UMaine New Media

Designing Our Futures

Reflections on
Overshoot, Climate Chaos & Eco-devastation

Students of NMD 200: Designing Humane Tech,
Prof J Blais & TA BGiordano

All our actions and all the designs we create are VOTES for the kind of world we seek.  

What do tech designers need to know to create simple, healthy and abundant futures.

Project Drawdown Solutions

the great simplification

The Great Simplification is a story explaining the need to simplify our lives and lower our ecological footprint in order to arrive at  regenerative futures. We make conscious choices rather than being a passive part of a “superorganism” that is driving our behavior.

“The real paths ahead,” Hagans claims, “can only be seen by integrating energy awareness with biology, sociology, physics, and everything science has discovered. We need a “systems” lens to read the map.”

 In what ways is your college education helping you create a multi-disciplinary systems lens to understand our current situation, and what are the most empowering options you have discovered for becoming active creators vs being passive cogs in the system? 

In this class specifically, I’ve started to realize the harmonious nature of all topics discussed. Social media, climate change, propaganda, and more, all have a connection to one another. I have also been finding correlations between this class and my business management class. Both open discussion to climate and ways that we can heal and help our environments, while still accommodating growth.

I think that while it’s great that colleges are beginning to really educate on these topics and climate change more specifically, but the next step towards change would be educating students on simple ways they can have an impact. A lot of other students that I’ve talked to about climate change, say that they don’t really know where to start and feel as though these things are better off in the hand of professionals. That’s not how it should feel, this is our future!

The most empowering thing for me right now, is probably just staying educated in the matter and finding little ways I can contribute to a greener future. The small things still count. I think if more people my age were talking about this issue than it might kickstart a generational movement.

I think that my college education is helping me realize the situations going on around me because I am studying two majors that could contribute the most to our climate change. Business in itself is a leader in the ticking time bomb of our climate, and studying New Media helps enable my realization that AI and all of this new technology is taking resources right from under our fingers. I have definitely learned the most about the need for change in this specific class. None of my business classes tackle climate change, and not many New Media units takes our environment and places it into the lessons. I discovered that our generation has a huge burden to carry, and especially with the power in our hands for the future of tech and businesses, everyone needs to work together to start being eco-friendly. I think what would help me become more knowledgable and empowered to act would be if major corporations started to push the need to worry about the world around us. Once major companies and figures start to spread the word and make it a priority, I think society will cling onto it and try to make a better effort.

My college education has created a vast amount of perspectives when viewing the situation at hand. I take an understanding from people in favor and those opposed to taking action to make our way of life more sustainable. Because of this dependence on fossil fuels, many people I know have a lot to lose in taking action to reduce usage. Especially in this economic recession where it’s hard to find a good paying job, even starting to abandon fossil fuels would leave many impoverished. Many businesses rely on this cheap energy to stay afloat. But then again, if we don’t do anything about it today, we’ll be forced to later. This scenario would lead us to grave consequences including mass famine in the struggle to survive.

We’re ultimately left with the choice of changing our livelihood today to save the future. That’s where being an active cog comes in. As an active cog, I would produce media not only to entertain, but inform the audience by giving them a clear vision of their future depending on what they do. This will play a substantial role in making other cogs active as well until we reach a self sustaining machine.

My college education, particularly through courses in earth science, has been helping me build a multi-disciplinary systems to better understand our current situation. This course highlighted the interconnectedness of energy use.
The most empowering options I’ve found involve choosing sustainable practices, like reducing consumption, and supporting local economies.

My first 2 years in computer science has provided me with a background in approaching problems logically and understanding how technology works at its core. Transferring into new media has increased my understanding of the cultural, social, and ethical impacts digital tech has. Together, these fields of study have shown me the true influence digital media can have on individuals, communities and societal systems. Creating meaningful content and media is a practice I think is good for becoming more active in the system rather than passive.

My college education has been a huge benefit to my personal growth, intellectually, physically, and mentally. Every day, I have the opportunity to expand my knowledge and access incredible resources that support my journey of growth. Whether it is engaging in thought-provoking class discussions (which I would like to do a better job of), working alongside passionate professors, or taking advantage of campus facilities created for physical and mental well-being, I am constantly pushed to become a more well-rounded individual. Intellectually, I am learning to think critically and approach issues from several perspectives, which has always been a personal goal of mine and essential in developing a systems lens for understanding complex problems like sustainability.

