Wednesday 14 October 2020

Carbon Neutrality




  PhD Proposal Statement

My applied research problem is about forms of design within Art and Design materials using carbon neutrality as priority to reduce climate change.

"The epidemic psychosis of our time is the lie of believing we have no ethical obligation to our planetary home" Theodore Roesak"
Heritage and artisan beliefs are a continuous part of my practice inspired through critical campaigns regarding saving our planet i.e Greenpeace Campaigns Strategies discouraging distructive pollution via development of sustanable materials. Linked to ethical philosophy and life style living choices for each and everyone of use to draw down climate change.

Combating climate change was a key inspiration for developing inks for screen printing I recognised a need to look at some of the ingredients to find new bio degradable sustainable alternatives. Through analysing my sustainable inks through my previous practice linked to my Masters Degree,I developed inks using natural dye

for screen printing. I recognised the need to look at some of the ingredients to find biodegradable sustainable alternatives. Once I started developing the inks I recognised the need for sustainable packaging removing plastic waste via developing a natural based resin to waterproof cardboard made from recycled paper. These seems like a natural research development available to me to develop further. While continuing to develop and excel in making natural inks. A development in order to create a sustainable future for art and design products making creative practices even more sustainable to keep our planets biodiversity for ourselves and our planets plants and animals.



 Nottinghamshire , England, Planet Earth

The need for carbon neutrality within creative industries is a key direction for all aspects of the design industry. 
Sustainability has and will always be a key direction for my own creative practice and lifestyle choices.(both being integral within my own carbon footprint)
I am researching a number of key strategies to become neutral within my design practice.
“Carbon Neutral status can be achieved in two ways. Balancing carbon dioxide emissions with carbon neutral processes, often through carbon off setting, or the process of removing or sequencing carbon dioxide from atmosphere to make up for emissions elsewhere” (Wikipedia)

Keeping our natural surroundings is important, rewinding brown land currently polluted is also a requirement to put back our natural world.

While studying my MA, I recognised the need to promote visually within my design practice the need to link to global campaigns reflecting the need to protect our natural world by reducing our single use plastic waste. 
Finding ways to reduce waste is an important strategy, looking at ways to reduce this made me think about how to make my designs more sustainable.
 Researching my own inks for drawing and printing has become part of my research. I have more research to develop including researching developing biodegradable resins/plastics/waterproof cardboard for packaging eco conscious inks using local sustainable resources.
Finding ways to reduce waste is an important strategy, looking closely and in more detail is part of of current research. I have realized there is so much more research I can achieve within this area, my MA was purely the test run for a more bigger more important research development. My preferred method of research analysis and documentation is through a detailed journal through my online blog. I find this a useful storage system which I can also receive feedback from. My iPhone app makes it simple and easy to develop. This way of processing information gives me access to producing hardback journals which gives a tactile and easy way to see a lot of research easily through page flicking. 
I find this a valued way to personally reflect and evaluate my  research in a clear and organized way.

Keeping our biodiversity landscape is important for our planets survival.
Continuing my research into using local natural resources to create art resources for myself and also to create research that can be utilized by others to reduce waste is part of my current philosophy based design practice, working and collaborating inside community projects is a direction I am developing forward.
Due to current lockdown processes I am also proposing online podcasts, workshops and collaborative discussions on creative practice carbon neutrality.

Tuesday 6 October 2020

My witness statement by David Attenbourgh



David Attenborough has been an inspiration for the human race for many decades. His illuminating natural  history programmes have been inspirational. This particular programme. Lays out in layman’s terms how pollution, deforestation, and human population increases is effecting our planets bio diversity and in turn extinction is occurring for  many of our beautiful plants and animals for good. 
My recent MA degree has outlined all that David Attenbourgh is explaining in his new series. It is my intention to continue my studying with a PHD with the subject area of Design.
I am wishing to continue my research into new sustainable design processes in order to create a more sustainable arena for product designs and in turn lifestyle choices. The reason for my research is to help the planet rebuild and sustain as much natural landscapes and wildlife as possible.
Creating eco conscious natural, inks and dyes has been part of my research previously, however I would also like to look at developing bio degradable plastic or resins to build on up cycling and reusing products and materials .to reduce the amount of waste and  drawing down effect of oxygen in our atmosphere. Pollution replaces oxygen with chemicals including carbon monoxide which is increasing climate temperatures creating devastating effects on our planet decreasing our natural world by unimaginable levels.
I believe this is the future of designing manufacturing and life style choices to save our planets future.  

Sunday 20 September 2020

Reduce Climate Change


2020 has been the hottest year on record. The melting ice caps are reducing Artic and Antarctica landscape reducing habitats and changing the eco system. Increasing the temperature of our oceans killing coral reefs and planton removing sustainability of our oceans will lead to climate change catastrophe on an unprecedented level.
Changing life style choices and living a more sustainable live will encourage others to do the same.
Removing plastic waste is a key factor in drawing down pollution and in turn increasing the natural habitat for a greener world.  

Wednesday 3 June 2020

Growing Your Own Veg

It’s a case of trail and error when you first get an allotment. Growing from seed can sometimes fail mainly due to the seeds being good or bad. They tend to go out of date and then they don’t germinate. The other problem is whether they grow small to start with. For example cauliflower grows small and needs to be re potted a couple of times. I made the mistake of re planting into the ground to early. Also when planting out soak the soil before planting plants out it helps.
I also needed to cover small plants with netting and a tube to protect young shoots.

Covering young veg shoots is essential as you can loose a lot of small shoots.

Thursday 14 May 2020

Allotment update


Plenty of things on on the Allotment. Potatoes and onions plus garlic planted out a couple of months ago. Unfortunately this week we had frost and all my potatoes gave currently perished. However apparently they my grow back. Not the case for the broccoli thatI planted as small seedling there gone. Rainbow chars and cauliflower seedlings still living, however quite small. Time will tell.Its a case of trial and error as I have only had the allotment 12 months and still learning. Success has occurred for my Jerusalem potatoes that I planted last year which I didn’t pick last year so have double the amount this year. Onions are also growing good. Due to corona virus I grew my broad beans peas and runner beans at home in pots and long planters. 


New mini bed frames for raspberries, wood given too me for fire wood, seemed to good to burn.Will hopefully build more.Also considering a couple of tunnels to help with frost and birds.

Friday 24 April 2020

Micro plastics found in Antarctica Ice

                  Antarctica Plastic






Scientists have found micro plastic in sea ice in Antarctica, showing a disturbing trend towards plastic pollution everywhere on earth. It has been 50 years since plastic was produced industrially supposedly better than glass, when it reached beaches people believed it to be saver than glass as it didn’t cut people’s feet. At the time it was considered save as the majority of plastic produced was assumed to be land filled. Due to it taking centuries to decompose we have a disaster ensuing which needs to be dealt with. Making bio degradable plastics is one why to fix this problem, making it edible for wildlife is also beneficial.
The following link explains what has been found in Antarctica ice.

Brief over view of project

Poster for MA Show The Poster used for the end of project show at University Lincoln. MA studio in Design end of Degree Show June 20...