Issues news

There usually never is a happy medium when tackling serious issues. It's either you tackle them with all seriousness and waving your pitchforks or nothing at all really. Really?
Designers Against Human Rights Abuse have formed a group consisting of 52 top graphic designers from around the world and have collectively used their talents to create an amazing book  filled with their original artwork and thoughts inspired by Tibet to raise awareness about the "Free Tibet" cause.

 Jeon Hwan Ju has created a new way of getting more coffee for your buck.  Thinking outside the green box and making his way into the printing industry.
Hwan Ju's coffee ink printer is one of the entries in the annual Greener Gadgets Design Competition, New York. The RITI printer utilises the unused coffee grounds you most likely throw out after having your morning coffee.

Hello lovely Yen-ites, I do hope your summer has been a most festive and momentous occasion. But now, let us have a few moments silence in honour of those brave soldiers, the university prospectus, whose fate was announced today (or last night via the UAC website). Congratulations to all whose plans of becoming a neurosergeon/equine vet/podiatrist have now been put into action. I would offer my condolences to those who are not entering the higher education realm, but I do believe a gap year does you the world of good. Now is the perfect time to grab your Maccas wages and pack your bags for the Switzerland Alps, the bonny bonny banks of Scottland or wait around till June for Camp USA to take care of snivelling, snotty, Ritalin deprived children. But seriously, if there's one thing a regret it's not being productive in my year off. All that time wasted spent making lattes could have been put towards building a village in Namibia. So after receiving my very own offer from the University of New South Wales last night, I've deferred and have bigger and better plans. Seize the day ladies and enjoy your youth!

Bush has gone back home to Texas and Obama will now take over the reigns.

My current travels have brought me to Chile. The long, skinny country of breathtaking scenery, friendly inhabitants, lots of dogs (!!??) and a sometimes suffocating amount of American college students on vacation. As is necessary on the road, to keep the budget satisfied, I've made many trips to the local supermarket and each time have had totally comic exchanges once at the cash register. Being the Bourgeois Greenie that I am, I try to take my own bags, but stumble into the problem that I can NEVER remember the word for bag! (With the assistance of my current connection to babel fish, I can tell you that Spanish for bag is 'bolso' but I'll be damned if I can ever find that word in the chaos that is my brain's Spanish department). Instead of being able to express "No thanks, I have my own bag" I have to mumble phrases like "I have one" ... "you have one what?" or "It's not necessary" ... "What's not necessary? The food you are buying? Then get out of our store and stop tormenting us you foolish Gringo". The girl on the till or the guy packing the bags look at me like I'm some raving, hand-waving lunatic. And though it makes for traveling comedy, it's all quite awkward and difficult and it makes me think:

If nobody in Chile has received the memo that it's a good idea to reuse your own bags, then 1. who else doesn't know yet and 2. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SAVE THIS FREAKIN' PLANET???

And then I think, who am I to begrudge the Chileans a few plastic bags? Chile gains almost 80% of its electricity from renewables like hydroelectricity, commendable indeed, while we in Australia are about to compromise big time on environmental friendliness with the sham that is the Garnaut White paper (forgive my tardiness on commenting on this subject... less connectivity in the southern continent).

Finally, to bring some positivity back to the subject, let us listen to the rational, level headed gospel of the fabulous Tim Minchin. Until next rant... I mean post, keep on taking your canvas bags...

Dear Santa

So... I´ve been particularly good this year. I was hoping you could help me out with a few things? I really, really, really would love to be the proud owner of a goat. Yeah, a goat. Actually, farm animals in general. Ducks, pigs, chickens and a donkey.

You see, I don´t actually need them, but I know you´re big on presents. So I thought rather than you getting me things I don´t need (socks and knickers three years in a row?), you could get me farm animals? Yeah, I know I don´t need farm animals, and let´s not even get started about where they would go in my shoebox apartment. But get your elves to have a look at Oxfam Unwrapped. Just make a purchase for me, and the present will get sent onto somebody who needs it more.

Got it? Okay great. Merry Christmas

Today is Interntional Buy Nothing Day. You might buy nothing because you're totally broke, you know, credit crunch and all. You might refrain from purchase as a mini personal challenge, do you really need that bag? You might opt out to make a statement, saying that you're not bound to the retailers and their cunning advertising tricks. You might desist because you understand that a society addicted to shopping is negatively impacting on a planet under pressure. Or maybe you could care less and splurge, it's your money, you earnt it. I'm not here to preach.
I'm not even totally convinced. I'm not sure that one day where you buy nothing is the best way to combat excessive consumerism. A 'Buy Nothing Month' or 'Buy only What you Need', maybe. But I do think it's a start. Whatever you do tomorrow, buy or not, I hope that at least you consider your purchase. Do you really need this? What is its impact? Do you care?