Influences of Deforestation and How Designers Can Tackle Them
Deforestation is brought about by many factors prompting the mass extinction of countless species around the globe and leaving many numbers critically endangered, take for example the Sumatran tiger (native to Indonesia) there is currently less than 400 in the wild and are grasping onto survival within the minimal areas of rain forest left. Whilst a large threat to these majestic animals is poaching claiming a majority, deforestation is the major catalyst in the mass loss in the last 40 years. Due to the drive for palm oil and paper from pulp plantations Indonesia has risen since the 70’s to the worlds third largest producer of Greenhouse gasses with over 85% of its emissions being from deforestation.
The effects of deforestation leave a multitude of irreversible issues, for example since the industrial revolution the oceans acidic levels have risen by a massive 30% causing the aquatic life and Eco systems to suffer greatly. The increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere due to deforestation, if the flora has been cut down it can no longer absorb the CO2 allowing the damage of fossil fuels to strengthen. In turn this causes a major increase in greenhouse gasses to be passed through the atmosphere, “It’s estimated that deforestation is a responsible for around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.5 billion tons of carbon is released every year by tropical deforestation” (Emily Holland 2016). Not only do these Greenhouse gasses harm the air we breath but gradually damage the environment that we live in. Due to the release of Co2 and it not being absorbed by trees greenhouse gasses are increasing making the planet warmer.
It Is predicted that within the 21st century the planets over all temperature will increase by 2 degrees Celsius with predictions of it reaching 6 Degrees by the end of the century. Statistics from a NASA study on the temperature vs solar activity add that there has been an increase in temperature and a decrease in solar activity within the last 60 years, prompting the belief that it is not just the sun causing an increase in Greenhouse gasses.
To grasp the influence on which designers have on deforestation we must consider the contribution that current designs have on the destruction of the worlds forests. As briefly brushed on earlier there are multiple factors that allow the “need” for deforestation. on one hand we have the implementing of large Pulp Production Plants into countries that have vast amounts of precious rain forests, which shows drastic increases in deforestation all for more products like paper, clothes and packaging. However, should designers be blamed for this? Or even take the blame? If it is taken into account, the amount of paper that is wasted on things like receipts for stores requires 10 million trees to make and leave behind 1.5 billion pounds of waste a year all due to the fact that thermal paper cannot be recycled reliably. It is not a designer’s job to tell companies to stop using paper items that have been around for years, but it is their area to create new ways in which they are used, like how large amounts of clothing stores have adopted the use of emailing receipts. The use of paper is detrimental to current day society but inspires creativity and a sense of personal expansion especially to people like designers, artists and even journalists, “Paper products are crucial to society, as they have enabled literacy and cultural development” (World Wildlife Fund). Bearing in mind Pulp Mills manufacture apparel components, fashion designers in recent years have shown a great responsibility in influencing these mills by exploring new, more sustainable ways of making clothes from materials such as hemp. This is just one of the many ways in which a designer in any area can make an impact or statement towards large logging and mill companies that have no care for how much forest they demolish.
Palm oil is one of the largest contributors to deforestation due to its high demand in every day products, it is one of the most important tropical vegetable oils in the world for the global oils industry. In Indonesia alone, its production expanded from 600,000 hectares in 1985 to over 6 million hectares by 2007 leaving Borneo with less than half of its forests. Palm oil is used in thousands of consumer items and in 2014 the EU required it to be stated on packaging, this is an aspect that graphic designs have great influences on that can benefit the environment as it allows consumers to have the conscious decision with their purchase. This factor works but is not enough as consumers will always go for the easiest option which may contain palm oil, so what can designers do? There are many ways in which the palm oil issues could be solved but designers must influence the use of other additives that are not harmful to the environment, for example uses of coconut oil in hair and body products have shown to work equally as well as if not better than palm oil. However, the issue of retrieving them with full sustainability remains otherwise this option is no better than the current one. It is evident that designers can solve these current issues through the use of their trade, the factoring issue is removing the capitalist ways of major corporations.
Take the problems within agriculture and the population there is a massive issue with agriculture and the destruction of rain forests due to the ever-expanding population, more cows need to be farmed, more types of food are required, ending with the only option of using more land in turn causing more rain forests to be pulled down. Exterior layout designers and Architects have no choice but to abide and solve the needs of agriculture, as we all need food, but the designer is not at fault for the mass deforestation of places like south America that is consistently picked dry by major brand names such as McDonald's to house their vast amounts of animals waiting to be slaughtered. Many issues with agriculture are backed by population growth, as designers cannot control a population they must adapt and influence the way agriculture works in these countries and potentially control the design to in turn give back from the deforestation caused. It is evident that new and more sustainable processes and ways of farming are being introduced, things like Agroforestry and Food Forests (also known as food gardens) “Agroforestry involves the growth of trees and shrubs amongst crops or grazing land. Agroforestry systems can combine both agriculture and forestry practices for long-lasting, productive, and diverse land use when approached sustain-ably.” (Greentumble 2015) this along side Food Forests allow for plants and forests to sustain each other and replenishing the Flora and Fauna around the area whilst giving farmers the land for grazing and other agriculture needs that the population requires to expand and sustain.
If looking at the population growth over the last 100 years since the industrial revolution along side the level of emissions, it’s a clear indicator that the industrial revolution plays the major part in the harm of the environment, for example since the industrial revolution the production and extraction of precious metals has increased greatly to keep up with demands for housing, buildings and many other products. The extraction and mining of these metals requires heinous amounts of fuels to be burned in the process causing further damage. Of course these processes have been around for decade and were not seen as dangerous at the time of creation, but has now left current day designers the responsibility to understand and influence the changes to these designs and systems that are needed to allow us to sustain life on this planet.
As designers can only influence the world around them, they cannot be held solely responsible for the actions still permitted by companies and corporations today. Designers must apply the influences they have over the creation of new products to make the world a better place, such is their moral responsibility. Everyday more and more innovative designers are pushing forward new ideations in an effort to harmonise a sustainable planet for future generations. Deforestation has left too few trees to successfully convert the increasingly harmful levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, however, new designs have been brought into capture the CO2 stopping it from causing damage and even allowing it to power small motors. The most viable options for the advancements of the planet have already come into play with electric powered products, wind power and other sustainable energy sources, furthering that as designers we already have the tools and the technology to create fully sustainable ways of life. We must continue to influence, adapt and create to benefit the planet and the population.
Citations
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Futurism.media. (2016). Deforestation — Causes, Effects, and Solutions. [online] Available at: https://futurism.media/deforestation-causes-effects-and-solutions [Accessed 19 Apr. 2019].
Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. (2018). The Causes of Climate Change. [online] Available at: https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019].
Aiche.org. (2016). Sustainability Challenges in the Paper Industry. [online] Available at: https://www.aiche.org/chenected/2016/10/sustainability-challenges-paper-industry [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019].
Wwf.panda.org. (2017). Deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra. [online] Available at: https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/deforestation_fronts/deforestation_in_borneo_and_sumatra/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019].
Greentumble. (2015). 10 Sustainable Farming Methods and Practices | Greentumble. [online] Available at: https://greentumble.com/10-sustainable-farming-methods-and-practices/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019].
