Glorious - Paul Baloche
I'm currently doing some readings for my design course, which specifically focuses on the relationship between society and technology. As have been previously mentioned in other design courses, the same ethical issues always arise: Is technology beneficial to humans? Should we advance technology?
Well, as someone who is very interested in design and invention, I have asked myself the same questions. How has technology affected society? How can we design things with maximum positive effects and no negative consequences? What about the environment? What is my purpose on Earth and what am I doing to fulfill that purpose?
First, I always believed that the main role for humans living on Earth was to take care of the animals and the earth. As it says in Genesis 1:26-28,
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
As God is our ruler and He takes care of us, so should we, as rulers over all the animals, take care of them. But it seems like we haven't been doing a very good job of that. The world has been corrupted by sin and it is evident even in the state of the Earth, let alone the way humans treat each other. One of the fundamental jobs we were tasked with, the only real responsibility God gave us for the Earth, we have failed. Animals are becoming extinct; their habitats being destroyed and taken over by humans. Sure, we have subdued the earth like we were told to, but we haven't done it for the right reasons.
So what does this have to do with design? What does this have to do with technology? As I am learning more and more about the influence of technology on society and the impacts on the environment, I have noticed that something needs to be done. People need to wake up and really see how we have been impacted by technology and how we have been impacting our environment. I am glad that I am studying about this topic, as I feel that it is crucial for designers and engineers to have this in mind when we go off doing our thing.
The Hannover Principles are a collection of 9 guidelines that designers, engineers and inventors should keep in mind and follow when considering technological solutions for our society and environment. The following is a copy-paste version of the Hannover Principles that I have taken from this document (page 6).
I also would like to define the term "Design for Sustainability". We want to be able to create products that will help the earth sustain itself for ages to come. We want our products or technical solutions to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs", while being "aware of the full short and long term consequences of any transformation of the environment" (page 4).
1. Insist on rights of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable
condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the
natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to
recognizing even distant effects.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement
including community, dwelling, industry and trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between
spiritual and material consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability
of natural systems and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for
maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless creation of products,
processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes,
to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative
forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve a l l
problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a
model and mentor, not as an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication
between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers and users to link long term sustainable considerations with
ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human
activity.
I posted the song Glorious - by Paul Baloche at the beginning of this post. Part of the chorus goes, "Glorious, my eyes have seen the glory of the Lord. Glorious, He stands above the rulers of the earth." In my interpretation of this song, I feel that Paul is referring to humans as the "rulers of the earth" and God is the one who stands above us. God made us to rule over the earth, so one day when we meet Him at the gates of Heaven, will He tell us that we have done a good job as His servants, the keepers of the earth?
Job 21 & 22 today.
I'm currently doing some readings for my design course, which specifically focuses on the relationship between society and technology. As have been previously mentioned in other design courses, the same ethical issues always arise: Is technology beneficial to humans? Should we advance technology?
Well, as someone who is very interested in design and invention, I have asked myself the same questions. How has technology affected society? How can we design things with maximum positive effects and no negative consequences? What about the environment? What is my purpose on Earth and what am I doing to fulfill that purpose?
First, I always believed that the main role for humans living on Earth was to take care of the animals and the earth. As it says in Genesis 1:26-28,
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
As God is our ruler and He takes care of us, so should we, as rulers over all the animals, take care of them. But it seems like we haven't been doing a very good job of that. The world has been corrupted by sin and it is evident even in the state of the Earth, let alone the way humans treat each other. One of the fundamental jobs we were tasked with, the only real responsibility God gave us for the Earth, we have failed. Animals are becoming extinct; their habitats being destroyed and taken over by humans. Sure, we have subdued the earth like we were told to, but we haven't done it for the right reasons.
So what does this have to do with design? What does this have to do with technology? As I am learning more and more about the influence of technology on society and the impacts on the environment, I have noticed that something needs to be done. People need to wake up and really see how we have been impacted by technology and how we have been impacting our environment. I am glad that I am studying about this topic, as I feel that it is crucial for designers and engineers to have this in mind when we go off doing our thing.
The Hannover Principles are a collection of 9 guidelines that designers, engineers and inventors should keep in mind and follow when considering technological solutions for our society and environment. The following is a copy-paste version of the Hannover Principles that I have taken from this document (page 6).
I also would like to define the term "Design for Sustainability". We want to be able to create products that will help the earth sustain itself for ages to come. We want our products or technical solutions to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs", while being "aware of the full short and long term consequences of any transformation of the environment" (page 4).
1. Insist on rights of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable
condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the
natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to
recognizing even distant effects.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement
including community, dwelling, industry and trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between
spiritual and material consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability
of natural systems and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for
maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless creation of products,
processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes,
to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative
forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve a l l
problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a
model and mentor, not as an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication
between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers and users to link long term sustainable considerations with
ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human
activity.
I posted the song Glorious - by Paul Baloche at the beginning of this post. Part of the chorus goes, "Glorious, my eyes have seen the glory of the Lord. Glorious, He stands above the rulers of the earth." In my interpretation of this song, I feel that Paul is referring to humans as the "rulers of the earth" and God is the one who stands above us. God made us to rule over the earth, so one day when we meet Him at the gates of Heaven, will He tell us that we have done a good job as His servants, the keepers of the earth?
Job 21 & 22 today.
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