Tiny Impact

Abstract

European climate goals to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius are unachievable in their current form because current green energy technologies needed for the energy transition rely too much on critical raw materials (CRMs). This thesis sought to design something that reduces the negative impact living has on the climate while making living less reliant on critical raw materials. Literature research showed that in the context of buildings, space heating and water heating are the biggest uses of energy in Europe. CRMs are found in many different products in homes, but primarily in electronics. This includes energy generation technologies such as solar panels, energy storage technologies such as batteries, entertainment technologies such as computers, but also other technologies such as boilers, pumps, ventilators and sensors. My research found that the link between human needs and current technologies in homes is a diverse and complicated one. To reduce our energy and CRM use in the built environment, a shift in the consumer’s mindset and a redesign of our technologies are needed. Tiny houses are a great inspiration and show that we can live comfortably with less energy and materials. This thesis looked at tiny houses as a springboard and example of how we can live more consciously and from a mindset of scarcity and balance instead of abundance. As a result, I designed and recorded a podcast that can discuss the complexity of the climate crisis while addressing the complicated human needs behind current CRM-dependent technologies. This podcast hopes to contribute to shifting the mindset and lifestyle of the listener to a more sustainable one.