After months of deliberation the Royal Commission report into the 2009 bushfires has been released and its findings have been made public.

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Thought I’d put in a plug for a local design studio for a change.

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I come across a lot of high-quality infographics in publications like New Scientists and I’m continually impressed by how designers find new ways to present information.

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A very talented friend of mine working for Shine Technologies here in Melbourne has just completed work on an iPhone application designed to provide easy access to the scientific data that contradicts some of the more popular arguments put forward by ‘climate skeptics’.

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These business cards were made for Thomas Fairman, a Forest Scientist from the University of Melbourne working on land carbon reserves in Victoria.

The design was done by yours truly with printing by West-Australian company Saltprint. They offer a range of 100% recycled paper stock which use a mix of totally chlorine-free and elemental chlorine-free pulp fibers and part of their commitment to the environment includes planting one native tree for every order to offset the carbon cost of the printing. They also use renewable energy sources like wind and hydro for most (92%)of their power requirements.

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NewPage Corporation is one of the largest pulp mill and paper distributing companies in the world and, at first glance, it seems to be a company that is taking its corporate responsibility seriously. Much of their website is devoted to the policies and systems put in place by NewPage to offset the carbon ‘footprint’ of the organisation. Their stated intentions are certainly commendable. Often times it is a lack of transparency and oversight that allow large companies to continue practices with high short-term returns at the expense of the natural environment in the long term.

In lieu of that, NewPage appears to be doing just what their name suggests; stepping up and educating the public and retailers on best practices when it comes to sustainability.

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Living Light is an interactive architectural installation in South Korea’s capital Seuol designed by American and Korean architects David Benjamin and Soo-in Yang. It’s part of an ambitious project aimed at creating structures that respond to both the physical and cultural environment. In their words the Living Architecture Lab aims to “to make visible the invisible forces that shape our world”.

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Conventional commercial printing companies produce waste by-products in a number of ways. Inks may contain metallic pigments including cadmium, barium and copper and petroleum based solvents are used to separate chemicals and clean the machinery. Furthermore, large-scale commercial printers release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air during printing alongside large amounts of waste water.

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I keep seeing ute commercials on TV that mention ‘ESP’ as a feature. I can only assume that the car provides some sort of extrasensory perception. But I’m not buying it until they introduce telepathic navigation controls (or TNCs).

Video by the very talented and conscientious Swiss animator Mato Atom.

I recently met the mysterious artists behind the ‘Past Use By’ Metcard installation in the foyer of the Adelphi Hotel. Their work, also part 0f the State of Design Festival looked at the paper waste that results from single-use metcards.

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Also part of the State of Design festival was a competition sponsored by Melbourne company Electrolight. Contestants were given a 1 meter strip of LED lights on a flexible strip and tasked with designing a light fixture that reflects the need for sustainable lighting as Australia phases out incandescent lamps. Entries are on display until saturday 25/7 at Guildford Lane Gallery in Melbourne. Details and directions are on the State of Design website.

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As part of the state of design festival festival Melbourne company Electrolight is running a competition centered on creating new fixtures for sustainable lighting.

Part of their marketing for the competition was the creation of this silkscreen poster by local design studio Buro North. Details of the production and photos of the printing process itself can be found on For Print Only blog.

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