ARCHITECTURE 2030

John Linn's main goal for today's lecture was Sustainability- of course, it is the theme of every theory hour. What I thought to be most interesting was the way he compared human activity to a storm. When he listed the impacts that a storm has, I was amused to see how those impacts mirrored the impacts of human activity as well as sustainability. So he wanted to convey the idea that "humans are slightly out of control". However, when he lists the impact of human activity, this activity could be positive OR negative, depending on how it was being used. For example, a storm is an agent of transformation, as well as human activity and sustainability. A storm's transformation is usually a negative impact (i.e. Katrina). Human Activity could be a transformation, but I think it could go both ways (positive or negative). Sustainability is a positive transformation in that it makes way for "environmentally friendly" thinking. 

Ed Mazria's aim for AIA 2030 seemed rather unrealistic to me when we were first introduced. However, after being informed of his plans, I was convinced that it could work. When Linn was talking about creating stricter building codes, it made me realize that it's actually possible to force people to be sustainable. I think that right now, as far as global warming goes, there aren't enough laws that enforce sustainability. I could go on and on about my views on how environmental issues are being handled, but that's not what this is about. I believe that humans could potentially kill global warming altogether if we reached neutral Carbon levels at 2030. It's our responsibility to save ourselves from "premature death" (Cradle to Cradle), as we are the one's who created this threat. The idea for "long life, loose fit" makes me think of universal design. We must think not only of our present, but of our future, and the future of other generations. "For the world is not painted or adorned, but is from the beginning beautiful; and god has not made some beautiful things, but beauty is the creator of the universe"- Ralph Waldo Emerson. If beauty created the universe, we should be making an effort to save this universe of beauty, and this product of beauty.