This conference presentation critically looks at the role of graphic design in combating climate change. It was presented at the Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts Conference at the University of Cambridge in October 2008. http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/546/

1. PRESENTATION › TITLE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
DESIGNING A VISUAL CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

2. PRESENTATION › STRUCTURE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION
REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
REPRESENTING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

3. PRESENTATION › STRUCTURE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION
REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
REPRESENTING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

4. PRESENTATION › STRUCTURE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION
REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
REPRESENTING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

5. PRESENTATION › STRUCTURE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION
REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
REPRESENTING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

6. PRESENTATION › STRUCTURE Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION
REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
REPRESENTING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

7. PRESENTATION › KEY ISSUES Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER?
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN?
THE ROLE OF AGENCY?

8. PRESENTATION › KEY ISSUES Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER?
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN?
THE ROLE OF AGENCY?

9. PRESENTATION › KEY ISSUES Representing Climate Change: Ecology, Media and the Arts ›
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and
Humanities › 15-17th October 2008 › Cambridge University
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER?
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN?
THE ROLE OF AGENCY?

10. GREENING THE ISSUE
Magazine covers › various Green Issues

11. COMPLEX › ‘The green issue. Saving the world, one purchase at a
time!’ (magazine cover, 2008) Magazine covers › various Green Issues

12. REPRESENTING GREENWASHING
The Green Issue › Vanity Fair › page spread › May 2008

13. REPRESENTING 6 SINS OF Eco-shape Bottle › Ozarka › print ad › 2008
Eco-shaped Bottle › Poland Spring (Nestle) › print ad › 2008
GREENWASHING Every Drop is Green › Fiji › print ad › 2008

14. 1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off › ‘Such claims are not usually false,
but are used to paint a “greener” picture of the product than a more Eco-shape Bottle › Ozarka › print ad › 2008
complete environmental analysis would support.’ (TerraChoice Eco-shaped Bottle › Poland Spring (Nestle) › print ad › 2008
Environmental Marketing Inc., 2007) Every Drop is Green › Fiji › print ad › 2008

15. 5. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils › ‘These are “green” claims that may be
true within the product category, but that risk distracting the
consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as
a whole.’ (TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc., 2007) Talk Stopped Long Ago › BP › poster › Sydney › 2008

16. ‘…when environmental qualifiers such as “organic” or “green” are
placed on products in which the entire product category is of
questionable environmental value. ’ (TerraChoice Environmental BP Plans Field of Gas Rigs › The Guardian Weekly › newspaper
Marketing Inc., 2007) page › 22nd August 2008

17. REPRESENTING FASHIONABLE
CLIMATE CHANGE Global Warming Read › Diesel › print advertisement › 2007

18. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER?
The Green Issue › Vanity Fair › page spread › May 2008

19. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN?
The Green Issue › Vanity Fair › page spread › May 2008

20. THE ROLE OF AGENCY?
The Green Issue › Vanity Fair › page spread › May 2008

21. REPRESENTING GREEN PROMOTION Various non-profit campaigns › From left WWF Denmark;
Greenpeace Turkey; Legambiente Italy; Greenpeace Israel;
Bund Germany

22. REPRESENTING ALTERNATIVE
Global warming cup › National Resources Defense Council ›
TECHNIQUES heat sensitive cup › China › 2007

23. REPRESENTING ALTERNATIVE
The World Can’t Take Any More CO2 › Bund (Friends of the
TACTICS Earth Germany) › guerilla campaign › Germany › 2006

24. REPRESENTING STREET ADVOCACY
Fan Trees › WALHI › tree fan › Indonesia › 2007

25. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER? Melting Polar Bear › Greenpeace Turkey › print campaign ›
2008

26. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN? Melting Polar Bear › Greenpeace Turkey › print campaign ›
2008

27. THE ROLE OF AGENCY? Melting Polar Bear › Greenpeace Turkey › print campaign ›
2008

28. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
SCIENCE Various global warming graphs › various sources and years

29. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
VISUALISED Al Gore talk › TED Talks › Keynote presentation › 2008

30. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
VISUALISED Al Gore talk › TED Talks › Keynote presentation › 2008

31. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
VISUALISED The Greenhouse Effect › www.designcanchange.org › 2008

32. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
VISUALISED www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

33. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
VISUALISED www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

34. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
VISUALISED www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

35. REPRESENTING GLOBAL WARMING
Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
VISUALISED www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

36. EXXONSECRETS.ORG › ‘The database compiles Exxon Foundation
and corporate funding to a series of institutions who have worked to
undermine solutions to global warming and climate change.’ Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
(Greenpeace, 2008) www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

37. EXXONSECRETS.ORG › ‘The database compiles Exxon Foundation
and corporate funding to a series of institutions who have worked to
undermine solutions to global warming and climate change.’ Exxon Secrets › Greenpeace United States ›
(Greenpeace, 2008) www.exxonsecrets.org › 2008

38. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER?
Heat the Poor › Seed Magazine › 2006

39. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN?
Heat the Poor › Seed Magazine › 2006

40. THE ROLE OF AGENCY?
Heat the Poor › Seed Magazine › 2006

41. REPRESENTING GREEN ACTION
Design Can Change › www.designcanchange.org › 2008

42. REPRESENTING D.I.Y. ACTION
Do It Yourself › 50 Graus › from www.flickr.com › sticker to
download and print › 2008

43. 50GRAUS › ‘Outside of the office environment, outside of politics,
outside or organized movements. Silently, here in this site with you,
whoever you may be. Anonymous, disorganized people, yet who are Do It Yourself › 50 Graus › from www.flickr.com › sticker to
able to listen to the earth’s outcry.’ (www.50graus.org , 2008) download and print › 2008

44. PENGUIN ARMY › ‘Penguin Army is a community of activists who
want to create awareness about environmental issues in a fun and
gonzo-like style.’ (www.penguinarmy.dk , 2008) Penguin Army actions › Penguin Army › Denmark › 2008

45. REPRESENTING PHYSICAL
Lifesaving Energy › Clean Energy For Eternity › human sign ›
ENGAGEMENT Australia › 2007

46. REPRESENTING PHYSICAL
Lifesaving Energy › Clean Energy For Eternity › human sign ›
ENGAGEMENT Australia › 2007

47. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER? Penguin Army stall › Penguin Army › Roskilde Festival ›
Denmark › 2008

48. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN? Penguin Army stall › Penguin Army › Roskilde Festival ›
Denmark › 2008

49. THE ROLE OF AGENCY? Penguin Army stall › Penguin Army › Roskilde Festival ›
Denmark › 2008

50. REPRESENTING POSSIBLE
Transition Town › Ted Trainer › hand-made model › Australia
SOLUTIONS › 2008

51. REPRESENTING A LACK OF DESIGN
Transition Town WIKI › Transition Network ›
www.transitiontowns.org › 2008

52. REPRESENTING A LACK OF DESIGN
The Simpler Way › Ted Trainer › Australia › 2008

53. REPRESENTING ONLINE
Efficientcity › Greenpeace UK › interactive website › 2008 ›
VISUALISATION http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/files/efficiencity/index.html

54. REPRESENTING ONLINE
Efficientcity › Greenpeace UK › interactive website › 2008 ›
VISUALISATION http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/files/efficiencity/index.html

55. REPRESENTING ONLINE
Efficientcity › Greenpeace UK › interactive website › 2008 ›
VISUALISATION http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/files/efficiencity/index.html

56. REPRESENTING ONLINE
Efficientcity › Greenpeace UK › interactive website › 2008 ›
VISUALISATION http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/files/efficiencity/index.html

57. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER? Transition Town › Ted Trainer › hand-made model › Australia
› 2008

58. THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN? Transition Town › Ted Trainer › hand-made model › Australia
› 2008

59. THE ROLE OF AGENCY? Transition Town › Ted Trainer › hand-made model › Australia
› 2008

60. DESIGNBOOM › ‘we are looking for graphic artworks that will raise
awareness of the environmental issues affecting our delicate planet.
your graphic design should provoke a positive change in the many Various competition entries › Designboom › Love Your Earth
things that are compromising our biosphere.’ (2007) poster competition › Japan › 2007
we are looking for graphic
artworks that will raise awareness of the environmental issues affecting our delicate planet.
your graphic design should provoke a positive change in the many things that are
compromising our biosphere.