Interactions - March/April 2013

RE: What If
Sustainability
Doesn’t Work
Out?

This is an excellent article that raises significant issues that are largely overlooked (see November + December 2012). The prospect that the collapse of sustainability for a growth/consumption-related societal model is inevitable, is a topic I have often wondered about, given the nature of capitalism as we know it today. Even the “Great Recession” of current times gives me pause to wonder just how long we can keep this economic engine going before we have to face the reality that we are all going to have to learn to live with less (a quantitative assessment, not necessarily qualitative).

Keep up the good work. Hopefully you will raise awareness of these topics.

Rick Norton

This is a very nice article that raises
meaningful questions. I actually
think that the idea of sustainable
products and sustainable product
development is a bit of a myth. All
products consume energy and other
resources in one form or another
during their production, use, or
reuse. The key, ultimately, is to bal-
ance resource consumption with
resource production, but we will
always need to be producing new
resources. See my blog post on the
subject at: http://productinnovation-
blog.blogspot.com/2012/11/are-there-
sustainable-materials_7159.html
This is a topic that is thought pro-
voking and important. The message
explores how humans can escape
and survive the world they have
jumbled. So many of the theories
and ideas are basic. Our future may
look a lot like the distant past. And
indeed we may be happier for it.

Noah McNeely

RE: Created
in China

The quote in the article (see
November + December 2012) mis-
contextualizes James Landay’s
essay. James actually is actively
working to break down those
stereotypes, but you can’t do
that without understanding
what the deep problems are.

Ed Chi

This is a great article, David and Silvia! I’m excited that you wrote this up and are showing everyone the complexities in this space. I hope interactions features more of this kind of research on China. I do agree with Landay’s assessment of China’s creativity problem—but he’s working with a very different population than you are. I think your research is absolutely on point: Creative folks are going to hacker spaces like Xinchejian; they aren’t ending up in institutions like Tsinghua! I explain more here: http://www.88-bar.com/2012/12/ where-are-all-the-creative-chinese-people-hanging-out-in-hacker-spac-es-apparently/