Cradle To Cradle

Published in April of 2002 "Cradle To Cradle", by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, is being taught on campuses around the world and is changing the way designers, architects, civil planners and just about everyone else concerned with the planet are looking at things. The old "cradle to grave" paradigm is being challenged and called out by the co-authors in this 208 page, waterproof, recyclable, treeless book.

McDonough was recently a key note speaker at the San Francisco Green Festival and has been on a busy speaking schedule everywhere else the enviro-conscious gather. The idea is that the current reduce, recycle, reuse concept of downcycling isn’t enough. Lowering our impact needs to turn into eliminating our impact. How? You might ask. Largely by considering the entire life cycle of a product. How eco-friendly can a recycled item be if the process of recycling it requires the use of polluting fossil fuels or leaves behind dangerous chemical waste?

What if instead of using wood pulp for paper we used recyclable plastic for making books as the authors did with "Cradle To Cradle"? What if we made grocery bags out of a compostable material that could go directly into community gardens? Perhaps a health club that uses electricity generated by all those stair masters and stationery bikes. Environmentally responsible and lucrative. A concept even the most die-hard profits first business mogul can live with.

The book is written in an easy to grasp conversational style that makes light reading of a deep concept.  While it has its short comings it is a must read for anyone in the design, engineering or building trades. The concept, and the book itself, are gaining widespread support. "Cradle To Cradle" is the next big thing in a number of fields. Here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor.

Check out William McDonough’s blog.