Random Thoughts of Chris Tilley

The Environmental Defense Blog is looking for the 'Most Influential Environmental Book' I would like to nominate 'Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things' by: William McDonough, Michael Braungart

I have only read the first three chapters out of six but what I have read so far can revolutionize both industry and the environmental movement. The basic premise is to engineer everything with the end of life of the product and the eventual next product designed from the start. The book itself is an example of this philosophy. The paper is not paper it is a plastic that is designed to be upcycled. That is reused to create a new book the inks are designed to be easily recovered and reused. A lot of recycling today is what they call downcycling where a product is recycled into something of less value. An example is paper where recycling creates shorter fibers and therefore a less valuable product.

The biggest advantage to this is that they see the world as a world of abundance as apposed a world or reduction. Making it more profitable for companies to design products this way will eliminate the battle between environmentalists and business.

Update: They have released the voting list of 'Most Influential Green Books'. 'Cradle to Cradle' isn't on their list but you can write in a vote for it. To vote for 'Cradle to Cradle', click on the image below and add a comment indicating your vote for 'Cradle to Cradle'.