PSFK Conference NYC (Part 5): Reconnect
On April 2nd I attended the PSFK Conference NYC. I’m using this multi-post series to share some of the highlights.
PANEL: Reconnect featuring Sarah Beatty (Green Depot), Simon Collins (Parsons), Ryan Jacoby (IDEO), Matthew Lush (Hecho Inc.)
Moderator Question: What does sustainability mean now?
Simon: It’s a journey, not a destination. It’s about buying intelligently. Blue jeans are a perfect example of sustainable design – they actually get better with age as you wash them (What if we could translate this concept to every product?)
Sarah: High-quality. The challenge is to offer something better.
Dave: There’s a perception that sustainability means less…but this isn’t true.
Moderator Question: What will the world be like in 20-30 years?
Sarah: “It’s great that we can connect with people around the world, but how will we connect with people next door?“
Moderator Question: Who are the leaders in sustainability?
Ryan: Method, Amazon.com, Wal-mart
Sarah: Recyclebank – They encourage homeowners to recycle
Summary: Sustainability is really about reversing the trend of over- and hyper-consumption that has been a big part of this generation’s habits. This panel reminded me of something Thomas L. Friedman said on TV the other day about the Green movement.
He was asked when we would know that going Green has been successful.
His answer was that there will be no more “green” cars, “green” houses, or “green anything. A car will be a car and a house will just be a house. We won’t know the difference anymore when there’s nothing to differentiate against.
LINKS:
iamtheweather.com – PSFK Conference NYC
Constant Beta Highlights From the PSFK Conference 2009
Photos from PSFK Conference NYC 09
Gareth Kay – Looking Back at PSFK New York
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to comment or re-tweet it. Oh, and if you’re looking for a Junior Planner/Strategist in NYC (or know someone who is) -email me at DennisDemori [at] Gmail [dot] com.
