I'm uncertain how I feel about this.

On one hand, creating a file format is an intriguing way to shape behavior and potentially help save the environment.

If you received a WWF attachment, would you think it was smart or smug?

But to look at it another way, I wonder if this isn't a heavy-handed approach. WWF's are essentially copy-protected files (printing being one kind of copying)-- something I'm not happy with in any form. Moreover, you can already do this with PDF's, so it's a bit redundant --not to mention a little ostentatious-- to invent a strongly-branded "green" format just for this purpose.

I wonder about the ethics of crippling a file intended for someone else. Shouldn't people be allowed to make choices about what to do with their information? Taking away the option seems to be making a big assumption about personal responsibility, even if it is for the greater good.

Hat tip to Core77 for the story.

What does socially responsible mean? Brad writes:

There are many ways that a product can be socially responsible. Along with more obvious criteria like eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices, there is also how well an item is made, and how long it will last. The goods featured on this site run the gamut. While some are organic and sweatshop-free, others are so high-quality that they’ll never need replacing (there are even a few to which all three traits apply).

One of those few is from my former home state:

There are two core tenets that guide the work of Michigan’s Teamwork.

Number 1: sustainability is as much about being environmentally friendly, it is about making a product that is long-lasting and functional. And 2: never forget your roots. From design, to sourcing, to manufacturing, the brand carries out the entirety of its production in Grand Rapids, MI, hometown of the company’s founders. The bags, all of which are one of a kind, are made from used sailcloth and tractor tire tubes that the company gathers from in and around the area.

By sticking to their two key principals, the team behind Teamwork are able to give back to the community that raised them, while simultaneously sharing a small piece of that community with each and every one of their customers. You gotta respect that.

Brit Liggett at Inhabitat reports some interesting findings from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Namely, that people in communities with extensive public transportation networks live longer (for reasons of both health and safety) than people in automobile-dependent communities.

Hollywood Subway 1946 (via)

"Use of public transit simply means that you walk more which increases fitness levels and leads to healthier citizens. More importantly, increasing use of public transit may be the most effective traffic safety counter measure a community can employ," noted APTA president William Millar. Apparently communities with vast public transportation networks don’t just live longer because of the exercise — they’re also less likely to be the victim of a fatal auto accident. The traffic fatality rate in the Bronx, New York is four in 100,000 contrasted by the traffic fatality rate in auto ridden Miami, Kansas which is 40 in 100,000.

Not to get too Jesuit on you, but this is an interesting case for a kind of good design synergy: it's a case where one good design strategy (here, for a city) yields several seemingly unrelated benefits.

1. 'Selfish' Giving: Does It Count If You Get In Return?

NPR has a thought-provoking piece that asks us to examine the ethics of why we give.

Is charity ever selfless, or do we always expect some kind of reward for our actions? And if we do expect a return on our investment, is it really charity?

2. Wind Turbine + LED's = Christmas Star

Artist Michael Pendry and Siemens teamed up to create this Christmas installation outside the city of Munich. It contains 9,000 LED lights and, when illuminated, uses only as much energy as a hairdryer.

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1. Ten Graphic Design Paradoxes

A call for designers to take greater responsibility, Design Observer delivers a hefty dose of reality in this list. It's not the clients or the projects, but how we respond to them that make a heaven or hell of our work.

Number 10 is especially relevant:

If we believe in nothing, we shouldn’t wonder why no one believes in us. In a world with no principles, people respect those who have principles. Impersonating a doormat is a poor way to be an effective graphic designer. In fact, standing up for what we believe in — ethics, morality, professional standards, even aesthetic preferences — is the only way to produce meaningful work. Of course we won’t win every time, but we will win more often than the designer who doesn't believe in anything. There are countless ways in which we can demonstrate professional integrity — the only mistake we can make is not to demonstrate any.

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The prints are somber and yet playful. I love the abstract geometries of their "bones".

Buy one and part of the proceeds benefit animal and environmental charities. Nice!