Physically, participating in athletics has taught me discipline, resilience, and the importance of maintaining balance between taking care of my body and mind. Mentally, the diverse community I am part of and the challenges I encounter daily have helped me build emotional intelligence and a deeper appreciation for collaborative problem-solving (which I believe is the best way to solve an issue in this crazy world we live in, together).

To become truly empowered, I aim to participate in experiential learning opportunities, such as class and group discussions, internships, sustainability projects/brainstorming, and more. These experiences not only build practical skills but also reinforce the mindset that I am capable of contributing meaningfully to solving pressing global issues. It makes me feel powerful and like I have a say in my future and don’t have to sit to the side and watch everything unfold. Even if I don’t have complete control over what happens, I can still fight my hardest in hopes that future generations one day will. This shift from passive engagement to deliberate action is key to ensuring that I maximize the transformative potential of my education.

For me, being at college and getting an education here, I have learned about all these different problems and solutions and how it can become an infinite cycle that will never end unless we change. One thing that all humans are really good at is creating effective solutions to problems. However, something that we are not too good at is thinking about other problems that may arise from these solutions.

We dive head first once we receive a solution and don’t think twice about that solutions own effects and issues. An example of this can be seen by the problem of long distances. To solve this issue, humans created gas-powered vehicles like cars which make it very easy and convenient to travel long distances in a short time. Although this solution solved a pretty major problem, it ended up contributing to a new massive problem climate change.

The amount of carbon emissions that are released into the atmosphere via vehicles is slowly killing our environment. Now, we are looking for solutions to solve this issue. A major front runner is the constant evolution of EV cars which will release no carbon into the atmosphere. But do you see what I mean? We created a solution to a problem and ended up creating a whole separate problem from the solution. Now we need to come up with a solution to our previous solution (now problem).

While I think the college does a fairly decent job at educating students on the matters of our global climate, I believe the college makes it fairly difficult to find that information.

For example, our club fair is once a year and the way to sign up for it is only on that day. If a student has a care about ecology, about the environment, or just plain interest they have to either sign up for it between the hours of 10am-2pm, or they have to find out the whereabouts of the club later and try to sign up past the times.

It’s a bit difficult of a process. Activities and events like this shouldn’t just be advertised with a couple emails, they should be marketed in a better and easier manner for people to stay informed.

Since everybody to some degree is responsible for the carbon footprint of the superorganism, I would say there are many ways that college is not helping me reduce my influence in that way. Especially with my major of New Media, my daily day consists of using massive amounts of energy, whether that be through computers or phones or wifi or anything else.

What college is doing, however, is give me a lens to understand this content, and it gives me incentive to lead a life guided by the values of the Great Simplification.

I believe that my college education is helping me create a multi-disciplinary systems lens in many different ways. The easiest example of this is education on those systems, from my Environmental Science courses to New Media, there is a constant focus on systems in our current world. In one course, we took a trip to a waste plant to look at how even a college campus produces a lot of waste that has to be sorted and taken away.

The most empowering options I have been introduced to are have been the tools that can help me make change. In New Media courses, I have learned to design anything from a simple infographic to a video-embedded website. These help me feel like I have a way to portray my voice in an active way. It may help me feel more knowledgable if I found these values to be more important to those around me in the workplace/classroom. I think that so much of our actions are based on what we know, and with more people around be being active cogs in the system, that could be a step in the right direction for everyone.

This may be a little bit of a stretch, but having been involved in making traditional and digital art as part of my college curriculum has made me aware of how much of our resources we use, even in situations where it seems like the use wouldn’t matter too much at a first glance. AI art is the first example that sticks out in my head, with big servers using lots of electricity to scrape the internet for source images, which it then mashes up into a digital collage. While it could make some art-related jobs easier to manage and make things go quicker, it’s also just of big of an energy hog as things like cryptocurrency mining, all to make a virtual image with a resource that could have gone toward, say, farming.

