| Summary: | The objective of this research is to investigate design as a communicator for the backgrounds of human energy production. German brown coal has been chosen as an example, firstly because this important industrial nation has the fifth largest energy consumption worldwide. Twelve percent of its primary energy supply are covered by domestic brown coal, despite it being regarded as one of most environmentally harmful fossil fuels., Furthermore, the alienation of raw materials and the seemingly ever-present supply of energy is causing a blurred image of the power production industry. In order to investigate the issues with power consumption and production, Iceland has been chosen a comparative nation. In regard to energy, this volcanic island is in a unique position, with it being sited in one of the most geothermal active areas in the world. It contains various constantly renewable energy sources. Germany’s fossil mines and Iceland’s nature both appear as likely moonscapes, narrating the use of energy in fundamentally different ways. While the Icelandic landscape provides a real time visualization of natural forces, Germany's open lignite mines show an image of human interaction with nature's resources. My role as scholar is to focus on the mentioned emphasis in both on a fictional and a realistic level. Design will be used as a lens to look at the complex system of energy production. The emphasis is to find untapped links and to compare qualities of different energy carriers, with the aim being to link the extent of human mining to current consumption models and to consider alternative systems as well as values.
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