Ideas for sustainable design

As we enter a new decade, today's designers find themselves caught between the fierce competition of the market place and the calls for sustainable production, of ever satisfying consumers needs and desires yet in environmentally responsible ways. But this dilemma also highlights the ideological difference between modernism (c. 1920-70) and postmodernism (c. 1970-90) regarding what is art and design. That is, between the meta-narratives and somewhat elitist ideologies of modernism, within a broad social and political context and the subversive and glossy statements of postmodernism. Because in the over-reaching debate about climate change, the ideas, theories and methods of modernism (which also embraced experimentation, new technology and rigorous and systematic research) rather than the fragmentation, simulation and deconstruction of postmodernism might offer a more fruitful and effective approach to reducing the negative effects of global warming, and therefore a better ideas base for sustainable design futures. Discuss.