Spotted In Istanbul part I: Human Rights Library

I ran into this lovely sign for a human rights library walking through the Beyoglu District in Istanbul. Sadly the place, which was apparently an offshoot of the Human Rights Association of Turkey, seems to now be defunct. Anyone with more details feel free to share.

Child Soldier Tea Set

Child Soldier Tea set from exhibition in Lucerne, Switzerland. Via Christian Science Monitor.

ALR in Dynamic Graphics

Logos my company designed for The Green Glass Co. and Richmond Peace Education Center (as well as a few select words from me) appear in the current (June/July) issue of Dynamic Graphics magazine article "Death of A Logo", describing the process of logo redesign. It's on stands now.

UPDATE: You can now read the article online here.

Groen!

Simple clear message from the Belgian Green Party.



Thanks to copywriter Filip Vandewiele for sending it along.

File Under Greenwashing: Shell's CO2 Flowers

Shell's new "green" campaign features an image of a flower spewing factory and claims that they're doing their part for the environment by recycling waste products (like diverting CO2 to grow flowers) under the tagline "Don't throw anything away. There is no away." But Friends of The Earth Europe, beg to differ and have filed complaints in several countries claiming the ads are misleading, noting among other things that Shell "uses less than 0.5% of it's waste CO2 to grow flowers". You can read the full complaint here (PDF).


Thanks Mim!
Details via Environmental Leader

Green Hosting

For the first time in many years I need to find a new web host for one of my websites and I decided to review the socially conscious options. Happily it turns out there are a lot of green hosting services these days. I've listed a bunch of folks I found below. The hard part now is deciding whom to use (which is definitely better than having no options at all).

FYI most hosts that call themselves green have offset their energy consumption with pollution credits (also called going "carbon neutral") via businesses like green-e; AISO is the one exception I've found so far.

• Acorn Host is woman owned.
• Affordable Internet Services Online has actual solar panels (which you can watch via webcam).
• DreamHost is a hugely popular mainstream hosting service that is employee owned.
• Sustainable Websites gives you access to green marketing articles.
• ThinkHost will plant a tree for you.

I still haven't decided where to go do if you have any recommendations for any of them them or know of any others to check out please share your thoughts.

UPDATE
Thanks to scoid who pointed us to Ecologee.net, which has already done the hard work for us. The site tracks hosts that are using actual renewable energy (not credits) and is working to create an entirely "green internet"!

Seeds of Change in LA Times

The LA Times published a nice mention last week of the Swords Into Plowshares seed guns that I helped create:

Seeds of change

Give this piece a chance. Plant a 9-millimeter gun or seed bomb from artists Christopher Humes and Noah Scalin, and you'll soon see blooming Shasta daisy, European columbine, foxglove, purple coneflower, spurred snapdragon, lupine or black-eyed Susan. Created as part of the traveling anti-violence exhibition "Swords Into Plowshares, Plant the Piece"...

The full article is online here (but requires registration to read). The guns are currently on sale at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

World Without Oil

What will the world be like when we run out of oil? Find out in real-time in the alternate reality of World Without Oil. The site records the stories of average citizens that are dealing with the 2007 oil crisis which began with a price spike on April 30th and led to current gas prices of $5.56 a gallon and a 7% shortfall. Add your own story via images, audio, video and/or text here.

On Returning

I'm back from vacation, so expect to start seeing some "Spotted in Istanbul" posts soon.
Thanks so much to Mica for blogsitting while I was away, hopefully you'll be seeing more regular posts from her as the year progresses.

Image: Freehand calligraphy created in Istanbul by Yazi Sanatçisi.

Get LinkedIn for good

LinkedIn, the online business social network has launched LinkedIn For Good as a way to leverage the 11 million professionals around the world, currently using their site for business networking, to promote positive social change.

As a first project, they have added pages for organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Unitus, where users can easily make donations or add a links to promote the cause on their profile page.

In addition, LinkedIn is also giving away free job postings to registered nonprofit organizations to support their hiring needs.

So if you are not yet LinkedIn, now is the perfect time!

Make up or Die!?

Just because the FCC does not regulate the ingredients used in cosmetics doesn't mean you have to suffer for it.

Skin Deep: The Cosmetic Safety Database has information and online safety assessments for over 22,500 products. Created by the Environmental Working Group, this site is a great resource for discovering what harmful ingredients may be in your favorite cosmetics. Each product is given a score card with easy to undertand explanation of ingredients. You might be surprised to learn that many products with the words 'natural' or 'organic' in their name contain toxic chemicals.

