Living Without Co2
Design for
Environment, Technical
Year
2019-2020
Prior to the onslaught of the coronavirus, it was evident that we needed some systematic behavioural changes around our relationship with carbon and the emissions that are associated with it. Tara had attempted to live without carbon and the footprint associated with everything we use but noticed flaws in her methodology. The flaws she noticed were around offsetting, particularly there was no way of calculating whether she was achieving carbon neutral days. This project attempts to reduce the barriers around carbon offsetting and introduces a new way of living that addresses negative relationships we have with the environment and our peers.
INSIGHT
Did your project evolve in unexpected ways?
This project was originally created in order to develop a technical response to an environmental issue. However, while attempting to live without Co2 for three days, Tara realized there were also societal implications with homelessness that she knew would be a key feature in the proposed solution. The proposed device not only questions our behaviors with the environment but also our ideas around privilege and access.
What was your biggest takeaway learning from this project?
When living without Co2 Tara noticed four key themes: Food, Time, Hygiene, and Human Interaction. Our societal constructs and obsession with objects degraded areas within these themes. By strengthening our connection with the environment and community we replenish these areas of our lives.
What were the key methods that you used for this work?
Observation and experimentation; through experiencing what it would be like to live without Co2 Tara was able to strip away distractions and observe where this energy source was impacting our systems.
Weaving ecology into our communities 
System wearable devices that sync with ecological activities throughout our day to offset our usage 
System wearable devices that sync with ecological activities throughout our day to offset our usage 
Items used in the 3 days without Co2 and the plants used to offset the Co2 generated
