fatamerican.tv » environment

Edward Abbey

John Yates — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:45:13 +0000

An American author known for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. One of Abbey’s best-known novels, The Monkey Wrench Gang, has been cited as an inspiration by the radical environmental groups Earth First and ELF. The novel centers on a small group of eco-warriors who travel the American West attempting to put the brakes on uncontrolled human expansion by committing acts of ecotage, or sabotage on behalf of ecology, against industrial development projects. Abbey claimed the novel was written merely to “entertain and amuse,” and was intended as symbolic satire. Others saw it as a how-to guide, as the main characters burn billboards and attack things, such as road-building equipment. Based on his writings and statements—and in a few cases, his actions—many believe that Abbey condoned ecotage.

Desert Solitaire is regarded as one of the finest nature narratives in American literature. In it, Abbey vividly describes the physical landscapes of Southern Utah and delights in his isolation as a backcountry park ranger, recounting adventures in the nearby canyon country and mountains.

Design by: John Yates www.PlanetOfTheYates.com

Charles Darwin

Steve Goralewicz — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:55:03 +0000

In 2009 the world celebrated Darwin’s 200th birthday. At his party Darwin mingled with his pals from the Galapagos Islands, among them were tortoise, sea lion, iguana, penguin, frigate bird, finch and sally lightfoot crab. In the background of this design is his famous Tree of Life sketch which shows how a genus of related species might originate by divergence from a starting point.

Bicycle Genius

fatamerican — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:51:35 +0000

The “Smart Car” isn’t smart; it gets the same fuel efficiency as other economy cars but only seats 2 passengers. When compared to bicycles, all cars tend to look down right idiotic. Where’s the logic in working tons of hours to pay for a car to get to work to pay for a car? What’s the sense in driving to the gym to pay a membership to get some exercise?

Move within biking distance to work, sell your car, cancel your gym membership and start living smarter. Increase your quality of life while not contributing to the political, environmental, social calamity created by the world’s dependency on oil.

Food Chain

Steve Goralewicz — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:26:26 +0000

What is it? It’s a dead rat in the stomach of a dead snake in the stomach of a dead buzzard.

Using pesticides, genetically modifying food and hunting animals to extinction are just a few of the ways we put the delicate balance of nature in peril. Altering one variable in a food chain can cause a destructive ‘chain reaction’ which can threaten the existence of every animal in the chain.

Monster Trucks

fatamerican — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:46:47 +0000

On this SUV is a yellow magnetic ribbon that states “Support Our Troops”. The ribbon is manufactured in China and profits from the sale of it don’t go to disabled veterans or the families of dead soldiers. The owner of this SUV supports the war since it is patriotic to do so. The war is largely about oil and since this SUV requires a large amount it, its owner is glad when gas prices go down. Stopped at a traffic light next to this SUV is a small electric car with a “END THE WAR! Bring Our Troops Home Now!” sticker. The driver of each car stares at the other in disgust but only one of the drivers has a valid reason to do so. When the light turns green, both cars take off, one of them emits a poisonous exhaust. If you look at the fumes closely you might see the skulls of US troops and Iraqi civilians who paid for the gas in the SUV’s tank.

Transit Antenna

bobsnead — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:47:47 +0000

Transit Antenna is a collective of artists and writers traveling North America in Walter, a bus that guzzles straight vegetable oil. By dumpster diving for grease, they’re reducing their carbon footprint and avoiding the diesel pumps. Greasers treat their designs for converting diesel engines to run on vegetable oil like military secrets. But here Transit Antenna gives away all they know in a complete schematic of what goes on in Walter’s rear end. From pumps, filters, and tanks, to temperature gauges, line-in-line hoses, and flow arrows: you won’t get this information anywhere else. Wear this shirt to prove you’re hip on environmental politics, or use it to convert your own diesel engine. Check out Transit Antenna’s website, www.transitantenna.com, for videos, pictures, and writings of their travels as veggie nomad artists.

Fat American and Transit Antenna, Condemning Big Oil one T-shirt at a time. (Designed in collaboration with Transit Antenna’s Bob Snead)

All profits from the sale of this shirt go directly towards oil filters, engine repairs, project supplies, or whatever else is needed to keep the transit antenna project going.

Buckminster Fuller

fatamerican — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 19:24:19 +0000

In 1927 at the age of 32, bankrupt and jobless, living in inferior housing in Chicago, Illinois, he saw his beloved young daughter Alexandra die of the complications of polio and spinal meningitis. He felt responsible, and this drove him to drink and to the verge of suicide. At the last moment he decided instead to embark on “an experiment, to find what a single individual can contribute to changing the world and benefiting all humanity.”

He strove to inspire humanity to take a comprehensive view of the finite world we live in and the infinite possibilities for an ever-increasing standard of living within it. Deploring waste, he explored and advocated a principle that he termed “ephemeralization” — which in essence Fuller coined to mean “doing more with less.” Wealth can be increased by recycling resources into newer, higher value products whose more technically sophisticated design requires less material. In practice, it has often meant miniaturization, for example, as when table-model calculating machines were succeeded over time by smaller ones, until the calculator of today fits in one’s hand. Fuller also introduced synergetics, which explores holistic engineering structures in nature (long before the term synergy became popular).