Want a peek into a dystopian future? This is an update on the garbage crisis in Lebanon, which is largely attributed to a corrupted political system, but it’s also a cautionary tale about uncontrolled consumerism and environmental arrogance that could happen in nearly every free market zip code.

Since the nation’s largest landfill closed in July, Lebanon has been drowning in its own garbage. The waste crisis escalated last weekend when angry demonstrators tried to storm the parliament in Beirut. Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannon, and according to some reports, rubber bullets and live ammunition. An unspecified number of demonstrators and more than 35 Internal Security Forces (ISF) members were wounded, according to an ISF online statement.

The Naameh dump site in the mountains southeast of Beirut (shown above) had been the endpoint for waste generated by half of Lebanon’s four million people. This summer,  when authorities failed to find an alternate landfill, Naameh residents blocked trucks from dropping new garbage, which triggered a waste collection shutdown across wider Beirut. So began a domino effect that resulted in the death of one Beirut protester, and as yet undefined environmental fallout.

Garbage dropped near the Port of Beirut (shown above) triggered a mid-August work stoppage over mounting health and safety concerns. “We will not accept our port becoming the capital’s dumping ground. The health of all who enter the port is at risk, workers, visitors and customers.” Bchara Asmar, president of the Union of Beirut port employees, told ITF Global. He added that the Lebanese government has not provided a viable long-term waste management solution; forcing municipalities to resort to temporary remedies.

The situation has prompted protests across Beirut, but also grassroot solutions. Local priests are calling for reduced pollution, citing Pope Francis’ recent criticism of our “throwaway culture”. The mayor of northern town Roumieh organized volunteers and city employees to collect recyclables and biodegradable waste (such as food scraps) on a regular schedule. Recyclables with commercial value will be sold to help underwrite the initiative.

Beirut business owner and environmental engineer Ziad Abichaker told the Wall Street Journal, “I think it is a golden opportunity now to start saying to people that you need a paradigm shift. You need to stop looking at waste as a problem and start looking at it as a resource.”

These efforts – quietly pursued before the protests – are garnering increased attention by a public desperate to dig out of the stinking debris. (Reports state some 20 tons of rubbish have been dumped in the capital’s streets).

Lebanon has been without a president for 15 months.  Its government is viewed as paralyzed and ineffective, a reputation underscored when Environment Minister Mohammed el-Mashnouq posted a statement saying his office was “working silently” to resolve what he called “a tragic situation”.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Those actions won’t fix a broken bureaucracy, but will lessen the pain when civil services collapse.

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We recently featured Yariv Goldfarb’s Bezalel graduation project with 3d printing technology called “Play with Poop.”

In order to deviate from social norms, Goldfarb 3D printed plastic molds to sculpt dog poop into a variety of geometric shapes. He then took the resulting shapes into the heart of Tel Aviv and arranged them to look like major landmarks throughout the city.

His intentions are in the right place, since he is trying to encourage Israelis to be more aware of their surroundings, but his methods are a bit absurd. Sort of like Yael Mer’s Evacuation dress to escape climate change. How about finding a way to slow climate change by working with more ecologically sound ideas? Rather than an every man for himself?

Itay Kirshenbaum’s design, on other hand, has no redeeming social or environmental value at all.

For his final project at Haddasah College, Kirshenbaum designed a furniture collection that grows itself – the first backyard furniture set we know of with this curious skill.

Comprised of different colored canvas sacks, the furniture initially looks like jackets lying on the ground. But when a sprinkling of water interacts with the concrete powder that fills them, the sacks spring to life.

Wire pulls allow the user to mold the canvas bags as seats and within 24 hours of drying, they can be used as chairs and tables.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the concept is clever. But the material choice is disappointing. How can this idea be done better? Maybe using an idea of furniture or buildings to come to life for refugees. See these 10 shelters for refugees that top our list.

As for Goldfarb. Should we tell you that concrete has the highest embodied footprint of just about any other material commonly used today. Which means that using it – whether in construction projects, homes or DIY furniture, is irresponsible.

It’s also unnecessary. Many Israeli designers who are working with more earth-friendly materials that biodegrade that have virtually no environmental impact. Or this

It’s time to step up to the times, boys. Luckily, you still have the chance.

Other slightly insane Israeli design ideas:

3D printed guns breaches Israeli parliament

Stickystains by Shay Alkalay

Yael Mer’s Flood Skirt to Escape Climate Change

The post Israel’s Itay Kirshenbaum Grows Backyard Furniture appeared first on Green Prophet.

Primarily a Sukkah, which is a special kind of tent built to commemorate the long and arduous journey from Egypt to the Holy Land, Embryonic Canopy has another function as well.

The natural latex balloons are filled with different kinds of seeds, such as strawberry, different kinds of herbs, or vegetables such as cucumber or tomato. They are also filled with helium, which is admittedly in decline, so that the balloons can potentially up and float away.

But natural latex is biodegradable, so if and when the balloons pop, they are like giant seed bombs. Either the seeds root in place or some crafty animal discovers the seeds and enjoys a lovely meal.

If the balloons don’t float away, they can be planted at the end of the Sukkot holiday in preparation for the following year’s harvest.

Meanwhile, the cedar mulch-filled core platform that promotes contemplation and reflection is completely reusable. We’ve seen some really interesting Sukkah’s in our time, but this has to be one of the coolest.

:: Arch Daily

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