You can also find out which cosmetic companies have joined the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental and consumer groups working to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of dangerous chemicals and replace them with safer alternatives.

With the help of The Cosmetic Safety Database, you can clean out your bathroom cabinets and find alternatives to products that contain killer chemicals like, DBP and DEHP which are found in anything from nail polish to deodorant and not included on packaging labels but are linked to birth defects.

(Thanks, Mim!)

Forget Clown College

With the rise in popularity of the graphic novel and the annual sales quadrupling in the past 6 years, a degree in comics is no joke.

The Center For Cartoon Studies offers a two year intensive program focused entirely on the creation and distribution of illustrated narratives. The roster of faculty and visiting artists and writers is sure to impress any aspiring comic artist. Their mission statement also impressed me with an acknowledgement of their commitment to socially responsible practices:

"CCS, recognizing the central role that socially responsible businesses can play in a community, will initiate and be responsive to innovative ways to improve the local cultural and economic quality of life."

After watching a video clip from a documentary in the works, about the school I was sold on their earnest approach and intent to train students to have their own voice.

"As for CCS students, whose aspirations tend to lean more toward literary comics, they seem pragmatic about their prospects (the day jobs), but also optimistic...'All the editors on the graphic-novel beat, they're aware of the Center for Cartoon Studies and are keeping an eye on it.' " from recent CS Monitor story about the first graduating class at Center for Cartoon Studies, read the rest of the article here.

For The Love of Public Transit

Ralf Youtz was comissioned by Good Magazine to compose this sweet love song for public transit and perform it while riding on the new arial tram in Portland, Oregon.

While we're feeling all warm and mushy about public transportation let's not forget Billy Strayhorn's unforgettable tune Take The A Train, as performed by Ray Nance.



Award for best lyrics in an ode to public transportation would have to go to the Muppets for this rousing number which describes the subway as 'the biggest travel bargain in town - the longest running show underground'
Take it away, guys...

NYC Taxis in full bloom

So the yellow cab is turning a hundred, and as a nice way to celebrate, Garden in Transit is set to bloom this fall. Imagine a city as cab-packed as NYC flowing with large, colorful flower decals, painted by school-age children coping with medical, physical, emotional and socioeconomic needs and volunteers from throughout the city, Garden in Transit is an amazing collaboration of generations and communities that will culminate in a "moving" and jubilant field of flowers created by the kids. The taxi will serve as an inspiring tribute to the capacity to achieve the spectacular.

Practical Guides to Recycled Architecture

"Cable drums, old window frames, washing machines, nappies, plastic crates, carpet tiles, crashed planes; you can throw them away, burn them or... do something useful with them."

Anyone considering building in the near future, should be looking into recycled and surplus materials for obvious reasons. But naturally, there are concerns about structural safety and architectural regulations. Now there are some great practical resources out there, to help architects make use of these surplus materials in the construction of new buildings. Here are two that look promising.

The creators of Superuse.org, an online community of artists and designers committed to creative recycling, have plenty of practical suggestions now published in Superuse: Constructing new architecture by shortcutting material flows, edited by Ed van Hinte designed by Erik Wong and directed by Jan Jongert and Césare Peeren of 2012architects.
It can be ordered directly from the publisher at www.010publishers.nl

Another focused on the opportunity to minimize the generation of waste by the use of recycled components. Building with Reclaimed Components and Materials, a Design Handbook for Reuse and Recycling was written by Bill Addis and researched by a team of academic and industry engineers. It is currently available via Powell's.

Tori Amos Sings with PS22 Chorus

After seeing videos of an elementary school chorus rehearsing her songs, Tori Amos took off some time promoting her new album to hang out with these super adorable 5th graders. Which I guess, is actually a really great promotion for her new album. The videos were posted to YouTube by Mr. B, a cool chorus teacher at a Long Island public elementary school. As he says, these kids are 'extraordinary little people' with an impressive musical repertoire.






You can go to the PS22 Chorus Blog to see more.

This is just so unpretentious and cool. Nice that Amos and her people took this as an opportunity to do something fan-centric - and ultimately a better promotion than they could have ever made up - rather than sending a C and D letter to PS22 for copyright infringements. You really never know, these days!

On Vacation(s)

My company and I are taking a holiday starting tomorrow. For a week and a half we'll be happily away from phones and computers. My sister Mica graciously agreed to take the reins and serve as guest editor here at Another Limited Rebellion blog while I'm away, so unless you're heading out on vacation as well, definitely keep checking back with us daily!

