Jargon Watch: 100 Mile Style
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.21.08
Brent Comber's Alder Collection, Vancouver
All TreeHuggers know about the 100 mile diet, but watch out for the next trend, the 100 mile style, first heard (by us) via the Globe and Mail. We quote: "Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost to the planet of transporting heavy things from a factory in the Far East or Europe to their North American homes," says Graeme Spicer, director of retail strategy at DW + Partners Inc., a retail branding and design consultancy in Toronto. "They also have more confidence that their purchases are being created in an environmentally friendly or at least environmentally neutral manner if they're made locally instead of in, say, China, which has a shaky environmental record at best."
It is an interesting concept which supports local artists, designers, manufacturers and smaller retailers, an entire infrastructure of design.
Molo's Paper SoftseatingVancouver
Spicer, who likens regional decor to bespoke tailoring and artisanal wares, says these often one-of-a-kind works are the new must-haves for design types.
"As boomers are getting older, they are questioning the cult of consumerism and what is truly of value," he says. In this context, "a carefully curated collection of unusual pieces by lesser-known designers has as much appeal as a room full of Eames and Jacobsen."
Covello Reesor's Common Chair: Old Ideas, Old Materials, New Design, Toronto
Imagine if the 100 mile style became a meme like the 100 mile diet did. A high-design small-mart culture where you can look your chair-maker in the face like you do your farmer at the farmers' market.
Castor Canadensis Credenza2
, Toronto
Time to start geo-tagging everything on TreeHugger! ::Globe and Mail
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100 Mile Style--why didn't I think of that? I wonder if it would have been easier to design and construct my own home if I had emplyed a snappy catch phrase to describe my process instead of telling folks I was building my house out of rocks and garbage?
Bravo Treehugger!,
I have been following this philosophy for about a year with my company SKN Design. We've launched with a line of reusable totes that are made in the USA. We were even able to source our organic fabrics to be grown and woven in the US. Not an easy task these days, let me tell you. However- it makes sense. Sourcing local is better for the environment and our local economy. We here at SKN are building a strong, design savvy company in both product and practices.
I am happy to see you shining a light on this important topic.
http://www.getskn.com
Best Regards,
Jennifer Stevenson
SKN Design
What a crock. Transport only adds a couple of percent worth of carbon to any products overall carbon profile. Most consumers would burn more carbon in their SUVs driving to an inefficient studio on the outskirts of town than they would to the local furniture store.
Just like farmers markets and organic products, this is actually worse for the environment overall.
I briefly had a thought the other day while watching a PBS special about where our garbage goes and how our waste is processed here in San Diego County.
We also ship our waste everywhere. And we don't recycle much of it. In the future I believe we will need to take care of our waste locally somehow. This might be a good topic for a blog. With topics like community composting. Got any Ideas. I'd love to hear what my fellow tree hugger have to say.