But there’s also a surprising negative environmental impact to some traditional artwork. Last year, I went an entire semester making paintings with acrylic, which is effectively liquid plastic. I made artwork out of the same stuff that’s clogging the Pacific Ocean, when I could’ve instead found a more eco-friendly alternative in gouache – paint made from natural pigments, water, and a binding agent like gum arabic or dextrin from potato starch. It’s something I could have made at home with locally-sourced ingredients, instead of buying acrylic from the university store.

This could encourage me to look into forms of artwork that aren’t as likely to screw up the planet, then act according to my research. It would be a good idea to find ways to express myself creatively that are more earth-friendly.

In my college education so far I haven’t been in many courses that directly speak about our climate or energy but there have been some slight mentions, in my women’s gender studies course. I made a group presentation that discussed climate change and gender. We spoke about things such as greenhouse gases, droughts, and ecosystems. In the discussion we all talked about how it’s harder for women in different countries to stand up against climate change because either they cannot take a stand due to societal conditions or being underrepresented even though during natural disasters they are usually the ones that have the highest risk of being harmed from it.

The example we used was a real story of Muslims in Indonesia dying from a tsunami due to their heavier clothing and layers. We see things happen like this around the world frequently but most of the time many are not able to take action whether it be because of someone’s race, gender, or class- it’s difficult to get the word out.

For myself being active I have taken small steps such as recycling in my house with empty bottles and cardboard, I also carpool weekly with my friends to somewhat help there be less pollution- though these are small steps I believe this is better than taking no actions at all.

For others and myself I feel like speaking about our climate and the warnings more in courses or in general would help, I know in my high school at least it was never spoken about even in my science classes- so if we could normalize speaking about climate more I feel like it could be taken more seriously.

I believe that college is helping me create a multi-system lens to understand the situation. I believe that part of the way it does that is by showing me a broad view of the problem and allowing me to make my own decisions.

The most empowering option to be “active” is to voice your opinion, and to acknowledge that you are voting on decisions every day, like where I shop, what I do, etc. I believe research and class time will make me more knowledgeable, and empower me to act.

In college I don’t get much opportunities to branch out and learn from other disciplines because in college I am meant to specialize into one thing which prevents me from experiencing other areas. The most empowering thing i can do is cut out waste where i can but in modern america thats difficult to do without others help. the thing that would help me the most is if everyone helped prevent waste because most people think with if someones gonna cancel me out why even bother but that philosophy is why most people arent willing to.

I think that this class (NMD 200) is preparing me in that aspect, it’s given me new perspectives and thought provoking discussions that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten without this class.

Being able to learn more and know about the world at large in our changing age is hugely important for us students going forward, as we’re the ones who will be taking charge and leading this society eventually, and being able to have these different ideas and perspectives making up our philosophies is hugely important.

  • Simplify now & avoid the rush

Resources and energy are finite. Taking control of how we use them and what we leave for future living beings is in our control.

Our action now do matter. 

Why Simplify Now

Balconies & Canopies

Reforestation

Greening our homes

overshoot

Global ecological overshoot occurs when the demands made by humanity exceed what the biosphere of Earth can provide through its capacity for renewal.

A world without overshoot is healthier, peacefuller, more relaxed and easier than our current take-make-waste economic model. 

Take the Overshoot Quiz

I learned all about Overshoot, and that there is an Earth overshoot day that was on August 1st. I found out the overshoot cannot continue forever, and we’ve been in overshoot since 1970 which is genuinely scary.

I learned a lot, including that overshoot is something related to beyond just the environment. It can explain lots of things, including our economic system.

One thing I learned from this quiz that struck me as interesting is that there are city concepts in the making that act as a part of the natural ecosystem, instead of something that disrupts it. I think we should implement some of these features in New England towns and cities –

I bet Boston wouldn’t be nearly as hard to breathe in if it has buildings that absorbed the excess carbon in the air and put it different uses. I also think it’d be nice to be able to walk wherever you need to go instead of relying on cars in those breakneck tunnels, so reshaping the roads to suit people traveling on foot and bike would make cities a lot safer, not to mention cut fuel emissions.

I think if we could pair those concepts with more community gardens, where people could volunteer to help grow the plants and then harvest what they grew when they were short on produce, that might make cities very interesting and beneficial communal spaces to live in.

