March | 2009 | Computing for Sustainability

Browsing All Posts published on »March, 2009«

Need to visualise sustainability

March 13, 2009

I’m not sure how this happened, but I’m working on two sustainability books at the moment. One of them is highly visual and we’re working with communication design students to produce it. The book has a long running narrative, illustrated by short stories. Each of these is accompanied by a photograph which (tangentially at least) illustrates the […]

Yes, IT has a chance to shine – but not if we close our eyes

March 9, 2009

Ted Samson says “IT has a chance to shine” but it’s under the wrong title: IT versus global climate change. After a promising first paragraph he leaves himself open for moronic comment. I suggest to those negative commentators that they think about the potential role of computing in a wider consideration of sustainability. Sustainability is not […]

Pencil Envy: Good Design is Sustainable Design

March 8, 2009

The designers have done it again – proving once again that computing has largely missed the boat on what it means to be a sustainable discipline (see earlier design accord and design manifesto). Here’s the opening line from the Queensland Design Strategy 2020: Good design is sustainable design. This definition comes from the British […]

And the Award for the Most Inspiring Dad goes to…

March 6, 2009

In February last year I got this email from my Dad: My BIG project is that I’m going to raise the money to build a school for 400 kids in Cambodia…I’ve got it all planned and costed and approved in Cambodia a…I’ve made a power point 50 photo presentation and big talk…with […]

You’re not going to be measuring “ecological friendliness” just by watching the power meter

March 2, 2009

Ever had that nagging feeling that something is missing? YesterdayI wrote about Michael Healey’s The Eco-Enterprise And The Reality Of Green IT. I thought his premise that many green IT initiatives are really just ROI-based business decisions wrapped in green packaging was timely. His quote is judicious: “Virtualization isn’t about being green, and we all know it”. But I […]