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CURRENT ISSUE
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IN THIS ISSUE
Publisher’s Note: The Obsession
Letter To The Editor: Inherit The Wind, Strong Fabric Thinking Green: Whole Foods, Planet Green, Where We Live Special Announcement: 45th Annual Print Survey More Thinking: An Affair To Recycle, Boston Green Sox Housekeeping: Awards Competition PUBLISHER’S NOTE: THE OBSESSION
1. Environmentalism has become the secular religion of our time, and that is a wonderful thing. It is, he says, “a religion of hope and respect for nature” that should unite us all. 2. Global warming is real and objectifiable. But it is not clear that it represents the single greatest threat to our ecology. Unfortunately, some environmentalists are so zealous in this belief that they have come to equate environmentalism entirely with global warming. 3. This leads them to mistakenly treat anyone who questions the degree of danger as an enemy of the environment. This chills scientific debate, confuses the public, and marginalizes many excellent scientists and passionate environmentalists. 4. It also leads the zealots to ignore the possibility that global warming may be manageable by a combination of moderate emission limits and controls, combined with innovative biotech solutions. Similarly, it promotes draconian policies that may be economically punishing for the rich and poor world alike beyond the conceivable benefit. Think Al Gore’s proposals. 5. The obsession with global warming may actually be “distracting public attention from... more serious and immediate dangers to the planet, including problems of nuclear weaponry, environmental degradation, and social injustice.” — Gordon Kaye
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21494 
LETTER TO THE EDITORIn response to our Publisher’s Note in the May 2008 GDUSA Green Enewsletter concerning the Democratic Party’s efforts to stage a green convention and their appointment of a Colorado graphic designer to create the credentials: To The Editor: It’s great that the Democrats have picked a local designer for a change but, wouldn’t it be much more environmentally friendly if there were no political signs anywhere or if we can't do that; make the loser go around the country and pick up all the discarded political signs they have left behind. We will Inherit the Wind if we do not do more than use political oratory. Robert L. Hill, Executive Vice President/Design Director, Wright Design, Acton MA To The Editor: I’m a marketing communications manager with extensive creative experience, and I am also a rare Republican artist. My personal feelings about the “green movement” is that it is a very one-sided, politically charged, “preachy” movement that is quick to cast judgement upon those who do not swallow the green pill wholesale. But I also believe that a little “green” doesn't hurt anybody... in fact, it helps. And just for your information, most, if not all, Republicans do want to take care of their planet as well. But they also tend to strive for the truth, and not get caught up with those simply diving off the environmental deep end willy nilly. Instead, they will take a more rational look at all of the various “sustainability” issues, trying to address them without the prospect of destroying the strong fabric of political democracy and economic capitalism, which has given so much to us and the rest of the world. Greg Mackey, Marketing Communications Manager, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Tyler Refigeration Division, Niles MI THINKING GREENIn Third Place Breaking Out Where Finch Paper Lives One Pizza At A Time An Affair To Recycle SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: 45TH ANNUAL PRINT SURVEY COMINGThe June issue of Graphic Design USA magazine — now in the mail —
features our annual look at print, paper, production and the graphic designer. The
exclusive sponsor: Agfa Graphics, a long time friend to print buyers and graphic
designers, as well as an early proponent of the need for greener technologies, policies
and procedures. A recent initiative for the print community: GreenWorks. To learn more
about the program and eco-responsible printers in your area, visit... MORE THINKING GREENIt’s A Wrap The Green Sox Neenah Green Small Steps Naturally Creative HOUSEKEEPING: CONTEST UPDATEJune 30 is the extended and final deadline for entering the popular American
Graphic Design Awards presented by GDUSA and sponsored by NewPage
Corporation. An entry form can now be downloaded at... |
The Mortal SinsScot Case of TerraChoice has identified more than a thousand products that make environmental claims as well as the information available to support the claims. At the recent Sustainable Brands Conference, he shared the six “sins” of greenwashing for marketers, advertisers and designers. 1. The Sin of Fibbing: Misleading customers about the actual environmental performance of products. 2. The Sin of No Proof: The inability to provide proof of claims. 3. The Sin of Irrelevance: Making claims that are factually correct but meaningless. 4. The Sin of Hidden Tradeoff: Focusing consumers on a single issue while ignoring or hiding other tradeoffs. 5. The Sin of Vagueness: Claims that use meaningless green-sounding terms. 6. The Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: Attempts to differentiate products neither of which is eco-friendly. Ten Green BrandsThe top 10 green brands in the 2008 ImagePower Green Brands Survey, also released at the Sustainable Brands conference: 1. Whole Foods 2. Burt's Bees 3. Trader Joe’s 4. Tom’s of Maine 5. Toyota 6. Seventh Generation 7. General Electric 8. Honda 9. Whirlpool 10. Aveda |
