In a world where there will always be risks and maybe even greater risks, it is truly suicidal to head for highly concentrated solutions – like the (unfortunately) suggested large nuclear power plants or potentially also large solar power plants – because it would mean creating an extremely fragile energy system that – in the foreseeable future and in a world full of risks – could collapse and cause disasters. A decentralized system – i.e. not a range of isolated elements but rather a net of interconnected centers – is clearly feasible and probably even more convenient, but it is also the only solution that in the long run envisages sustainability while reducing risks.
10.09.2007,
I partly agree, but wouldn't polarize that much on the risks. The solution for a common future must also lie in agreements on collective efforst. And it is definetly more effective to harvest solar energy in the Sahara than in northern Europe. As we are heading peaks of availability for many raw materials, we MUST invest them as smartly as possible - which means to install solar power plants for Europe in Northern Africa.
Martin Stengel, 17.10.2009 09:14:05
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Professor of Design at the Politecnico di Milano where he is Director of Unit of Research Design and Innovation for Sustainability and coordinator of the Doctorate in Industrial Design.
He has been Director of the Domus Academy in Milano, Chair Professor of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and visiting lecturer at the Tohoku University in Japan and at the Wuxi Universtiy, In China. In the 2006 he has been nominated Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts at The New School of New York.
His works are based on strategic design and design for sustainability, with a focus on the scenario building and solution development. His last international research is: CCSL, Creative Communities for Sustainable
Lifestyles, a project promoted by the Task Force on Sustainable Lifestyles, within the United Nations 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (usually called Marrakech Process) that investgates the topic of grass roots innovaton for sustainability in China, India and Brazil.
Some relevant results of his recent research activities have been edited in the books:: Manzini, E., Jegou, F., Sustainable everyday, Edizioni Ambiente, Milano, 2003, Leong B.D., Manzini, E (2006) Design Vision : a Sustainable Way of Living in China, Ningnan Publishing House Ltd., China and in several papers (some of them can be found in: http://www.sustainable-everyday.net/manzini/)
