the 11th hour

The 11th hour documentary highlights the devastating effects of climate change & global warming on our planet. Past and present human actions have negatively contributed to these environmental crises. The industrial revolution accelerated the damage to our climate and biodiversity; unfortunately current industries and corporations are still causing extensive damage to our planet's ecosystem through use of non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels & carbon. Current consumerism, globalisation and materialism has encouraged excess consumption, which is cultural problem as the society and consumers are ignorant of the large-scale effects. Mass consumption derives from mass productions from commercial & corporate industries; these industries rely on burning fossil fuel to source their energies resulting in emission of greenhouse gasses trapped the atmosphere causing global warming. By-products of the industry include wastes that are irresponsibly dumped. The overall consequences are damaging – rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice, deforestation, soil erosion, polluted waters no longer sustaining the ecosystem and declining of human health as a result from air pollution and contact with chemicals.

“What happens to our plant should make us think & act differently because the ecological crisis is global” (Mihkael Gorbavech). We must take principle actions to prevent the earth’s damaged life system from collapsing. We must search for solutions to create a sustainable future. As industrial designers we can reshape current activities to create a positive impact on our ecosystem. As architect William McDonough says, “we can redesign design itself and see design as the first signal of human intention where materials are highly valuable and used in a renewable cycle”. We should “use our understanding of science & technology along with out understanding of culture & cultural changes to create a culture that will interact with science and the world around us in a sustainable fashion” (Thom Hartmann). The developments of renewable alternatives (solar, wind & biomass), efficient use of energies & recyclables in sustainable, economical designs can greatly reverse the carbon imprint we have made on this world. We can set examples for others to follow by assimilating these changes in today’s society; we can reduce our carbon imprint to restore, renew and protect our planet’s resources. As it is often said, small changes can make a big difference.