Faculty of Design
Industrial Design
Jason Gunville
Thesis: Grow On All Fronts; Climate Defense Force
Industrial Design
2020
Digital Illustration, Solidworks, Physical Modelling, Design Thinking, UI Design
Climate change poses the greatest existential risk our species has faced. Temperatures are rising in the Arctic at a greater pace than elsewhere. As the permafrost melts thousands of years worth of organic matter will begin to decay, releasing large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas, compounding the effects of our own carbon emissions. This feedback loop could prove disastrous for life as we know it.Tree planting is touted by scientists as a way to mitigate climate change through the creation of carbon sinks. This is not a substitute for reducing global emmisions, but a complementary initiative. I propose enlisting the military to facilitate an afforestry effort North of the treeline. I propose the development of autonomous pollination drone stations along the current treeline to maximise seed yields of the local flora. Seeds will then be harvested by personnel, and prepped for planting the following spring. Planting expeditions will create polyculture forest islands north of the treeline over thawing permafrost. These groves will speed up the spread of forests in the North. These forests can help slow the permafrost thaw by creating shade that lowers the surface temperature. The flora will also absorb the excess water, trapped on the surface by permafrost, which will dry the soil, making it a better insulator, further preserving the permafrost. As these forests mature and spread they will become valuable carbon sinks.
“The Canadian Armed Forces are tasked with our National Defense. Climate Change poses a threat to not just our own nation, but to the world. While our historical national threats have been human, none have posed the threat to our well being as much as the challenge we now face. We must confront this threat with as great a resolve as we have in wars past. The time to defend ourselves is now, and the C.A.F. possesses the systemic capabilities to start fighting back immediately. This effort will require the military’s remote fast deployment, logistics, equipment, training, and organizational capabilities, augmented by new technologies and guided by earth sciences. I propose a new branch of the military; The Climate Defense Force, or C.D.F.For those concerned that this initiative will distract from our military’s traditional defense capabilities, I have some arguments that I believe should alleviate those concerns. First and foremost, the C.A.F. is already eager to increase our operational capacity in the North. The afforestry effort will require infrastructure that could easily have mixed uses. Additionally, the enlistment of additional personnel will create a greater pool of people with a familiarity of military culture, operations, and outdoor survival skills who could be an asset in the unlikely event of an invasion of hostile forces. Moreover, the practical experience gained through the implementation of this initiative from rapid deployment to supply chain operations and maintenance would be invaluable.Why does it look like a gun?If you believe in Climate Change, and believe, as I do, that immediate action is required, then I ask you measure my proposal on the basis of its potential value as a solution. My aesthetic choices were made with climate skeptics as the intended audience.Climate change has been politicized, and most deniers or skeptics identify as conservative. Conservative-minded people have a tendency to be extremely pro-military. That basic connection of values led me to believe that reframing the fight against climate change as a patriotic duty and tying in the C.A.F. was a potential path to creating consensus around the need for action against climate change.It doesn’t have to look like a gun. I could have designed a big colourful ball with pins that plant seeds from internal storage as it is rolled playfully across the landscape by curious wildlife. However, if I did, the very skeptics I’m trying to convince would slink further away as they correctly perceive the solution to be the product of their natural enemy, the environmentalist.Do we need consensus on climate to move forward?This has come up a lot in discussions around the intent of my aesthetic choices. The short answer is no, we don't need to convince everyone before taking action. However, so long as there is debate on the issue there will be obstruction to action on climate. The closer we come to consensus the sooner we act, and with greater resolve. I did a great deal of research into cognition and climate and believe it is possible to bring skeptics around. This project is meant to communicate climate change in a way that appeals to skeptics mental models. By framing the subject as a patriotic duty by relying on symbols familiar to the skeptics I believe we can overcome the energy industry's obfuscation of the subject.You can't plant trees on permafrost. There are different types of permafrost, from sporadic to continuous, at different depths. Plants will grow over sporadic permafrost. The permafrost is melting, and the treeline is already projected to creep Northward.The benefit of the polyculture approach is that a variety of species will include "pioneer" species. Grasses and shrubs can grow where trees will not. These species will provide the same benefits of creating shade and drying the soil.Why rely on human labour when drones are capable of planting as well?There are a number of drone planting technologies being deployed and developed, so why am I suggesting human labour? In my primary research, I spoke to a number of people with tree planting experience. All spoke fondly of their experience. I posit there are many people who would thoroughly enjoy this type of work.We could simply drop seeds from aircraft, and I’m not opposed to this solution, but I believe this initiative could create tens of thousands of jobs in areas with limited employment opportunities. The enlistment of local indigenous populations in particular could be a boon for First Nations communities in the North.Grow on All Fronts based on WWII propaganda poster by Reginald H. Rogers. Join the Climate Reserve based on an uncredited HMCS Naval Reserves recruitment poster used between the late forties until the 1970s.The UI is a clone of the actual C.A.F. recruitment app, I am in no way affiliated with the Canadian Armed Forces, just speculating on how to save the world.”
