'Ecological Literacy in Design Education: A Foundation for Sustainable Design' paper presentation at the DRS//CUMULUS Oslo 2013 - 2nd Int. Conference for Design Education Researchers. More information and paper available here: http://ecolabsblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/ecolabs-at-drs-cumulus-2013-2nd-int-conference-for-design-education-researchers/

1. Ecological Literacy in Design Education:
A Foundation for Sustainable Design
Dr. Joanna (Jody) Boehnert
EcoLabs, London, UK
&
CIRES
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

2. Mecklenburgh sq off

6. Over the past 40 the Living Planet
Index has fallen by 30% in Northern
Countries and 60% in the tropical
world. During this time there has been
a doubling of demands on the natural
systems. At a global level, the yearly
ecological footprint of consumption
takes 1.5 years of regenerative capacity
or ‘biocapacity’ to replace.

7. Contents
1. Ecology Literacy
2. Ecological Literacy in Design
3. Ecological Principles for Design
4. Criticality in Ecological Design

8. David Orr coined the concept of ‘ecological literacy’ in
1992 in his seminal book titled: Ecological Literacy.
The ambitious aims of ecological literacy is to create
the frame of mind that recognises human relations and
interdependency with the natural world and supports
the development of new capacities to create sustainable
way of living.

9. Ecological literacy is a philosophical and educational
programme that recognises humankind’s essential
relationship with the Earth and re-visions educational,
social, political and economic priorities for the design of
sustainable ways of living.

10. Epistemological Error
Ecological theorists suggests that our current way of knowing,
our dominant epistemology, is a result of a reductive,
fragmented approach to knowledge. This epistemological
error determines that we are unable to understand or
effectively respond complex problems.

11. The notion that the dominant epistemological position is
a poor reflection of reality was first proposed by Gregory
Bateson in his seminal book Steps to an Ecology of Mind
(1972).
Bateson claimed that the dominant map of reality is a
poor reflection of reality itself; “most of us are governed by
epistemologies we know to be wrong” (p. 493).

12. The theory of epistemological error suggests that humankind
is undergoing a crisis of perception, based on misperception.
Ecological literacy supports a radical shift in perception to
facilitate an understanding of interdependence. Designers
can also strategically nurture ecological literacy by creating
practices that reveal interrelations.

13. Epistemological error in a technologically advanced society is
lethal – since the technology we create will destroy the basis
of existence. The basic epistemological fallacy is that humans
are separate from the natural world.

14. “The dominant Western epistemology, or knowledge system,
is no longer adequate to cope with the world that it itself has
partly created” (Stephen Sterling)
Epistemological error becomes a serious problem when it is
embedded, by design, into the world we inhabit.

15. Ecological learning is not simply a bunch of new facts, but
challenges many assumption basic premises. Ecological
literacy requires a interrogation of the way of thinking.

16. 2. Ecological Literacy in Design
Four prerequisites to ecological literacy (David Orr)
1.
Ecological literacy is “to know that our health, well-being and
ultimately survival depends on working with, not against, natural
forces”.

17. 2.
Ecological literacy requires an understanding of the scope and speed
of the current crisis through a familiarity with “the vital signs of the
planet and its ecosystems”.

18. 3.
Ecological literacy requires a historical understanding of how we
have become so destructive.

19. 4.
Ecological literacy requires a practical and participatory
approach; “the study of environ-mental problems is an exercise
in despair unless it is regarded as only a preface to the study,
design and implementation of solutions”.

20. Seeing
Knowing
Doing
Epistemology
Ontology
Methodology
Confrontationwithinformationregardingenvironmentalcrisis
Self-examinationofpersonalattitudesinregardtotheenviornment
Acriticalassessmentofassumptionsandbasicpremises
Recognitionofdiscontentandpossibilitiesfortransformation
Explorationofsustainabilityinasociallearningcontext
Planalearningprocessforsustainableeducation
Acquirenewknowledge&skillsinforsustainablewaysofliving
Developsustainablemethodsoflivingandworking
Buildconfidencetoactivelyembednewvaluesintolife&work
Integrationofecologicalliteracyintoallspheres
(professional,personalandpolitical)
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* Dominant learning level inticated by white symbol
Methods
• experiential learning
• critical pedagogy
• transformative learning
These practices create possibilities
for deep learning. Sterling
describes the learning necessary
for sustainable education as
third order learning, i.e. learning
that emphasis capacity building,
enactment and transformative
practice.

