Relevance: Cradle to Cradle

by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

     I was reading over the Cradle to Cradle quotes and the one about human creativity really struck a chord with me because I was just thinking about this concept the other day- "We see a world of abundance, not limits. In the midst of a great deal of talk about reducing the human ecological footprint, we offer a different vision. What if humans designed products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity?" In an earlier email I mentioned the greenhouse gas inventory that we're working on here, and part of the project entails listing the categories in which we need to set long-term goals for sustainability. So this past Thursday, we were racking our brains trying to think of ways to close the waste loop on campus, and it struck me that human ingenuity has got to be one of the most crucial components of this project. How many times do we just throw something with potential importance into the trashcan because we don't have any use for it in its current state? That has got to be one of the most uncreative acts that we perform on a daily basis. I think that we often underestimate our own resourcefulness. Anyway, I think the Cradle to Cradle book might be able to help generate ideas for our campus sustainability project in addition to preparing me for the internship.

     I like the idea of preparation, preparing for the transition that is to come- that is from consumption to sustainability. I was talking to a friend the other day who told me that he believes all this talk about climate change is just a government scheme, and their true motive is to enact a carbon tax. I don't always know how to react to the deniers, especially now that the cold, hard facts are no longer being disputed by scientists. So I use the argument that cannot be negated, which is that even if you don't believe in climate change, you can't deny that the natural resources that are single-handedly fueling our society are finite. This is where the argument for preparation can be so handy in convincing the skeptics that it is time to change our ways. The day will come when our resources are exhausted and we need to have well-developed infrastructure so that our systems do not collapse. I think we need to convey that message better to the ones who are thinking unidimensionally about a carbon tax.


Notes From Windward - Index - Vol. 67