(Harvard University professor Edward O. Wilson)
This is why I think designers have such a crucial role to play in saving the planet.
From the homes we live in to the furniture we use, the clothes we wear, and the media we consume, we are engaged in a world filtered by design and designers. We need to understand our power to influence this change.
Would it influence a designer to know that they were saving countless miles of forest by specifying ‘fake’ flooring instead of ‘natural’ wood flooring? Trees would remain standing and habitats of animals – large, small, and microscopic – left undisturbed.
Do you think a designer would think twice about specifying a superior performing man-made material and saving a habitat? Of course not. It is a question of education and encouragement.
That is why I think PETA Habitat Protection Proggy Award for Design should be considered. It would encourage engineers, architects, designers, and artists to rethink the true value of man-made and how it can benefit us all.
PETA has proven it can encourage corporations to transform their barbaric treatment of animals. It has a proven education and encouragement mechanism for positive change. I urge the organization to consider a PETA Habitat Protection Proggy Award for Design 2015 and beyond.
For additional information, check out the following resources:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/edward_o_wilson_the_loss_of_biodiversity_is_a_tragedy/#.VIboDNKsXE0
http://www.peta.org/features/2014-vegan-fashion-awards/
http://www.peta.org/media/