Something I learned from taking this quiz is that Brazil has the largest biocapacity on earth with 15%. Following that, the U.S, China and Russia all hold 10%

This quiz taught me a lot of stats I was aware of, and if I’m being completely honest before I took this quiz I really never heard of Overshoot at all before- I didn’t know it had existed since the 70s either. There’s many risks in our environment right down to what we eat in a day, there’s many future dangers but hopefully if we work hard we can help change some of that.

Overshoot and how it impacts every person in the world, ecosystem and businesses

Something that I learned when taking the overshoot quiz is that I really do not know as much about climate change as I thought I did. There was a lot of information in that quiz that had me shocked and surprised just how overlooked it is by everybody (including myself).

This quiz was a wake up call for me to do better and to treat our environment with respect and how we can protect it from being harmed in the future. I had never really put any thought into Overshoot and how that can really have negative impacts on our environment until I found out that it is a real issue and something that can so easily be stopped but hasn’t

I learned how we can’t continue on the current path due to the fact that eventually overshoot, will end we’re essentially living on borrowed time from the way I understood it and into time, the system will collapse and disaster will strike, solutions need to be made here and now to fix tomorrow.

Something I learned while taking the quiz was that we have been in overshoot since 1970 and a simple way to make a difference is to eat a plant based diet!

I learned about the actual impacts of overshoot throughout the quiz. One way this quiz did this was by showing how much emissions came from different areas. Per person, the US was more than China, and I would have originally though it to be the other way around.

It also put in perspective things like how little people live within the Earth’s limits, when that is so obviously something everyone should be doing.

I enjoyed learning more about the terms used throughout the quiz, like biocapacity, ecological footprint, and overshoot (I thought it was very interesting that the Earth’s overshoot has been tracked since 1970 and the date for it this year was August 1). I also enjoyed the different examples that it gave with each term.

I’ve never considered other countries biocapacity and found it informative that all of them are not equally rich, which makes sense when you take into consideration their individual differences, whether cultural, size, population, climate, etc. Overall, I learned some very insightful information about overshoot, how it affects the world as a whole, and what we can do to reduce/stop it.

Thing that I learned: It made it easier for me to put into perspective how much of energy we overshoot by giving out a day in which all energy used after is overshot.   Overshoot day: AUGUST 1, 2024

I learned that brazil has a higher bio-capacity than India does.

I learned that the way we are living right now is not forever achievable due to the idea of Overshooting. Overshooting is the idea that you are using something faster than it can replenish.

I learned just like in America the richest people cause the majority of the pollution and its the same with countries the richest countries by far abuse the earth and take the riches from it and keep it all to themselves while everyone else suffers.

  • Live within Earth Means

Why do corporations spend $657bn on advertising yearly? If the best things in life are free, why are we pressed to consume the planet for convenience or fake happiness?

What would it mean to create our happiness with people and with the natural ecosystems instead of consuming commodities made by corporations? 

Transition Towns

the power of Possibility

Once we begin to understand Overshoot and the Great Simplification that is nature’s corrective, it becomes easier to notice the contributing negative factors, and begin to avoid them, as well as seeing the positive solution-based factors and begin adopting those.  

 To exercise more power, we can get our values clear, get an informed systems-lens, and then make our choices accordingly as best we can, one step at a time.

Describe your favorite solution from Earth Overshoot Day’s Power of Possibility, why it appeals to you,  and  how it could empower you and/or your community. 

The Power of Possibility

Solution: Land Stewardship for Low Impact Beef Production. This solution is described as focusing on small-scale farms with a mixed landscape instead of larger-scale grazing or feed based industrial farms. This solution appealed to me in particular because I have been eating less red meat recently because I don’t like the practices of the industrial farms and their impact on the environment. I think that everything about those large industrial farms is not what I stand for. They have poor treatment of animals and a bad environmental impact.

The solution of more small-scale farms would empower the Maine communities because they produce less emissions than industrial farms and would treat the animals better. In Maine in particular, there are some small farms that do this (in my hometown of Kennebunk, we have a small store to buy them called Shield’s Meats and Produce).

However, making this practice more widespread could empower local farmers and lower emissions worldwide.

