What personal values, knowledge or beliefs do you bring to the topic of sustainable development?

Impact Lab 3: Reflection 1

Most of my knowledge in terms of sustainable development is currently framed through Tony Fry’s Design as Politics, through the principles of permaculture, Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics and from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Increasingly I realise that my views and beliefs in this area are shaped by a lens of colonial design. A lens I am constantly having to challenge. Currently I’m very interested in de-growth as a concept.

Fry introduced me to the concept of defuturing, a path which we are currently on in terms of global attitudes towards climate change and planetary boundaries. I was confronted by his images of mass population movement caused by finite resources and climate change. Prior to reading Design as Politics I had the attitude that simply making sustainable choices in our purchasing habits, the way we constructed things and the way we lived would be enough to reverse the impacts of climate change. As I read his work though I realised that “sustainable development” (whilst certainly a guide as to how we should design moving forward) is quickly negated if we continue to produce and consume at ever increasing rates.

Am I trying to consume my way into being sustainable?

• Patagonia Jacket 2016

• Keep Cup 2018

• Everlane Jeans 2018

• AllBirds 2020

• 100% Organic Cotton T-Shirt 2020

• Kanken Backpack 2021

Fry’s work also challenged me in that sustainable development had appeared to me as a problem that needed to be addressed elsewhere. Something for developing nations to consider and for designers to swoop in and solve. As I read through the project submission ‘Gold Coast Two’ (in which the buildings and amenities of the Gold Coast could be deconstructed, moved and reconstructed to deal with rising sea levels and storm surges brought about because of climate change) I realised how quickly these problems will impact on all of us and will take local perspectives to solve.

Or is it ok because I wear things far beyond what’s considered socially acceptable?

• IceBreaker Jacket 2011: Broken zip, missing buttons.

• IceBreaker Cardi 2009: Holes in cuffs

• Toms Boots 2015: Worn down heels, laces & material faded / damaged

This need to move away from an economy and politics which uses continuous growth as its metric for success was echoed when I read Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics. From reading this I believe how imperative it is to work within planetary boundaries. I value the concept of circularity and am challenged to think about how I can extend the life cycle of our resources in our design solutions. It also raised questions for me around equity and resource/wealth distribution.

These texts built on my existing values drawn from permaculture design ethics: Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. When I look at the sustainable development goals from a permaculture perspective I see so many opportunities to achieve them using permaculture design principles. I see opportunities to enable people to solve their own local issues through sharing design practices. I believe though that our greatest challenges (my own included) is reshaping what “a good life” looks like and decoupling our economies from continuous growth and take-make-waste models. Moving instead towards one of circular economies and possibly even de-growth.

A quick sketch of how these three models might overlap / interconnect.