Shelter 2.0

So what happens when this is taken to the next step? 

What if snail-style mobile homes become widely accepted? 

Short-term:

New trends. Possibly creates a solution for homelessness.

Mid-term:

People adapt to a nomadic lifestyle and/or begin to purchase smaller houses.

Long-Term:

Such prolonged use has created a new sub-species. The bodies are now adapted for carrying the mobile snail-home. The spine has morphed and the arms have adapted for crawling.

People no longer are purchasing large homes.

Shelter

I took this project to "Outlandish" and I didn't look back. I was having a really hard time trying to come up with a concept. So I made a mind map that looks like this and wrote down all the things that came to my mind when I thought of the word "Shelter".

At random, I picked three things and came up with a concept.

So what did I come up with?

Sheltered kids/ Snails/ Mobile=

Snail-style mobile homes for sheltered kids. 

So the idea is quite outlandish, but what if???

Food Re-Thought

I really liked my original concept of "Saving Beef for a Special Occasion" so I decided to re-work it.
For the last assignment, I thought I would use the computer to try to make an image and I realize that I can get my point across better with a pen and paper.

So for re-working this idea, I stuck to what I know best...small drawings with ink and water-soluble swiss crayons.






Also, here is an interesting article from CNN


"Is Beef the new SUV?"

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/29/opinions/sutter-beef-suv-cliamte-two-degrees/

Food

article: http://hyperallergic.com/230003/the-surreal-beauty-of-feedlots-by-satellite/

I look at this website a few times a week. I highly recommend it- they cover a little bit of everything, but it really covers a lot of the art world.

I feel like the consumption of beef is an issue that people don't want to talk about. No one wants to give up their burgers and quite frankly, you don't have to. Just save it for a special occasion. If humans reduced their consumption of red meat, it was make a dramatic environmental impact.
These photos on from the Hyper Allergic article show aerial shots of feedlots and slaughterhouses.
Pretty gross, huh? Think about all that poop too. Animals gotta poop and it has to go somewhere. It isn't like throwing it in the trash. Poop actually creates methane gas (spoiler alert: you can light your farts up because IT IS GAS). The methane gas created by farms and pigs contributes to the bigger picture of climate change and methane is a bigger threat to the air we breath than CO2.... in fact...

Agriculture is responsible for at least 18% of the release total greenhouse gases worldwide.

Say what?

Some real talk:
http://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-of-global-warming-meat-methane-CO2

I propose we save beef for a special occasion. Limit your beef for a hot date or a birthday. Save the burger for when you go to a game or maybe when you are grilling out.


Best Case:
Americans reduce their beef intake and become leaders for adapting more varied diets.
A reduction in the greenhouse gases released and no more creepy photos of aerial shots of feed lots.

Worst Case:
We continue being a leader for shitty diets and people around the world keep taking on western-influenced diets. More cows will be needed, so you better bulldoze some stuff down and grow as many cows as you can. And put the poop wherever you want.

Outlandish:
Cows are now considered sacred animals all over the world. The replace dogs as companion animals and everyone is eating a plant based diet.


Questions:
How much meat do you eat? Would you consider eating less of it?
Did you know that beef poses this much of a threat to our health?

Water Re-Thought

Initially, I created a series of drawings that I put together and made a small mobile out of.

For the next phase of this project, I took on Jane's concept of shredded fabric. I took fabric and shredded it into strips and then glued the ends together. I made new drawings of aquatic invasive species and put them in between the strips.

This piece embodies what AIS are doing to our local waters; causing pollution, congestion and an overall feeling that nothing else is now welcome in the habitat.

Invasive Species in Local Waters

Minnesotans are all-too-familiar when it comes to invasive species in our waters. Majority of my time growing up was spent on lakes and still, as an adult I spend time on the lakes in the summer. One of the most frightening things as a child when swimming in a lake is wondering what is lurking beneath those weeds. Could it be the massive 20 lb carp?
I watched the lake that I grew up on slowly become engulfed by eurasian milfoil. It was really sad to see it happen- there seems to be nothing that could stop these weeds from growing and taking over any space.

But how did they get there and why is this a threat?


Link
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2015/09/minnesota-must-stop-spread-invasive-species-our-lakes

Analysis:
This article is an important read when it comes to issues regarding the walleye population in Mille Lacs and what is happening with our lakes. How can we stop aquatic invasive species? The article address the "damage is already done" attitude and offers a solution in the form of creating no fish watersheds on lakes that can boost the fish population and make up for what is being destroyed.


So what is happening?
When an aquatic invasive species comes in to a lake, it ruins the existing cycle by messing up the food chain and makes unlivable habitats for certain species. A lake is then taken over by these invasive species and it disrupts human activity on the lake and has major hits on lake recreation related economies and can impact value of properties. Right now, the DNR is fighting lawsuits (that's right, lawsuits) from local business owners in the Mille Lacs area since they placed new limitations on walleye fishing. They claim that they are experiencing profit loss from the restrictions because it is effecting the tourist industry. The DNR is doing this as a way to protect what is remaining for the walleye population in Mille Lacs.
Some staggering numbers from the article:

2005: Four zebra mussels were spotted in 60 dives.
2011: 1,000 zebra mussels per sqaure foot
2015: An estimate 2 billion zebra mussels are in Mille Lacs

Zebra mussels impact? Bi-valve. They filter water and remove the algae that the author claims is the "base of the food chain".

How did they get there?
Research has recently shown the Minnesotans years and years ago are actually responsible for introducing carp to our lakes.
How else do invasive species get there?
Not checking watercrafts before they are launched in the lake.

"This summer officials at the Blackfoot Indian Reservation stopped a boat from Minnetonka at the east entrance to Glacier National Park that was infested with living zebra mussels. The boaters were planning on launching in the park. Does Minnesota really want to be known for fouling one of our country’s premier natural wonders? Do we want to have the reputation for ecological recklessness, particularly when it comes to water?"

Doesn't that make you cringe? To think that one of our own could be responsible for that kind of mistake?

Best Case Scenario:
People start to understand that this is a serious threat. Maybe some of our budget surplus could be used towards the DNR and help create decontamination stations and stricter regulation at boat launches. We could maybe extend this to other invasive species and set a better tone for the state.

Worst Case:
Lakes as we know it are a thing of the past. Enjoy your murky, milfoil lake or hop into a pool.

Outlandish: 
People come together that live on the lakes to create watersheds and take initiative! People can feel more empowered about their waters and take better care of it. 

Questions:
Any experiences watching a lake you are familiar with be taken over by milfoil or other AIS?
Have you heard of lion fish? They are the next scary thing. And lampreys. Don't google them. I had nightmares about them. 


Here's a couple more interesting links for you about carp!
http://www.cleanwateraction.org/feature/what-are-asian-carp
http://www.asiancarp.us/faq.htm   
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/01/common-carp-minnesota

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe pledge to help too: 
http://millelacsband.com/tribal-government-home/natural-resources/bringing-back-the-walleye/