My topic: Sustainable Homes. Without any loss to productivity or comfort, Overshoot day is moved by roughly 21 days if we just start living in sustainable buildings using sustainable resources to maintain them. I love the different ideas people come up with when making eco-friendly houses, including using tires for insulation. Having a coast that is clean and energy sufficient would make the environment healthier overall for everyone, animals and humans included, so I am inspired to bring this idea home with me.

Women’s and girls’ reproductive health: Affordable and safe contraceptives, family planning, and smaller family sizes lead to less consumption of the Earth’s resources. Availability of contraceptives would also reduce unplanned pregnancies, which would increase the quality of life for many women. This one appeals to me because, given that I’m female and reproductive rights have been rolled back in the United States, I fear that I may find myself in a situation where I give birth whether I want to or not.

I think it’s important to keep population sizes manageable, and for women to have children when they’re prepared to do so, not because circumstances forced them into the position of mother or because they didn’t have access to the right medicine or treatment after a not-so-positive-or-consensual sexual experience. I think planned parenthood across the human populace would also work wonders for preventing labor-related deaths due to unwanted pregnancies, as well as reducing the frequency of familial abuse.

In my eyes, the availability of birth control and the options of abortion and hysterectomy can only mean good things for the wider human population, saving on valuable resources and increasing the likelihood of any one family to actually be functionable and happy, because it was made from conscious choice and a genuine desire to make a family.

One of the biggest solutions would be [reducing] food waste. It’s a simple problem that requires solutions at the individual level. When I go grocery shopping, I try to get only what I need, making a plan for meals for the week. I’m pretty sparse about perishables, understanding how long certain foods are good for and making sure I have a plan for everything I buy. I think I could bring awareness about this to my community, as it wouldn’t just help the environment, it would help them financially. Planning is just the mature and appropriate thing to do.

The solution I picked was Smart cities. This solution looks at cities and how we can use technology to make these high populated areas more green and more healthy for the environment.

This really hit home for me as I am originally from just outside of Boston. So I would be in the big city pretty often, and I think that this change for how cities operate and how buildings are built could have a lot of positive impacts on the environment and the people living in the city.

I chose End Single Use Plastic. It appeals to me because I think buying bottled water is a poor way to spend your money. I also think buying products that are wrapped in tons of plastic is silly too.

I think it’s something that is achievable because many companies already have chosen to not use plastic to wrap their products, but instead, use recycled products. Plastic is also not super recyclable according to the article, it can only be recycled a few times before becoming useless.

i would choose the plant based meals in school it is extremely important to introduce this type of food to kids at a young age because that leads to them eating that way their whole life red meat is not only bad for your body but for the earth too and this allows kids and future adults to know they dont need a steak in every meal. this appeals to me because it was hard for me as a teen to realize i didnt need to eat meat at every meal and if i was introduced to this sooner i would be able to eat that way much easier.

The idea of having smart cities would be amazing but a very tricky concept. Having transportation systems and having a more clean budget when it comes to a city sounds very ideal but I would be very curious to know what exactly that would imply.

Not that it is a bad idea, but I believe the cities would also need to take into account how many people are purchasing products, using transportation like their cars, how food resources would be affected as well.

But overall, I find this idea to be very interesting and would want to know more about how a city setup would look.

The solution that I chose was circular fashion. I chose this one because I am guilty of overconsumption, and have been trying to shop less, buy more second hand, and produce less waste daily. Their solution is ” Structured processing of pre-consumer materials to reduce the consumption of resources such as water or soil.”

It says that only 1% of clothes are ever recycled, and they all end up in landfills instead. There are so many materials that could be recycled, and the amount of articles of clothing that go to waste is baffling.

I think that if people started consuming less, and the push of trends dies down, circular fashion could make its way into society and help the environment tremendously.

I chose “Shifting To A Plant Based Diet” because my family and I have been eating pretty much plant based for a few years now. The idea is to replace 50% of global meat consumption with instead, plant proteins. It helps reduce the overuse of water, land, grain, etc.