I have spent parts of the past 23 summers at Chautauqua Institution — a unique
center for continuing education — in western New York State. Sitting in the century
old amphitheater, I have heard lectures by hundreds of leaders and wannabes in politics,
religion, history, literature, business and entertainment, including eight presidential
candidates, four Nobel Prize winners and dozens of Pulitzer Prize winners. Of these
speakers, the most memorable for me: Freeman Dyson, physicist, mathematician, futurist
and humanitarian of deep and out-of-the-box thinking. (A quick look at his Wikipedia entry
will bring you up to speed.) I have learned that when Freeman Dyson speaks, he is not
always proven right but the listeners’ mind expands. And what is he saying about
the issues we deal with in the GDUSA Green newsletter? In a sure-to-be controversial
article in the current issue of The New York Review of Books, Dyson breaks with the
scientific establishment on the meaning of global warming with a multi-part argument:
Thornberg & Forester recently collaborated with Discovery Communications to
design and produce a branding package for Planet Green, the 24-hour cable network
dedicated to eco-lifestyle and entertainment programming. Conceived by T&F creative
directors Justin Meredith and Scott Matz, the branding is based on the simple concept of a
dot and a line, symbolically representing Planet Green and its audience. The team sought
to distinguish the network from other ecologically-themed media and products. “We
knew we were entering a saturated green marketplace and in order to break out from the
multitude of marketing, we wanted to avoid the conventional vines and leaves,”
comments Planet Green creative director Amy Winter. T&F executive producer Elizabeth
Kiehner added, “Everything that has been done in the green space is very organic.
It’s become a visual stereotype, and we created a new language.” Says
Meredith: “A line and a dot is not what people expect from a green channel, and
from a design standpoint, it’s as simple as it can get.”
Venerable Finch Paper has unveiled a brand identity by Bart Crosby emphasizing the simple
and friendly nature of the company’s business practices, of which minimizing the impact
on the environment is integral. We’ll be covering the story of the identity — which
Crosby describes as ‘style without affectation’ — in coming issues of our
enewsletter and magazine. For purposes of today’s GDUSA Green Enews, the focus is
on ‘Where We Live,’ a new publication that chronicles the Upstate New York
mill’s initiatives to protect the health of the forests, air and water that neighbors and
employees depend upon. ‘Our environmental commitment starts in the forests and
continues through every step in our manufacturing process,’ says Roger Dziengeleski,
a professional forester who has led the company’s successful FSC and SFI certification
efforts and now serves as executive vice president and COO. ‘If you care about where
your paper really comes from, I think you’ll find our story refreshing.’ The
publication covers the mill’s historic leadership in the development of professional,
responsible forest management, up through its landmark environmental agreement with
The Nature Conservancy, and on to the many environmental innovations throughout its fully
integrated mill for pulp and papermaking such as the fact that more than 66% of the energy
used by the company is generated from on-site, renewable, non-fossil fuel sources. A
companion brochure, ‘Finch Green Guide,’ lists the growing roster of papers
with postconsumer recycled content and FSC and SFI program certifications.
Pizza Fusion’s motto is “saving the Earth, one pizza at a time.”
Seeking to become the most environmentally friendly of restaurants, the 70-store franchise
is building according to LEED certification standards, delivering food in company owned
hybrid vehicles, offsetting 100% of the power consumption with the purchase of Green-e
certified renewable energy certificates, mandating recycling in their restaurants, serving
their food in biodegradable containers made from corn starch and utensils made from
potatoes, reusing the heat from their oven, providing organic cotton uniforms, using CF
light bulbs, using only Energy Star Certified appliances when possible, using low-flow, dual
flush toilets and waterless urinals in their restrooms, and installing low flow faucet aerators
in their sinks. Recently recognized by the Broward County Environmental Protection and
Growth Management Department and the City of Fort Lauderdale for promoting
environmental business throughout the community,” Vaughan Lazar, CEO and
co-founder of the 70-store franchise sates: “Having the support and recognition of
our hometown reinforces our efforts as a socially conscious organization. As we continue
our national expansion, we plan to make just as much of an environmental impact on the
communities we’re entering around the country.”
