Image: The Constructive Institute

What is the design media’s role in tackling the Climate Crisis? Architects Declare, with the support of Design Declares and UK Interior Design Declares, has issued an open letter to the design press calling for a shift in mindset. It asks publications to take greater responsibility over how they cover projects and whose voices they give a platform to. “We need the media to ask more searching questions about new technologies,” the letter also states, demanding for a “more constructive public dialogue”. It also calls for titles to analyse their content based on a scoring system to assess what proportion of it “gives uncritical coverage to something that is clearly unsustainable” and to use that data to change future editorial direction. The letter has been published by Architecture Today: read it it in full here

“This short film is an arresting look at the state of a world hurtling out of control,” says Steve McQueen, talking about a new film for Greenpeace (above). Don’t Stop was exec produced by McQueen and directed by Samona Olanipekun from a script created by ad agency Mother. It features a party descending into chaos and “captures the unease at seeing corporations (especially those of oil and gas) and their enablers do damage to the environment on our behalf, acting like there’s no tomorrow and driving the climate crisis solely for their profit. But we have collective power to realise a different future. It’s imperative that people don’t forget, tomorrow is promised to no one,” McQueen says. The film will feature on screens at the Glastonbury Festival. More here from Creative Review

Design Week reports on a new concept which “could reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated during the construction of onshore wind turbines by as much as 80%”. The design, by Swedish design and technology start-up Stilfold, features a steel ‘root system’ that supposedly mimics nature to support the turbine: existing wind turbine foundations require up to 90 trucks of concrete and ten trucks of reinforced steel bars to stabilise just one of the 150 metre poles, Design Week reports. Full story here  

The 2023 New Zero Festival will run from 31 October to 1 November at the Business Design Centre in London. Hosted by publication BusinessGreen, it will feature “exhibitors showcasing how to accelerate the net zero transition and four streams of content designed to inspire, demonstrate action taken, connect peers and showcase solutions needed to deliver on the UK’s net zero goals”. Details here

And talking of festivals, the third Design for Planet event will be at the University of East Anglia in Norwich from 17-18 October. “This year's theme COLLABORATE will bring together over 60 experts from a range of disciplines including fashion, built environment, energy, inclusivity, policy and more to empower an important cross-industry dialogue,” organisers Design Council say. Full details here

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