Responsibility for the work of others and allocation of resources is often present".
- Life Cycle Analysis (LCA):
Examines the impact a product has on the environment from the beginning to the end of its lifetime, in order to idenitfy where to increase resource-use efficiency and decrease liabilities.
- National Occupational Standards (NOSs):
NOSs set out realworld job skills defined by employers, and other stakeholders
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) are qualifications which assesses someone’s competence in a work situation. NVQs are based on national occupational standards.
- Precautionary Principle:
Is part of the Rio Declaration that says: "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation" (Principle 15).
- Product Stewardship:
Denotes the responsible management of the health, safety and environmental aspects of the basic configuration of a business in terms of a product throughout its life-cycle and / or the investment and operations to produce a process or provide a service.
- Quality and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
Is the guardian of standards in education and training in England & Wales. The Scottish equivalent is SQA.
- Reasonably Practicable:
'As far as is reasonably practicable' "implies that a computation must be made by the employer in which the quantum of risk is placed on one scale and the sacrifice in the measures necessary to avert the risk (whether in money, time or trouble) is placed in the other." Edwards v NCB 1949 used in H&S at Work etc Act 1974
- Resources:
Are the people, time, equipment, materials, services, energy and premises. (Environmental Management NOS).
- Risk Assessment:
Is the process of estimating the risk to health or environment of a product or work process by determining the possible extent of damage and the likelihood of that damage occurring. The goal is to produce "objective" data as a basis for making managerial or regulatory decisions.
- Sector Skills Councils (SSC):
Replaced the National Training Organisations as the bodies responsible for developing skills and the standards to define them.
- Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA)
is the central body responsible for conducting the overall development of both generic and sector skills
in the UK.
- Sustainable Development:
"Is development that meets that needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." according to Our Common Future - the Bruntland Report in 1987
- Systems:
Are sets of interacting elements organized in relation to a goal. Systems theory gives a view of how complex networks work, often using analysis of mow natural or eco-systems work. At work, quality systems are set up to provide the required goals as efficiently as possible.
- Triple Bottom Line:
Is for companies aiming for sustainability, who have to perform to not just a single financial bottom line, but the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity - Profit, Planet & People.
- Zone of Acceptability
Refers to package design, and what is acceptable to consumers, based on how they relate to the item.
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