It has been said that the only real way to reduce the environmental impact of an event,
is not to have one at all. But while events are here to stay, says Debra Rizzi, partner of
Rizco Design, there are ways to reduce the overall ecological footprint. Recently, the
design firm helped “green” the Art Directors Club of New Jersey’s
45th Annual Awards Show themed Jersey Produce: Organic Design Grown to Perfection.
Sound decisions, she says, started with the “call for entries.” The design
team worked backwards to size the invitation, postcard, awards hang tag and brochure
appropriately to print on one press form to allow for color consistency, cost effectiveness
and to minimize the amount of paper and other resources used. All of the components
were offset printed with limited ink coverage on recycled, FSC-certified paper.
“When it comes to greening events, small changes can make a big impact,”
comments Rizzi. “Quality does not have to be sacrificed; decisions just need to be
strategic and focused on minimizing waste.” Other ideas for planning a sustainable
affair: Use silverware, plates, linens and glassware that can be rewashed and reused;
construct backdrops out of fabric or cardboard; order organic food and donate leftovers or
compost; use live or organically grown plants and flowers, and donate them after the event;
reduce single-serving items and individually packaged goods; have prominently marked
recycling bins. All collateral was printed Mohawk/Beckett Concept paper, a 100%
post-consumer waste fiber, FSC-certified, carbon neutral, Green-e certified and
Green Seal certified.
With the Beijing Olympics looming, London has released details concerning the
80,000-seat stadium to be built for its own 2012 Olympics. Proposals submitted in
a planning application reveal the layout, scale, appearance and external materials.
Much of the design work has focused on the best solution for a venue that will be
scaled down to a 25,000 capacity after the Games to avoid a white elephant.
Designed by HOK Sport and architect Peter Cook, the stadium will be surrounded
by a fabric “wrap,” possibly hemp. The proposal reads, in part:
“By designing a lean, compact and lightweight stadium, the amount of
materials used, and the associated embodied energy have been significantly
reduced.” The exact type of fabric wrap has not been finalised.
“Sustainable materials, options for the roof and wrap fabrics are currently
being investigated,“ the application says. “These include materials
using recycled polymer-based fabric, hemp and where the polymer-based fabric
can be recycled after use. Many of these materials could also be reused after the
Games for other purposes.” Architectural critic Ellis Woodman says of the
proposal: “This is all about the stadium’s green credentials but the
issue about its formal expression is one that the designers-have still failed to
address. They are still short of an idea. At the very least, the Olympic Delivery
Authority should be commissioning artists to create the wrap rather than using
third-rate graphic designers.”
The (hated) Boston Red Sox (we are New Yorkers here) are in the middle of a
five-year plan to make Fenway green. The National Resources Defense Council
will help the Sox make Fenway as environmentally friendly as can be by 2012, in
time for the park's 100th birthday. Initiatives already begun include a comprehensive
recycling program, the use of LED bulbs to make the lighted signs more energy
efficient, and the printing of schedules and guides on recycled paper. The grass
on the infield is subject to a new water conservation program, a significant decrease
in the use of fertilizer, and lawnmowers that run on biodiesel. In the refreshments
department, the Sox are introducing food and beverage containers made from
recycled materials, recycling restaurant grease, and utilizing more locally grown
ingredients. The Red Sox are also the first professional sports team to go solar,
installing panels on the roof behind home plate.
Neenah’s new web site combines all of the mill’s brands for graphic
designers into one easy-to-navigate ecommerce solution. Environment matters are
very much an issue on the site. This is embodied in a Neenah Green icon, featured
front and center on the home page, which details the company’s commitment
to “earth, sky and future generations” and provides “everything
that you need to know about Neenah’s commitment to third party
certifications.” According to Meredith Grant, Product Manager for Neenah
Paper, “We extensively revised the Neenah Green page based on feedback
collected directly from meetings with customers.”