21. The world is a complex, interconnected, finite, ecological-social-
psychological-economic system. We treat it as if it were not, as
if it were divisible, separable, simple, and infinite. Our persistent,
intractable, global problems arise directly from this mismatch.
Donella Meadows, 1982
Why? Context
Presently humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds its regenerative
capacity by 30%. This global overshoot is growing and ecosystems are
being run down as wastes (including greenhouse gases) accumulate in
the air, land, and water. Climate change, resource depletion, pollution,
loss of biodiversity, and other systemic environmental problems
threaten to destroy the natural support systems on which we depend.
What? Systems, Networks, Values
Problems cannot be understood in isolation but must be seen as
interconnected and interdependent. We must learn to engage with
complexity and think in terms of systems to address current
ecological, social and economic problems. Images can be useful
tools to help with this learning process.
How? Transformational Learning
The value / action gap permeates education for sustainability and is
obvious in environmental coverage in the media. The gap between
our ideas about what we value and what we are actually doing to
address the problem is the notorious value / action gap. This project
uses transformational learning to move from values to action. This
approach is integrated into cycles of action research and practice
based design work.
References
Fritjof Capra. The Hidden Connections. London: Flamingo. 2003
Stephen Sterling. Whole Systems Thinking as a Basis for Paradigm Change in Education. University of Bath. 2003
Stephen Sterling. Transformational Learning. Researching Transformational Learning. University of Gloucestershire. 2009
Ecological literacy - the understanding of the principles of organization
that ecosystems have evolved to sustain the web of life - is the first
step on the road to sustainability. The second step is the move
towards ecodesign. We need to apply our ecological knowledge to
the fundamental redesign of our technologies and social institutions,
so as to bridge the current gap between human design and the
ecological sustainable systems of nature.
Fritjof Capra, 2003
Levels of Learning & Engagement
1st: Education ABOUT Sustainability
Content and/or skills emphasis. Easily accommodated
into existing system. Learning ABOUT change.
ACCOMMODATIVE RESPONSE - maintenance.
2nd: Education FOR Sustainability
Additional values emphasis. Greening of institutions.
Deeper questioning and reform of purpose, policy and practice.
Learning FOR change. REFORMATIVE RESPONSE - adaptive.
3rd: SUSTAINABLE Education
Capacity building and action emphasis.
Experiential curriculum. Institutions as learning communities.
Learning AS change. TRANSFORMATIVE RESPONSE - enactment.
Stephen Sterling, 2009
j.j.boehnert@brighton.ac.uk | jody@eco-labs.org
This poster can be downloaded on this website: www.eco-labs.org
Transformational Learning
Values, Knowledge, Skills
A: SEEING (Perception)
An expanded ethical sensibility or consciousness
B: KNOWING (Conception)
A critical understanding of pattern,
consequence and connectivity
C: DOING (Action)
The ability to design and act relationally,
integratively and wisely.
Stephen Sterling, 2009
ECOLOGICAL
SOCIALECONOMIC
GOOD
DESIGN
The Visual Communication of Ecological Literacy
Jody Joanna Boehnert - MPhil - School of Architecture and Design
Actions
Ideas / Theories
Norms / Assumptions
Beliefs / Values
Paradigm / Worldview
Metaphysics / Cosmology

23. 3. Ecological Principles for Design
The ‘Nature’s Patterns and Processes’ concept developed by
the Center of Ecological Literacy (CEL) defines six principles
in natural systems. These patterns and processes of nature
are: networks, nested systems, cycles, flows, development,
and dynamic balance. Each of these principles will be linked
to a concept in systems design: resilience, epistemological
awareness, circular design, energy descent, emergence and the
ecological footprint.

24. Networks
Ecosystems are characterised by robust networks with many
interconnections. Highly interconnected complex networks
are resilient to shocks and failure because there is a diversity
of means for achieving systemic goals. Nature’s networks are
resilient – in sharp contrast to design in industrial systems
that are often optimized for maximum efficiency and short-
term profitability. Design principles of resilience systems as
consisting of small units dispersed in space, redundancy,
diversity, decentralized control, quick feedback, self-reliance
and appropriate scale.

25. Nested systems
Nested systems refer to the relationship between systems.
The concept is important because systemic dysfunction arises
when the relationship between the nested layers breaks down.
The implications of dysfunction in nested systems are
dramatice (such as the relationship now between the
ecological and economic system). Systems design requires an
ability to distinguish between different types of premises for
different levels of systems. Epistemological flexibility enables
conscious movement between different levels of abstraction.

