FYI - MCAD offers a Sustainable Design Online Certificate
Program...interesting courses taught by interesting instructors!
MCAD's Sustainable Design Online program offers a great way to gain
in-depth, actionable knowledge that helps individuals and organization
embrace sustainable design practices. The courses are applicable for
everyone, all aspects of and all types of businesses (not exclusive to
designers).
"its good for the environment and good for business"...From enterprising
start-ups to Fortune 500 stalwarts, businesses have discovered how critical
sustainability practices are to be competitive in today's global economy.
Sustainability is an exploding field and it is good for the environment.
Courses cover all aspects of sustainable design - theory, tools and
techniques...And, it is FUN!
All Courses in the certificate are all entirely online....can be done at
your convenience and completed anywhere on the planet!
for more information go to /www.mcad.edu
SUMMER ONLINE CLASSES:
FRAMING THE BIG PICTURE: SYSTEMS THINKING & LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (3 credits)
June 5 - Aug. 11
"We are transitioning from the age of design for the part to the age of
design for the whole. This class gives you the tools required to succeed in
this dynamic market. Systems thinking, languages of design and product
lifecycles are all tied together to form the foundation for innovative
products. Actionable theory is absorbed through market-specific projects.
Required hardware: Flatbed scanner (24-bit minimum) and/or a digital camera
properly configured to work with your computer and Adobe Photoshop. Required
textbooks: The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander, The Web Of
Life by Fritjof Capra and Wild Solutions by Beattie and Ehrlich."
Instructor: Curt McNamara, P.E., is a practicing designer with 20 years of
experience in commercial and industrial markets. He is a scholar of R.
Buckminster Fuller and authored the entry on Fuller in the UNESCO
Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. An active member of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Curt received the IEEE Millennium Medal
in 2000 for his ongoing work in education.
EVERYDAY CHOICES: OPPORTUNITIES IN THE STUFF OF LIFE (1 Credit) June 5 -
July 11
COURSE DESCRIPTION/ABSTRACT: "It seems overwhelming - doing everything
perfectly so the world is not destroyed! Where do you start? Sustainable
decisions are the stuff of everyday life. Paper or plastic? Diaper service
or disposables? Hybrid car or bike? People everywhere are trying to do the
right thing, but there is no single rating scheme to help you judge. This
class will teach you how to find information and empower yourself to make
sound choices."
INSTRUCTOR: Terry Gips (M.P.M./Yale University, M.S./University of
California-Davis) is a widely published ecologist, agricultural economist,
sustainability business consultant, speaker and author with more than 30
years of experience in global environmental leadership, government policy,
sustainable development, business management and consulting. Currently he is
president of Sustainability Associates, working with organizations to reduce
costs, improve performance and strategic position and achieve ecological
soundness and social responsibility. Previously, he served as Aveda
Corporation's director of ecological affairs and sustainability, playing a
leading role in creating Aveda's corporate culture. He also helped develop
the CERES Principles for corporate environmental responsibility, which have
been signed by 80 companies. He was a White House aide to President Carter,
an assistant to U.S. Congressman John Krebs, an economic analyst and grain
merchant for Cargill and co-founder and director of the Cooperative
Extension Service's Sacramento Community Garden Program. He was also
co-founder and president of the International Alliance for Sustainable
Agriculture (now the Alliance for Sustainability) and volunteers today as
its president.
ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY (1 credit): June 5 - July 7, 2006 (five weeks)
COURSE DESCRIPTION/ABSTRACT:"Imagine a world where living systems matter,
where people live in harmony with the planet and where economy and ecology
go hand in hand. The challenge facing us: How do we meet the needs and wants
of today without jeopardizing our future and the health of the planet? How
is design the key to sustainability? This foundation course will introduce
the various facets of sustainability and prepare students, from
decision-makers to stakeholders, to apply sustainable thinking and pragmatic
action to any future endeavor."
INSTRUCTOR: Garth T. Hickle is the product stewardship team leader with the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). He has been with the MPCA since
1996 working on product stewardship for various products including
packaging, electronics and carpet. Prior to that he worked for the Minnesota
Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) and at the Minnesota State Senate. He
was named a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow in 2001 to pursue research in
international product stewardship policy. He has published articles in
Corporate Environmental Strategy, Pollution Prevention Review, Environmental
Quality Management, Resource Recycling and The Environmental Forum. He holds
a B.A. from the College of Wooster, an M.S.E.L. from Vermont Law School and
an M.A. from Hamline University.