Welcome to the ALR designletter, a semi-regular update on the activities at Another Limited Rebellion design, the world of socially conscious design, and beyond. As always we welcome your comments, suggestions, criticism or praise.
You are on this list because you have worked with, contacted, or have a personal connection to ALR design. The names on this mailing list will never be sold or given away. If you no longer wish to be on this list, just respond with "REMOVE" in the subject section and there will be no hard feelings. Back issues can be found on our web site in the ISSUES section.
ALR news
Our first self promotional mailing will be on its way to our new mailing list soon. If you are not interested in our design services, but would still like a set of the ready-to-mail Haiku Postcards for personal use we can send them out for only $5 a set, which helps defray the cost of printing and includes shipping anywhere in the US. Details and images can be found at http://www.alrdesign.com/pages/hcards.html
media update
Activism works. Last issue we mentioned the battle to save internet radio broadcasters from restrictive fees. We are happy to report that the Copyright Office heard our pleas and vetoed the CARP proposal. Now we have to wait to see what they propose as an alternative. To keep up with the latest news visit Save Internet Radio.org (http://saveinternetradio.org/)
activism
If you just can't find enough ways to satisfy your need to speak out, Protest.net (http://protest.net/) is the place for you. This database of worldwide political activities can be searched by date, location, or subject and also provides access to other resources that can help amplify your voice. Start filling in your calendar now.
People looking to do work based on their ethical beliefs may want to search the Action Without Borders site Idealist.org (http://idealist.org). They provide a means for organizations and individuals with similar ideals to connect for both volunteer work and jobs in the non-profit world.
environment
The residents of Monterrey Mexico may soon see trash in a new light...one powered by landfill waste. The local energy company Sistema de Energia International is building a waste-to-energy plant that converts methane from rotting trash into low cost electricity that they will sell to local municipalities. While the technology is still in it's early stages the promise of cheap energy from waste is a real boost for developing countries. (source Christian Science Monitor 3/12/02) Learn more about Waste-To-Energy at http://www.wte.org/
While Earth Day may have already passed the features on the Earth Day Network website (http://www.earthday.net/) are useful everyday of the year. Of particular interest is the ecological footprint quiz: http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp . Try it and see how you size up to other citizens of the world when it comes to personal environmental impact. (Thanks to list member Mica for sending this one.)
information
The creators of They Rule (http://www.theyrule.net/) understand that images can often convey way more than words and have used it to great advantage on their site. The idea that there is a link between the major American corporations can no longer be dismissed as a mere conspiracy theory when it is shown so simply and clearly via their many pre-made maps of board member webs (including ones that show how Pepsi and Coke are on the same team and how Bill Gates controls the world). More importantly you can make your own and follow the chain of command one step at a time. Powerful stuff. (as seen in Adbusters March/April 2002)
paper/printing
When choosing a paper for home or design use looking for a recycled symbol isn't a guarantee that you will have the most eco-friendly materials. The chlorine that is often used to make recycled pulp white again creates its own toxic waste in the process. The Chlorine Free Products Association's web site (http://chlorinefreeproducts.org/) explains what the TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) and PCF (Process Chlorine Free) symbols mean and why they are necessary.
Designers interested in using the most ecological methods of printing should contact the Greg Barber Company (http://www.gregbarberco.com/). Not only do they sell papers that are made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste and 100% chlorine free, but they also do printing with ink made from soy beans, a renewable resource. ALR prints many jobs with them and we are very satisfied with their service and quality.
shelter
If you have the means and interest in building your own home consider straw bale construction. This environmental technique has been used in the US since the 1890s. By utilizing essentially a waste product, costs are cheap but the benefits are plentiful. Straw bales are naturally termite and fire resistant and are also incredibly energy efficient. They can be used for everything from standard homes to skyscrapers. (source Christian Science Monitor 4/10/02) Visit http://www.balewatch.com/ for more resources.
education
Did you hate taking tests in school? The young people behind the group Students Against Testing (SAT) do, but they are not just a bunch of slackers who don't want to do their homework. They feel that testing creates an environment that promotes rote learning over real education. Their well researched site http://nomoretests.com/ gives 10 reasons to boycott standardized testing (from corporate profit making to racial bias) as well as ways other young people can get involved.
green consumer
If you are looking for energy efficient appliances for your home or are interested in getting off the grid entirely check out the products at Real Goods in their renewable energy catalog (formerly Jade Mountain) at http://www.realgoods.com/renew/index.cfm. Their entire site is dedicated to eco-friendly products and is worth exploring as well http://www.realgoods.com/
travel
ALR supports the idea of running a successful company that, while not overtly political on the surface, still works to promote the ethics of the owners. Heritage Africa (http://www.heritageafrica.com), a South African travel & safari agency, is one such company. Their main stated goal is to give travelers a great vacation, but their true impetus is to help post apartheid South Africa grow and thrive via tourism. Very often we work for change but forget that it is only the first part in a long process, we salute Heritage Africa for their work.
transportation
At a recent trade show in Germany, Volkswagen introduced a prototype for a car that gets 264 miles per gallon of diesel. The car is made of plastic and carbon-fiber components and weighs under 800 pounds. While you won't see it on American streets anytime soon its mere existence should give inspiration to environmentalists everywhere. (source: Christian Science Monitor)
media
In a past issue we talked about mainstream films that have an anti-corporate slant. This month we talk about two films that deal with the advertising industry. The question is are they actually subversive or do they just desensitize the audience by making light of the issues?
The 1990 film Crazy People stars Daryl Hannah and the late Dudley Moore as an ad executive who becomes disenchanted with his life. His insanity manifests in telling the truth in ad campaigns which gets him sent to a mental hospital. Needless to say the ads he creates accidentally make it to press and do incredibly well ("Metamucil: It helps you go to the toilet"). While it is great to see scenes of ad execs completely unable to tell the truth when pressed, the moral at the end is more about his fellow patients receiving proper compensation for their work on the campaigns than questioning the industry itself.
The 2001 big screen version of the Archie comic book Josie and The Pussycats takes a surprisingly anti-corporate stance from the very start. The story of corporations exploiting America's youth is not that far fetched. Yet somehow the movie seems to savagely critique boy bands, the fashion industry, and many specific corporations while still not offending any of them. Apparently the marketing of anti-corporate hip backfired as Josie merchandise didn't fly off the shelves in the real world. Still there is something satisfying about seeing Carson Daley of TRL admits he is part of a conspiracy to control the youth of America via pop music.
nosh
The term Boycott is actually a family name. It seems a British absentee landowner named Charles Boycott experienced one in 1880 after he refused to lower rents in County Mayo, Ireland. The town's workers refused he and his family service until he relented and reduced rents 10%. Little did he know he would also end up lending his name to one of the more powerful tools of activism in our capitalist society. (source Utne Reader March/April 2002) Find out about the latest boycotts at http://www.coopamerica.org/boycotts/index.html
in closing
Thanks for your time and feel free to contact us with suggestions for future issues, web sites to check out, or just to say "Howdy".
Thank you,
Noah Scalin, founder
ALR design
socially conscious graphic design
noah@alrdesign.com
http://www.ALRdesign.com