Really bad waste of water that has gone on for years in front of the LBJ Library. Water from several sprinklers pours across a sidewalk and down a drain every time they water the lawn by the fountain. This is a combination of over-watering, sprinkler mis-alignment and unsodded dirt.
Riley Triggs

i just added jim walker, UT's sustainability director, to this posterous as a contributor. he should receive notification of all subsequent posts.
after the talk today i took my coke can home to recycle instead of throwing it out at the art building. would have been pretty awkward after that talk. what a pain in the ass. let's get those damn recycling bins.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: SWS, PIO <PIO.SWS@ci.austin.tx.us>
Date: Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Subject: RE: sws.pio - Other
To: amrita.adhikary@gmail.com

Thank you for your suggestion. Our department is currently developing a
Zero Waste initiative where composting will be a part of the program.

Thanks
SWS Customer Service

-----Original Message-----
From: amrita.adhikary@gmail.com [mailto:amrita.adhikary@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, September 04, 2009 10:59 AM
To: SWS, PIO
Subject: sws.pio - Other

Date/Time Submitted: Friday, 9/4/09, 1059 hours

From: Mrs. Amrita Adhikary

E-mail address: amrita.adhikary@gmail.com Confirmed e-mail address:
amrita.adhikary@gmail.com

Address: 12704 Rush Creek Lane Austin, TX 78732
Subject: Other

Comments:
 Composting bins:
I am curious to know that if a large portion of our household waste is
compostable and does not have to end up in the landfills, why does'nt
the City of Austin make it easy for themselves and for us, by providing
compost bins to residents and businesses. The benefits are manifold. It
returns nutrients to the soil and it reduces solid waste for the City of
Austin to process. Any information would be beneficial.

 Best regards,

Amrita Adhikary

eta 9-16-09: this posterous is being tested for the more general purpose of encouraging student/faculty/staff/operations ecological accountability at the university of texas at austin.

For first time visitors: this project was created to increase awareness about citizen composting needs in the city of Austin, Texas. You may contribute to this composting lifestream by emailing post@ecologicalaccountability.posterous.com. Messages are forwarded to the Solid Waste Services Department, so please post with that in mind.

Amrita's original project and criteria
Jessica's original project and criteria

Combined criteria:

• easy to participate
• utilizes lifestreaming for accountability
• ecologically conscious of daily environmental habits
• don’t reinvent the wheel: share info + resources

New project description: create a forum/archive for designers to question everyday things, increase awareness, and begin dialog about alternatives.

Solution: a replicable lifestreaming process to address an ecological issue [composting] and take action [to raise awareness, build community, and influence policymakers].

Two tier project result:

• Gathered information and generated solutions for a specific problem [a proposal for a composting system in Austin]
• Created a process for an information conduit that can be used to address new problems

 

Project: LIFESTREAM WEBSITE
Criteria: easy to participate, utilizes lifestreaming for accountability

Design Criteria   

·         Breathe new life into an age old craft.

·         Break the status quo in its perception as a mass produced art.

·         Revitalize the art form and make it more usable to consumers.

·         Find applications to make it monetarily viable to sustain livelihood.

·         Maintain the chain or cycle of material usage. Silkworms-spinning-dying-weaving-painting.

·         Share information within the cycle to increase value of trade and outreach.

·         Any intervention should be ecologically conscious.

Solution per the design criteria

·         Renewable: Silk is a renewable resource as opposed to fossil fuel derived textiles like nylon/acrylic etc.

·         Biodegradable: Being a natural fiber, it is readily biodegradable – it can go on to produce mulch or compost unlike fossil based textiles

·         Local: the vast bulk of silk forming (sericulture) occurs in North Asia, and in India. It cannot be considered a local material in Europe or North America.

·         Use of natural and non toxic dyes and paints.

·         Free range: Tussar silk is derived from cocoons where the moth has left the cocoons. It is not boiled or steamed.

Madhubani is an ancient Indian art form. Originally it was done on freshly plastered mud walls in villages but is now done on paper, canvas and fabric. Women pass this art form from generation to generation. The subjects include Gods, Goddesses, and Nature. They are intricate, believing that no spaces should be left empty as there are no empty spaces in real life. My attempt was to revitalize this craft and make it more relevant and marketable in today’s world. Knowing that there is a fine line between interference and intervention, I attempted to combine their own craft with newer applications, which resulted in some unique combinations of silk and dyes to be used as greeting cards, table top calendars, lamps, folders, screens, window treatments etc. Silk is  precious and durable and are keepsakes in Indian culture, and it made sense to use locally spun and woven silk called Tussar as the medium for this art. Madhubani paintings are a part of a trade chain that are interdependent on each other for their sustenance. Sericulture of the Tusser silk is done locally and humanely. The spinning of the yarn and the weaving, dying, are all functions done around the area.  All the materials are locally available and support local trade and cottage industry.