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Surprising and delightful experiences in everyday contexts - making magic with technology; my kids; the challenges facing our planet and cultures

An idea worth spreading

DEPLETISM

A group of thinkers in Toronto at the Ontario College of Art and Design use the power of language to raise environmental consciousness. Following the example of the words 'racist' and 'sexist' -- invented words which have no antonym, so either you are labelled as such, or you are 'normal' -- they've created a tool to normalize those who care about the earth. Their word will help change attitudes and behaviour. The students have coined the word DEPLETIST:

Depletist
1. An individual or group demonstrating apparent negligent or reckless
disregard for the environmental consequences of their actions.
2. An individual or group that exhausts non-renewable resources and
rejects positive environmental strategies.

Don't take my word for the power of this new word. Watch these videos, and start using the word yourself. You'll see how it impacts your thinking.

http://tankofthinkers.wordpress.com/about/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q02IsSfItyA

Talk to me about

Art & Technology; Design; Experience design for public spaces; Surprise & Delight; TEDxWaterloo

Comments

• TEDCred score: +7427.40 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Talk: Golan Levin makes art that looks back at you

  Mar 30 2012: "I would love to see a computer give you a name based on the phonyms that match you body size, shape, color, and proportion."
  
  You might like this piece, made 15 years ago by another pioneer in technology-based art, David Rokeby:
  
  http://homepage.mac.com/davidrokeby/gon.html
  
  Conceptually similar to what you suggested. Bear in mind the date it was made, as it is technically limited compared to what would be made today. While there, check out Rokeby's other work. Much of it is brilliant.
• +3

  A comment on Talk: Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice

  Mar 12 2012: This is another interesting take, along with some more statistics:
  
  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/go-to-trial-crash-the-justice-system.html
  
  Essentially pointing out that many, many of the people arrested (90% according to this article) take plea bargains so they never even get to trial. It also poses an interesting question: what would happen if some portion of those actually refused to plea bargain, and instead demanded their constitutional right to trial? It would crash the system, and bring some of these issues to light.
• +2

  A reply on Talk: Damon Horowitz: Philosophy in prison

  Mar 10 2012: There is plenty of space for slam poetry at TED... And have a look at the discussion this has started, the ideas that are being formed, shaped and spread. Absolutely the mission of TED.
  
  And what a great use of four minutes.... To me, this is the power of the TED platform.
• +3

  A comment on Talk: A TED speaker's worst nightmare

  Mar 10 2012: I couldn't watch this video- it kept crashing and I got that beachball thing.

• A reply on Talk: Erik Johansson: Impossible photography

  Feb 10 2012: I also had exactly the same thought.
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Aparna Rao: High-tech art (with a sense of humor)

  Nov 15 2011: Fantastic work. Great that it's about people, emotion, connection, with technology as a means to an end rather than the end itself. Surprising and delightful work.

• A comment on Talk: Shea Hembrey: How I became 100 artists

  Jun 15 2011: I think this is absolutely brilliant. The art is thought-provoking and beautiful - so he simultaneously accomplishes both a humorous look at the seriousness of the art world and what, in my view, is the point of art: putting thought-provoking and emotionally rich things into the world. He also lived up to the criteria that he set for himself, so the whole thing has integrity to me... And WOW how prolific - I know many, many artists and very few of them create even a tenth of these works, never mind the variety of styles AND the bios, in the time he took to do this. Kudos to this artist.

• A reply on Talk: Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

  Apr 12 2011: Yes I think he likely is referring to the first-past-the-post system. Dave Meslin is a strong advocate for ballot reform, and runs this initiative to make elections more fair: http://www.123toronto.ca/resources_links.htm
• +3

  A reply on Talk: Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

  Apr 12 2011: From what I know of Mez, he absolutely would support conservative messages if they were constructive, truthful, and encouraged participation. In fact, he has a recent blog post on exactly the subject of his partisanship or non: https://meslin.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/me_rob_now/ when he was recently tarred with the "lefty" brush by our local lefty paper, NOW magazine.
  
  Key quote from that piece: "Let’s raise the quality of debate in this town. Let’s foster a political culture that is respectful of opposing views, with more collaboration and less back-stabbing. More policy-based propositions and less personal attacks. More listening and less preaching inwardly to ourselves."
  
  For background if you read it, it's important to know that our new mayor, Rob Ford, is quite conservative and and was big change from our last mayor.
  
  I don't have any comments about your second paragraph.

• A reply on Conversation: Do you know any video from TEDx events that is not on TED.com but worth watching?

  Mar 23 2011: Debra and TED crowd - we're working on the final edits for these three talks and they'll be up on the TEDxTalks YouTube site soon. I concur about Miriah Meyer's talk, and the others will be great too.
  
  Matt Gorbet (TEDxWaterloo host & curator)