A Holiday Treat

This year we branched out to make a merry movie for the holidays. We hope it inspires you to turn trash to treasure and Tryks to trees. Click here for the movie.

This week in politics…

What follows Kyoto? A Bali Roadmap.
New Energy Act Passes
The White House rejects California's Emissions Waiver.
Ethanol exacerbates world grain shortage.
Why it isn't so simple.
Politicians can 't change the world, but designers can.

iRony?

What, you don’t want more Radiohead news on a sustainability blog? I promise to just use them as a starting point. And to reward your patience, at the end of this post I’ll offer a few last-minute gift ideas… Last month the band’s former label, EMI, announced they will release Radiohead's entire back catalog on USB Flash Drive for $165. Following their lead, Universal is releasing a series of singles in the UK this month via Flash Drive as well. One spokesman said, “This is aimed at the younger, 12 to 24 year olds, who no longer believe that the CD is as cool as it used to be”.

But of course it’s about more than being cool, isn’t it? It’s really about faster, cheaper, better — the technology curse. Is Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD any different than VHS vs. BETA or CD vs. USB? The record labels are testing waters and searching for the next big thing. In the same article quoted earlier, Eric Daugan from Warner Music says, “The CD is an old technology that has not evolved. Fortunately people still want to own a physical product, so with the extra storage, the idea is to offer a better consumer experience”. It reminded me of something I wrote last year for a paper promotion: "Tricycle is part of a larger trend that is finding new vehicles for experiences…. We live in a time in which we can have familiar interactions through new mediums. In Tricycle's case, we can substitute paper for carpet, and rather than sacrificing relevance, we actually enhance the experience…."

At least I hope we do. As optimistic as I am about digital technology, I’m struck by how nostalgic and earth-bound we seem to be. In my recent hunt for Christmas gifts I’ve run across a number of items that try to warm digital delivery with facades of sentimentality and irony. This trade for an upgraded experience must result in a net loss. How else can I explain my waxing on about how cool records and cassettes were? How many tapes did I lose in my car stereo because the deck was hungry? Do I really miss static crackle? I attribute my longing to irrational, but valid, emotion. I believe dematerialization’s success or failure is determined by met — or unmet — expectations. How do our expectations differ if we’re buying music on a disc rather than a key chain? What gives value to each? You can bet we’re asking the same questions about our products. What makes sampling faster, cheaper, better?

But enough about us. You’re an ironic hipster looking for a last minute gift — and you just read through all of this speculation to find one. Here ya go, reduced, reused and recycled:


Mix Tape USB Drive
$12.99










Floppy Disk CD-R
$14












Cassette Wallet
$43












MIXA USB Casette
Designed to your spec
$43






Cassette MP3 Player
It's the whole shebang! Tape, turntable, MP3…
$22









iPod Nano Cassette Case
$45 CAN

Reduce. Reuse. Radiohead.

Last year Caleb blogged about Beck's mass-customized CD art for The Information. Radiohead's new television ad for In Rainbows reveals the CD packaging is similar, though you'll have to provide your own jewel case. It's an engaging follow-up to their pay-what-you-want download launched in October. Much ado has been made about this scheme and the media seemed to corner them as mavericks forcing a new music distribution paradigm — despite the band's denial that they're making any such statement. I"ll avoid a similar pitfall by making statements on their behalf regarding the ecological mission of a reduced material CD package. My personal statement: I really like it. In Rainbows is available January 1.

Multiple Choice Wrap Up

A follow up Q&A blog with me has been posted by Sarah Scaturro, Textile Conservator for the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. You can read my previous post on this exhibit here. And if you have time The Multiple Choice site has a very interesting essay on the origin of the sample book. View the complete evening below.

MAINX24: A Celebration of Creativity on Main Street, Chattanooga

After a successful revitalization of our downtown riverfront attention has returned to revival of the Southside. This Saturday Create Here has organized a day-long celebration of creativity in the rapidly developing Main Street district. MAINX24 will feature a parade, residence tours, art exhibits and holiday parties. Here's the complete schedule of events and a map of the area.

Smokin' Idea of the Week

I admit, I don't know much about baking soda. I understand that some people actually bake with it, but the last two weeks it's only been good for keeping my leftover stuffing from smelling like my deviled eggs.

A company called Skyonic has developed a method to extract baking soda from the CO2 emitted as waste from industrial smokestacks. The baking soda will be food grade and suitable for home or industrial use.

This great example of innovative thinking is just the way to mark the beginning of the U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia. Creative solutions to growing environmental challenges aren't too much to hope for as the nations of the world come together this week.

A Breath of Fresh Air

You've been blogged with my sole opinions since Caleb and Anj's honorable departures for civic pursuits earlier this year. So I'm pleased to announce Sujeel "Dr. Tryk" Taj and Jordan O'Malley are now joining me as "official" posters on the Ink (They get to wear special name badges and get premium office fridge space).