The Power of Possibility also said it would move overshoot day by a week. The reason I chose this one specifically was because it’s a change than anyone can do, no matter their age, salary, time, etc. We all eat. There is so much energy that goes into the production of meat and if a majority of the population cut it out of their diets, we would save so much of that energy. I’ve been gluten free, vegan for about a year now, but have barely ate any meat my whole life and I always say to the people around me that if they just tried it out, they would realize that the plant-based substitutes are just as good if not better.

I think we could build a great community where we could share recipes, support local businesses/farmers, and continue to educate others on the issue. We are in this together.

After taking a look at the Power of Possibility, I chose to focus on food waste since my household has some issues with that topic. In terms of food waste according to FAO food waste was so severe that every year 1/3 of food was wasted on the planet. 

This topic does appeal to me because in my household there’s always forgotten food that ends up becoming molded or wasted, so to counter this even a tiny bit- if I notice my fridge is getting a little full I usually go in and check for the food that is still good, but also now at the grocery store if my Grandmother asks if I want anything I lower the list of items I want based on how much I already have so I don’t overpopulate how much food I have and end up wasting some of it.

I feel explaining this method to our communities could do a lot, don’t buy food you don’t really need– of course you can pick out some treats here and there but don’t buy a bag of apples if you already have another at home is that type of thing I mean. Hopefully with this knowledge spreading things can improve when it comes to food waste.

I decided on Fashion promoting organic natural fibers. This solution focuses on eliminating harmful chemicals and embracing organic fibers like cotton, hemp, wool, offering both environmental and social benefits. Specifically, organic cotton has been proven to improve biodiversity, reduce water consumption, and lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional cotton farming. By making this shift, we can address some of the environmental damage caused by fast fashion while supporting sustainable ecosystems and communities.

This solution resonates with me because it combines personal lifestyle choices with significant environmental impact. Fashion is an everyday part of life, and being more intentional about what we wear allows us to express our values. Organic fibers align with sustainability, offering a way to balance individuality and environmental responsibility. The fact that organic cotton cultivation saves an average of 91% water and reduces CO2 emissions by 46% highlights the tangible difference it can make.

Additionally, learning about its positive impact on biodiversity and soil health reinforces my belief that small, thoughtful actions can lead to significant change. For me, this solution represents empowerment through informed decision-making. It encourages me to move away from synthetic, resource-intensive fabrics and toward organic, biodegradable options. By choosing brands that support organic farming or exploring second-hand and sustainable alternatives, I can reduce my ecological footprint and advocate for more conscious consumption. In my community, this solution opens opportunities to educate others about the hidden costs of fast fashion. Hosting sustainability workshops, advocating for local stores to carry more organic options, and creating spaces for conversations about the environmental impact of our choices could inspire collective action. Furthermore, supporting small-scale farmers and ethical brands, that prioritize nature, health, and fairness creates a positive feedback loop for change. Organic cotton makes up only 1% of global production, but it has huge growth potential. With support and incentives for farmers to switch to organic crops, sustainable fashion could become more accessible. The benefits, like healthier soil, more biodiversity, and less water use, go beyond fashion, helping both ecosystems and communities thrive. This solution shows that small, deliberate choices can create big change. Promoting organic natural fibers is a simple step toward a healthier, more sustainable future.

I picked Shift towards plant based diet.  It shocked me how if we replace meat with plant based substitutions that it move overshoot from CO2 emission and land use.

It is unbelievable that beef, in particular, requires 25kg of grain and roughly 15,000 liters of water per kilogram produced.

It is very important to reduce co2 emission because it causes serious consequences like global worming and even methane emission.

Smart Energy Bus Depot – The state of Maryland is about to enable 44 buses to go from diesel to electric. This would reduce overall emissions and promote carbon neutrality. I thought this was interesting because it could be something that we as a state could take part in. The buses around the university campus could be a good place to start and try this solution out.

I found the plant based meals solution to be a very interesting one as, I feel this would raise a lot of debates especially in the US, however if it’s going to reduce the carbon footprint of school lunches and make the more sustainable in a age where we’re fighting against the clock with the environment that this is a huge way we could move the date as the campaign says.

  • Imagine Green Alternatives

We have most of the knowledge we need to live greener, more fulfilled lives.

We can imagine, design and build the greener world we want together.

So let’s get to work instead of waiting for our leaders to show us the way. 

Solar Punk

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