Brooklyn-based artist Joseph Herscher recently released a video showcasing “The Page Turner”, a Rube Goldberg machine which (spoiler alert) turns the page of a newspaper through a long series of chain reactions. The absurdity of performing such a small task by “elaborately wasteful ways” is the first in a series called Ecomachines, critiquing the seemingly small, sometimes frustrating efforts of enacting positive environmental change on an individual level. His statements, not his artwork, are an affront to my thesis work - so I begin a rant in its defense. While Mr. Herscher’s machines are spectacular, his commentary on the environmental movement seem naive and an afterthought.
Mr. Herscher laments, “it takes more energy to recycle paper than it does to cut it down”. A truthful observation; however, this is where his argument ends. He does not address what happens to paper once it has been used or thrown away. The energy used to harvest, process, distribute, and print on paper is not re-captured by the planet to offset this linear cycle; the planet’s supply of trees can not match our appetite for more paper. What then? The United States uses about 71 million tons of paper and paperboard, and approximately 63 percent was recycled, keeping 45 millions tons of paper out of landfills. Instead of cutting down more trees to meet demand thus reducing the planet’s ability to absorb our growing CO2 output, we are attempting to create a more sustainable, cradle to cradle cycle for our waste.
I agree that smaller actions, especially for the environmental movement, are almost inconsequential to the exploits of larger entities and the system as a whole. However, where Mr. Herscher falls short in recognizing where systemic behavior change originates. Granted, an individual must operate within a given framework set by the system in which he/she lives, but whether an individual functions in accordance to the rules or breaks them, both enact massive, systemic change.
Following the rules of a system, individuals can collectively cause change; in recent examples of our current financial and environmental crises, many individuals working within a framework (determined by the few) caused the collapse. In the case of the environment, I would argue that the actions of larger entities are merely reactions to the demands and behaviors of millions of individuals consumption patterns. While change can stem from following the rules, breaking them can create shifts on a massive scale as well. The Civil Rights movement, automobile safety, and the passing of environmental laws in the early 70’s all stemmed from the actions of individuals no longer satisfied with a system they were living in. I’m digressing a bit, but to close, instead of reading David JC Makay’s book, Mr. Herscher should instead pick up a copy of “A People’s History of the United States”.
References:
Hugh Ryan, “Who Says Machines Must Be Useful?, ” New York Times. January 6, 2011, accessed January 11, 2011. link
John Pavlus “Unbelievable Rube Goldberg Machine Critiques The Green Movement,” Fast Company Design. January 11, 2011, accessed January 11, 2011. link
Paper Recycling | US EPA, November 29, 2011, accessed January 11, 2011. link