Speaking of which here are some links to eco-vacation resources for those of you who want to plan summer getaways from an environmental perspective...

The International Ecotourism Society - Promoting environmental travel. Their global conference is happening in Oslo, Norway right now.

The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations - Tons of well researched info.

Responsible Travel - Ecotourist holiday packages for folks in the US, UK, EU, and Australia.

Bulungula Lodge - Accredited Fair Trade tourist destination in South Aftica (shown left).

The above links were found accompanying this article on Geotourism in Ode Magazine.

Story Corps Follow-Up

As mentioned previously I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in StoryCorps with my mother at the mobile booth in Richmond, VA. This morning an excerpt was broadcast on our local Public Radio station. They did a marvelous job of synthesizing our conversation about my grandfather down to a few poignant minutes. You can listen to it (and others) here.

Design Can Change!

Vancouver design studio SmashLAB has created a new resource for graphic designers concerned with global warming: Design Can Change. The site, which is still in it's early stages, is meant to be a comprehensive source of information and inspiration on sustainability for environmentally minded designers, and it is already chock full of data (though rather difficult to navigate). There's even a pledge you can sign and plans for a community directory. While I wish that it wasn't just about environmental issues, but rather the entire scope of socially conscious design, it's definitely a nice introduction for folks who are just becoming aware of graphic designers' power to affect positive change in the world.

Drug Testing vs. Soap Testing

Check out this awesome bit of bizarre news, turned into humorously positive marketing for the excellent Dr. Bronner's soaps...



via WFMU

Tiny Metal Soldier

My friend Tere made this striking piece for ThinkSmall3 a miniature art (3"x3"x3" or smaller) show in Richmond, VA in 2005. The removable crucifix is actually piercing the soldier and holding him onto the velvet surface. The frame is covered in hash marks connoting the number of soldiers that had died in Iraq (over 1000 at that time). It's called "In Bush We Trust".

Roll Call

I just added a few new blogs to our "Friends + Allies" section of the sidebar and I wanted to give them a proper introduction. These are folks who are writing about topics that are complimentary to the Another Limited Rebellion's socially conscious mindset.
Please check 'em out:

CreativEthics - Designer/Photographer Todd Zerger's socially conscious community blog.

Rebel:Art - German art/activism blog, lots of great visuals so you don't need to speak the language to enjoy it.

Stralunato - Spanish socially conscious design blog from Jacinto Lajas.

If you like the blog...

...you might also enjoy the newsletter that my company sends out on a semi-regular basis called Designletter. It's easy to digest, comes right to your inbox and features expanded versions of items mentioned in this blog as well as more in depth info on individual socially responsible businesses (that also just happen to be our clients). You can read the latest issue here and if you like sign up for future issues (and we promise, absolutely NO spam) here.

Gap's "For Kids By Kids" on Onion News Network

Gap Unveils New 'For Kids By Kids' Clothing Line

CNN agrees to make debate footage accessible.

CNN has agreed to make footage from the upcoming presidential debates available to the public without restrictions (read: copyrights). CNN's notice about this appears here.

Fuck Shopping

My Dads Strip Club [sic] makes no bones about their politics. The home page for this performance/activism group says "Fuck Shopping" and the site records amusing anti-consumerist actions done by them across the UK and Finland. The entry for a recent action called Fuck Coke features a video of people simulating sex with vending machines with the lovely strap-on Coke bottle shown left.

via Sum1

Implementing Designism

Designer/photographer Amanda Kohn decided to test the power of design to affect social change by creating a campaign to promote awareness of Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder that affects 5-10% of all women. Her site Implementing Designism discusses the process and shows off her work.

Oliver Stone on Iraq

Oliver Stone recently directed a commercial for MoveOn.org based on their recent VideoVets campaign. Here he discusses his feelings about the current war in Iraq and making the commercial...

Memefest 2007: Deadline May 20th

There's still time to submit your work to Memefest 2007, the annual international radical communications competition, which originated in Slovenia. This year they are looking for works inspired by the trailer to Hitchcock's The Birds (as a commentary on human interaction with nature). International students are encouraged to submit to this free competition, which will be judged by a panel of designers from around the world. Non-students can even submit to the "Beyond..." category. The deadline is May 20th. For more information or to see previous years works visit www.memefest.org.

Real Costs: The Plug-In

Dare you add the Real Costs plug-in to your browser (assuming it's Firefox) and discover the CO2 emissions reality of your travel plans? Right now it works with Orbitz, Delta, and United, but future versions will work with car direction, car rental and shipping sites. Download it and start cringing today.

via StayFree!

