The Role of Education in Promoting Sustainable Design
It is hard to overestimate the role of education in promoting sustainability writ large. In fact, education plays a critical part in advancing a learning society for sustainability through quality education. As part of the overall effort, sustainable design has become an important concept that is having a huge impact on all facets of human activity, education, and the environment.
As an approach, sustainable design influences the way people design goods, buildings, and other products. This is a critical influence because it aims to minimize or eliminate the negative impacts of the production process while enjoying economic and social benefits.
Education has a central role in helping people become more aware of the existing methods and approaches that help individuals and businesses find sustainable solutions to the design of products and services. Let’s take a closer look at the specific factors that are responsible for promoting sustainable design through quality educational efforts.
Photo by Wander Fleur
It’s about Creating Awareness as a Starting Point
One of the obvious starting points is, of course, about creating general awareness about the need to promote sustainable design, the rationale behind it, and the expected benefits. Educational efforts can make a huge difference in educating individuals, companies, and governments about the responsible and sustainable use of their resources, products, and services.
Wider efforts can target entire communities. Issue-based public campaigns are also a great and effective outreach mechanism. Educational activities can also vary by target group. For instance, if you are targeting youth, you might as well choose flash mobs as the most effective way of engaging with students.
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Combining Formal and Informal Studies
Education efforts do not need to be formal. One can opt for a combination of formal and informal means. In today’s technology-driven world, it should not be a problem to come up with a mix that will cater to the needs of all stakeholders.
Also, be selective about whose views and opinions you listen to. It is easy to fall victim to some sort of propaganda or fake news. Always verify data through multiple sources to protect yourself from malign influence. This will make your case more compelling.
Improving Overall Knowledge and Skills
Education helps people build and develop their knowledge about issues of sustainable design. It also helps them hone their skills. These are important efforts because they constitute different parts of the kind of competence that is crucial for advancing sustainable modes of design that are not going to do harm to the environment. They won’t be implemented to the detriment of natural habitats or environmental resources, which we know for sure are finite.
As part of the process, lots of training courses, workshops, webinars, and other activities can be organized to educate people. Luckily, there are quite a few renowned scholars who can be invited to lead some courses. Some of them would be happy to do it pro bono. A number of celebrities also participate in public campaigns for free.
Many professionals go on to use their knowledge and skills to create a new design that is environmentally sustainable. Space for creativity is unprecedented, and it invites both experienced designers as well as novices. It is important to think outside the box, and it is equally important to focus on the results and impacts of your design on the environment.
Sustainable Design Promotes Innovation
The great thing about promoting sustainable design is that it encourages innovation. For instance, years ago, none of the most popular car companies would even consider switching to make electric vehicles. Most of them would want to stick with internal combustion engines instead. At present, electric cars are the talk of the day. All major brands now produce electric cars. Many new products have emerged on the market too.
Some brands have committed themselves to having all-electric fleets in the next 10 to 20 years. This is a huge achievement, and much of it is owed to the ingenuity of scientists and engineers to come up with new and sustainable designs.
Aiding Public Policy Development
Education can also play a crucial role in helping public policy-making related to sustainable design. If you can provide objective, evidence-based, and compelling information and data to decision-makers, they will find it difficult to shun reviewing it to make the right decisions.
This will have a positive impact on the development of adequate measures for environmental protection. It can also invite the creation of inclusive avenues for policy development to have as many stakeholders participating as possible.
Research & Development
Sustainable design solutions do not come out of the blue. These result from years of meticulous research. This attracts a lot of scientists and engineers to the field because there is so much more to explore and learn about. Despite huge strides made in the field, there is still much ground to cover.
Research and development is an integral part of any successful business. It is important to base education efforts on rigorous data. This underscores the importance of having evidence when designing educational programs.
If you are considering developing new and creative designs, make sure you take advantage of a wide range of CADdetails.com free CAD drawings and tools. More often than not, it does not make sense to reinvent the wheel to produce something that has already been out there. Make the most of the free tools and resources available to create your own design. Adding something new to the existing design is always important, something that will make you stand out.
Sustainable Agriculture Activities
When you use sound and effective education approaches, you can help people design sustainable agriculture production methods. In general, agriculture can have a hugely detrimental impact if managed irresponsibly and without regard to environmental considerations. This underscores the need for purpose-built educational programs to educate farmers and policymakers about sustainable principles, including soil conservation, natural fertilizers, biodiversity, and many more.
Renewable Energy
Energy is another large area where sustainable design can bring about enormous positive results. I am sure you have heard about the damage excessive use of fossil fuels can have, as well as greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring environmental degradation. Renewable energy sources provide a great alternative but are not always easily accessible or affordable.
This opens up a new ground for innovation, experimenting, and designing solutions. The end result is felt at all levels, from household to global.
Green Building Certification
Green building certification is an innovative approach to providing education and training in sustainable construction. This includes ingenious and creative design solutions that meet the requirements of the 21st century. Modern buildings are built with a view to how much energy they can save once complete. Energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of sustainable construction materials are part and parcel of today’s construction business.
Educational efforts are part of the process when it comes to educating both construction companies and their customers about what to look for when placing orders and delivering construction services.
Environmental Science Programs and Activities
Environmental science has become a popular discipline, and lots of students opt for it as a major in their college studies. This is an exciting field where students embark on a long but riveting journey full of discoveries and things to learn.
Many students go on to use their academic skills to work for large companies that can make a huge difference in terms of improving their environmentally sustainable business practices.
Final Thoughts
Sustainable design plays a crucial role because it can mitigate or eliminate the negative impacts of our actions on the environment. We know that our planet is getting increasingly overpopulated. This trend will continue in the years to come.
This means that we must be more creative, judicious, smart, and strategic about developing and using sustainable design solutions. The benefits of sustainable design are well-documented, and they include both economic and social ones. When you promote sustainable design in any field or sector, you decrease the likelihood of negative impacts while increasing the chances of sustainable and equitable outcomes for all.
Author Bio: Jodi Williams is an accomplished writer, student coach, and interior designer. She has made a successful career in both the academic and design industries. With Jodi’s help, thousands of students have been able to make the right decisions about their undergraduate and graduate programs as well as their career choices and paths.
Cover image by Katerina Holmes on Pexels
