Tristram Stuart: The global food waste scandal

TRASHFart

Onsite guerrilla furniture-making days in various locations around the Bay Area. Here are some photos from Public #1, and info about Public #2 if any would care to join in. FB EVENT

TRASHArt Public #2 !!
(t)ransforming (r)efuse (a)ll over s(an francisco (h)onestly in a collaboration with (f)urniture (a)(r)(t) 

SUMMARY 
we will be making stools out of found materials in oakland, california

it is going to be just as dirty, if not dirtier, then last time
your friends will be your clamps, again
there will be better snacks

WHEN+WHERE
1-4
saturday
12-14-13

albany bulb

i will be there from 1 onwards, come for the day, come for an hour, come at 3 for fifteen minutes, it is up to you

YOU
bring your favorite traditional hand tools and/or battery powered tools
bring found material you would like to elevate and/or experiment with
bring your friends that i don't know so we can all get to know each other and BRIDGE THE GAP!

ME
I will have tools, material, and snacks on hand
971 678 4295

i don't have any permissions or permit, so we may be hassled or need to relocate
this work is part of the current explorations related to my senior thesis
cca bfa furniture 2014
cargocollective.com/kylemurphy

learn more about the current state of the project and see photos from the inaugural event:
cargocollective.com/trashfart
trashfart.tumblr.com

Is Peace in the Middle East as simple as Water?

I want to open a contentious discussion about the conflict in the Middle East and the role that water access (or lack thereof) plays in prolonging and potentially resolving this age old conflict. Please share your thoughts!

NYT Gaza Sewer Crisis

This NYT is an opinion peice sparked by the recent sewage crisis in Gaza. Recently, the lack of electricity in the Gaza Strip has caused systems of water distribution and sewage treatment to fail and sewage to flood the streets of the Gaza strip.

Though the current acute crisis has resulted in the current catastrophic conditions, this issue is not a new one. The above article talks about the history of water insecurity in the Gaza region and highlights the need to stop groundwater extraction and contamination of the region's aquifer.  Instead, the author argues that other technologies such desalination need to be implemented to address the demand for water.

I have always thought that the conflict in the Middle East is, more than anything, a water war. Big picture: I think that with the advance of purifying technologies and distribution systems, Israelis and Palestinians will be able to move and disperse more into the Negev Desert. 


Water is the way to peace!

World Water Wars-The west bank

Al Jazeera: Can Water End Arab-Israeli Conflict?

Geothermal Energy Pros and Cons

        In case people are still confused about what I talked about my project on geothermal extraction, here is an informational article about the impact of geothermal energy, what it does and why is it important as an alternate renewable resource and so on.

http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/06/geothermal-energy-pros-cons/ I thought it was very interesting because geothermal extraction has been a relatively new science and only developed recently, and already there are problems tackling the "extraction" aspect of the process.

TRASH TALK Transcendent

Last night Bullseye closed their show with this very moving 5 minute radio story about one of my most revered artists.  Little know as a creator, JAMES HAMPTON was employed as a night-time government janitor. His life work was made from trash (aka discarded items). When he died "The Throne"  was discovered in the garage/studio by his landlord, hoping to collect back rent. It is now on display in the Folk wing of the Smithsonian Museum in DC.

https://soundcloud.com/bullseye-with-jesse-thorn/the-outshot-third-heaven

and here's the title his work, so you can find many images... no single one does it justice.

Throne of Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly

Worlds Biggest Landfill in the Pacific Ocean

I was looking at a article on BuzzFeed called the 9 Places You Never Want to Go On a Vaction and #2 is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It reminded me of it and I found this long article on how crazy this is:   http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

The second part of the article that talks about the break down of plastic into "mermaid tears" was especially interesting.

Re.source World Toilet Day

A wonderful post on the re.source page about thinking beyond the provision of hardware.

http://resourcesanitation.com/2013/11/20/beyond-the-toilet/

"now that we’ve got you talking toilets, maybe we can also get you talking more, about service, marketing, aspirations, treatment, resource recovery, all the potential that lies beyond the toilet."

Why Women Go to the Toilet in Groups

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/11/19/why-women-go-to-the-toilet-in-groups/

This is an article about Indian women in Bhalswa have to go to public toilets in groups because of saftey issues. This article also says that "more Indians have access to a cellphone than a toilet of their own." Super disturbing. The article ends with "After the women formed the sanitation committee in Bhalswa last year, they met with local politicians who promised renovations to the public bathrooms. But the women say they haven’t heard anything since." 
Not only is this a sanitation issue but it is a feminine one as well.

I'm glad these issues are being brought to attention in the media today. Hopefully things like World Toilet Day it will lead to longer conversations about it and be rid of its taboo.

Happy World Toilet Day Everyone!