ALR on tour: Youth Peace Summit, Richmond, VA

One of my former students and I ran a workshop on media awareness this weekend for the Richmond Peace Education Center's annual Youth Peace Summit. We had a terrific group of kids who were not only familiar with what we were talking about (the power of media/corporations to influence their lives and their communities), but eager to work on a project deconstructing magazine ads. Thanks to RPEC for asking us to participate.

Sign-Free Cities

Several European cities are following the example of the Dutch town of Makkinga, which has removed street signs as a means of fostering better driver/pedestrian interactions and ultimately increased safety for all. From a recent(ish) Der Spiegel article:

...About 70 percent of traffic signs are ignored by drivers. What's more, the glut of prohibitions is tantamount to treating the driver like a child and it also foments resentment. He may stop in front of the crosswalk, but that only makes him feel justified in preventing pedestrians from crossing the street on every other occasion. Every traffic light baits him with the promise of making it over the crossing while the light is still yellow.

...It may sound like chaos, but it's only the lesson drawn from one of the insights of traffic psychology: Drivers will force the accelerator down ruthlessly only in situations where everything has been fully regulated. Where the situation is unclear, they're forced to drive more carefully and cautiously.

Read the entire article here.

Car-Free America

Car-free zones and times are on the rise in the US (though mostly centered around existing public spaces like parks) according to a recent Christian Science Monitor article:

• New York is proposing to shut down perimeter roads of Central Park and Brooklyn's Prospect Park all summer long.

• Atlanta plans to transform 53 acres of blighted, unused land into new bike-friendly green space.

• Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, and El Paso, Texas, are planning events to promote car-free days in public parks, most in the hope that the idea will become permanent or extend for months.

"Cities across America are increasingly declaring that parks are for people, not cars, ... and closing roads within parks is one result of that," says Ben Welle with The Trust for Public Land's Center for City Park Excellence, in Washington.

Resistance can be fierce at first, he and others say, because of worries about traffic congestion, parking problems, and loss of visitors for businesses and museums. But studies are showing that traffic problems can be minimized, shops and museums get more visitors, and residents begin to cherish their where-the-action-is location.

Read the entire article here.

The Urban Forest Project

Last fall, 185 banners by artists, designers and illustrators from around the world sprouted from the concrete jungle of Times Square. The Urban Forest Project, sponsored by AIGA NY and the Times Square Alliance, was a way to bring the spirit of sustainability to the heart of New York City.

Fast forward six months, and those banners have been recycled into sleek new tote bags currently for sale. Pick up a two-of-a-kind creation (only two bags will be made from each banner) or browse the banners to find your favorite message. Profits from sales will benefit Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships and AIGA/NY Mentoring Program.

Farmers' Market(ing)

One of the things I do when I'm not running Another Limited Rebellion (the design studio AND blog) is help coordinate SPROUT a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Group that I founded. SPROUT provides organizational, administrative, and marketing services to small organic farms and/or gardens that are interested in starting a CSA, but either don’t have the time or resources to do so themselves.

Community Supported Agriculture is a form of mutual partnership between farmers and consumers. Rather than go through several layers of middle people, consumers make a commitment to directly support an individual farm by providing money (and sometimes labor) for their yearly operating budget. In exchange they receive a dividend of the freshest produce possible. Each supporter buys a “share” of the farm (not unlike a share of stock) and takes on some of the risks and benefits of growing food along with the farmer. CSA’s are a unique way for people to have a better knowledge of the food they put in their bodies and the process, people & land it takes to produce it.

This season SPROUT is partnering with Victory Farms, Inc., a small family run farm, which relocated from Phoenix, Arizona to Hanover, VA.

You can out more about CSA's via the Robyn VanEn Center at Wilson College, find a CSA in your area at Local Harvest, or if you're in the vicinity of Richmond, VA please consider joining SPROUT this season, an application can be downloaded here (PDF).

No S**t!

I love the Uncensor the Internet browser plug-in from Ironic Sans. It removes the asterisks used on websites to mask dirty words from sensitive eyes (like F**k, Sh*t, Etc.). It's available as a Greasmonkey script and as a standalone Plug-In.

ALR on tour: Richmond, VA

OK it's not far from my office to the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (where I also teach my own Design Rebels class), but it's still an honor to be asked to come speak there periodically about living & working ethically. Thanks to Dr. Mark Wood and his International Social Justice students for having me on the last day of class.