26. Flow
Flows, feedbacks, stocks and delays between cause and effect
are central to understanding ecological processes and are
basic concepts of systems thinking. The availability and flow
of natural resources will become increasingly important for
designers in an age of increasing resource scarcity. Designers
need to be aware of basic energy concepts such energy
descent, embedded energy and EROI to make informed
design decisions.

27. Cycles
In nature’s cycles there is no waste as all elements are
endlessly re-used. These natural cycles are a stark contrast to
the industrial production where 99% of materials extracted
from the earth are waste in just six months. Designers must
learn how to support the development and design of a circular
economy in order to eliminate the concept of waste. The
imitation of natural processes in biomimicry has significant
potential here.

28. Development
As complex living systems develop they exhibit self-
organizing properties. Development is a learning process in
which individuals and environments adapt to one another.
Emergence appears as the result of relationships wherein
the whole is greater than the parts. The phenomenon of
emergence is significant for sustainability because it implies
that systems will exhibit unpredictable behaviour.

29. Dynamic balance
Dynamic balance is created as systems organise themselves
in response to feedback from subsystems and meta-systems.
Ecological systems maintain their processes through feedback
loops that allow systems to self-regulate within tolerance
limits. Ecological footprinting and planetary boundaries
must be embedded into the design education curriculum so
designers are aware of the consequences of their practice and
start to create sustainable ways of living.

30. 4. Criticality in Ecological Design
Creating sustainable alternatives to current ways of living
challenges hegemonic ideologies, cultural traditions, pow-
erful corporate interests and public institutions. For this
reason, critical thinking about issues of power – and the po-
litical dimension of design, is essential. Ecological design,
situated within a unsustainable world, must be critically in-
formed on the relationships between power and knowledge
in order to address the interests that support ‘business as
usual’ (or some slight variation thereof).

31. Institutions and corporations maintain their legitimacy by
publicizing green credentials, but are often far less likely to
do the much harder work of building capacities to address
environmental problems effectively. Ultimately, ecologically
literate design must confront the cultural tradition and
development frameworks that determine the systemic
priorities of the design industry.

32. Economic growth demands the constant increase in the
flow of ecological resources, as mechanical engineer
Professor Roderick Smith warned in a noteworthy speech
at the UK Royal Academy of Engineering:
…relatively modest annual percentage growth rates lead to
surprisingly short doubling times. Thus, a 3% growth rate, which
is typical of the rate of a developed economy, leads to a dou¬bling
time of just over 23 years. The 10% rates of rapidly developing
economies double the size of the economy in just under 7 years.
These figures come as a surprise to many people, but the real
surprise is that each successive doubling period consumes as
much resource as all the previous doubling periods combined.
This little appreciated fact lies at the heart of why our current
economic model is unsustainable. (2007, p.17)

33. Ecological literacy informs the debate on sustainability by
revealing that ultimately sustainability is not a feature of a
particular product but the condition of a culture relative to its
gross impact on ecological systems. Since the cumulative impact
of consumer lifestyles, or the ecological footprint of consumption
in the UK is 4.71gha and 7.19gha in the United States, nothing
in our culture is sustainable. While the behaviour of certain
individuals is below the threshold, the gross impact of the
collective system is the indicator that matters.

34. In light of the severity of ecological problems,
all institutional practices that perpetuate
ecologically harmful activities must be challenged.
These challenges are perceived by those with
institutionalised power as a threat to their own
legitimacy and ecologically informed critiques
(such as this one) are typically marginalised.
Thus environmental problems continue to
become more severe and often design students
continue not to be provided with the capacities to
address these problems.

36. Dr. Joanna (Jody) Boehnert
EcoLabs, London, UK - www.eco-labs.org
&
CIRES - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
University of Colorado, Boulder, USA - (upcoming August 2013)
The presentation of this paper would not have been possible without generous support from individuals who responded to my crowd
funding campaign. Many thanks to: Simon Rafferty, Professor Gregory G. Stock, Jess Sand, Karin Jaschke, Alison Hodgson, Hugh
Knowles, Ian Willey, Joel Davis, Richard Frost, Jonathan Crinion, Jennifer Boehnert, Paul Chandler, Orlagh O’Brien and several anonymous
contributors. I am also grateful to the Design Research Society for covering conference fees in exchange for a review of the event.