Ecology, environment and communication

One way to look at ecology is as a balance between humans and their environment. It’s also about us humans—the troops on the front line—acting and reacting to climate change, social inequality, and environmental deterioration.

It’s impossible to turn a blind eye and consciously ignore the weight of the issues related to ecology and the state of the environment. While the word “ecology” is synonymous with “green” and “environmental”—and frequently goes hand in hand with open minds and new markets—it is far too often casually tossed around in everyday conversations or electoral debates.

In our field of work, if we can’t go green in the strictest sense, would it be OK to be light green? How can we avoid being all talk and engage in “green design”? Are forest footprints and sustainable packaging passing trends or sustainable shifts?

Going green isn’t free! On a day-to-day basis, we can make a whole whack of acts of green; but, in the end, if pixels consume energy, certain aesthetic and artistic choices will come at a cost. Are clients prepared to pay that cost? It’s a question worth asking. And as they say, asking the right question is half way to finding the right answer!

This month we examined the issue. The fruit of our research was a series of articles about ecology in the field of graphic design. On the menu: eco-communication, the colour green, energy-efficient pixels, environmentally friendly software, the PACT, and fibre. In short, enough material to whet your appetite and hopefully inspire you to look into the matter further and give it more thought! One can hope.