There are tons of great articles out there on major news sites and blogs today. Please post a link to your favorite article from the day! I like this one because it highlights sanitation as a business.

http://www.good.is/posts/on-world-toilet-day-let-s-talk-about-global-sanitation?utm_medium=tdg&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=limage&utm_content=On%20World%20Toilet%20Day%2C%20Let%27s%20Talk%20About%20Global%20Sanitation

Typhoon Haiyan

Short article about the struggle to find clean water in the aftermath of the terrible Philippines typhoon that displaced nearly four million people late last week:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/16/philippines-typhoon-survi_n_4287114.html

Toilet-Sink

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/07/12/201470855/everything-old-is-new-again-the-toilet-sink-edition

 Here's a bit on NPR's website about toilet-sink technology, and a video showing how it's done:

 

Thank You Toilet Song

This is really cute! Perhaps some inspiration for those of you with graphic art/animation/song writing skills

"The Complicated Moral Calculus of Recycling: Christmas Lights to Shoe Soles"

 "Would you take your date to a car shedder?" Terry Gross's Fresh Air host asks Adam Minter, author of   "Junkyard Planet".  

Wednesday November 13, 2013.

http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

You can digest this complex information along with your breakfast cereal. A lively conversation on the latest twists in recycling. It's NOT all good news.

I stumbled across this the other day. Its a pretty good insight into the ridiculousness of consumer society and the obvious issues it might bring up in the future.
http://www.businessinsider.com/casey-neistat-on-iphone-5s-lines-2013-9

Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines and Extreme Weather

This latest disaster is a "perfect storm" of the topics we have been discussing:

 1. Extreme Weather Events
http://www.nature.com/news/did-climate-change-cause-typhoon-haiyan-1.14139

2. Emergency relief for public sanitation - public health

A detailed menu of options with good illustrations >
http://www.sswm.info/category/implementation-tools/wastewater-treatment/hardware/sanitation-emergencies/immediate-emergen


3. The experiences of other cultures >
If you are moved to become directly involved, Bayanihan Community Center is a prominent local organization in SOMA
http://www.bayanihancc.org/index.html

Hey guys!
I just came across this article

Gray Whale dies bringing us a message - with stomach full of plastic trash

Battery Breakthroughs

Greetings!
Here is an exciting article from KQED Science.org
One of your most readable and visual sources for current science news.

In response to Luke's piece here is an article:

http://blogs.kqed.org/science/audio/silicon-valley-in-race-for-battery-breakthrough/

Please reply with your comments on how this might impact your work flow, your lifestyle decisions - or even your employment opportunities. With this many start-ups occuring here, there have to be some open positions!

Majora Carter - Greening the Ghetto

This awesome TED Talk synthesizes some of the ecological, political, and socioeconomic factors that perpetuate widespread health problems among those living in urban ghettos across the United States (and elsewhere). Majora Carter is an environmental activist from the South Bronx and major proponent for environmental justice, which she explains "goes something like this: no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other."

Carbon Negative Power for Artists

" In 2007, officials from this famously liberal city (Berkeley) shut off the electricity to an artists space known as the Shipyard. That action, which forced the artists there to seek a new way to power their flamethrowers, is the origin story of a company that now produces what it says to be the world's only carbon negative power source."

Click here to read the full article.

Re.source visits CCA

Founders of re.source sanitation give a guest lecture about the toilet design process, sanitation marketing, and working in the developing world.
 
www.resourcesanitation.com

For any questions or comments on Monday's lecture, post here!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/envirolet-eco-friendly-toilet-compost_n_1439078.html

London Sewers

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/world/europe/plan-aims-to-fix-sewers-but-its-cost-to-residents-leaves-a-bad-taste.html?_r=0

TESCO "wastes" almost 30000 tonnes of food in six months

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24603008

interesting article from the BBC about Tesco's waste management.

Interactive Infographics: Bart Strike

Visit the following website and click through some interactive visualizations of the bart strike.

http://enjalot.github.io/bart/

Infographics Video: Wealth Distribution in the US

http://www.utrend.tv/v/9-out-of-10-americans-are-completely-wrong-about-this-mind-blowing-fact/
Shared by Luke Shalan

Glass Microbiology Art

http://seedmagazine.com/slideshow/luke_jerram/

Cholera Politics

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/world/americas/rights-advocates-suing-un-over-the-spread-of-cholera-in-haiti.html?_r=0

Welcome to the Wasteland!

Hello Esteemed Students! 

Welcome to the extension of our classroom! Allow this space to be a place for us to discuss various themes from class, share and build ideas, and discuss questions you may have on the material. I hope that you all will be authors of this blog.  This blog will be our collective digital portfolio, demonstrating what we are learning and doing as a classroom community. It will remain as open ended as you wish it to be so feel free to post any reflections, articles, images, or videos that may be of interest to our class.

Feel free to invite fellow students/friends/family who want to join the conversation!