address: http://www.youthxchange.net/main/ecologic.asp title: eco-logic: making informed choices

intro: have you ever bought a product that… - was impossible to maintain? - … had a small part you couldn't replace? - … was covered in layers of unnecessary packaging? - … gave out fumes that made you sick? - … you got sick of after the first ten minutes of use! -… you loved so much you never threw it away? -… you wore and washed and wore and washed and it always looked great? We are all the happy or unhappy owners and users of products that resulted from a series of choices and decisions. These choices and decisions were all made (in part) by a designer. what: ”EcoLogic – creating a sustainable future” is a website to help you make more informed decisions and choices - as a student of design and as a consumer. It is about design that uses an ecologically sustainable development framework (ESD). It can come under all sorts of names: Appropriate technology, Responsible design, Eco design, Design for the environment, Sustainable design. It is an approach to design that aims to limit damage to ecosystems and human health whilst at the same time maximising the product’s or system’s functionality and appeal. The site is divided into sections that follow the different steps of the design process as outlined in the ‘Design and Technology Syllabus’ (NSW). These steps are not necessarily a narrative but can be worked through in different ways. why: the goal of sustainable design is to develop products and systems that address our most pressing environmental and social issues. This requires lowering the amount of materials and energy we use, minimising harmful emissions and waste and creating social environments that support sustainability. Because they create places to meet, visit and just hang out, social environments can create connections to the natural and historical features of a location or even make special places more inviting in order to foster a sense of community. A good product or system in eco-design terms will probably: use renewable natural resources minimise the total energy used consider its impact on human physical and social health look at the total environmental impact minimise solid waste minimise the cost to the consumer seek linkages to other products and systems look good work well have a long useful life exhibition: EcoLogic is also a new exhibit at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. It’s about the way we use the world. It's about hopes, fears, imagination and action. It's about redesigning the way we live. The exhibition - that includes compelling objects, graphics, sculpture, artworks, videos and films -focuses on what we can do (in Australia) for the future of the planet and it demonstrates how smart ideas and environmental design can make a difference. Find out why a sustainable lifestyle is good for your health and your wallet. See how clever design, whether for a consumer product, industrial system, farming method, or a whole city, can minimise consumption of materials, energy and waste. Explore society's changing values and attitudes to the environment. Walk through their sustainable 'house', full of products, energy-efficient appliances and materials that are available now.