Cradle to Cradle

Cradle to Cradle is one of the first positive things we have read in our class. It actually provides answers to the question "What should we be doing and how can we do it?" The book does not have all of the answers and at several times admits that the answers they have need to be expanded upon. The main idea in Cradle to Cradle is that we need to stop simply reducing our environmental impact, we need to be more ambitious then that. We need to start having a positive impact and become "native" to the land, we need to be more like ants and cheery trees, which throughout their life actually contribute to the health of the earth. The authors suggest that we rethink how we create everything from our cars, to car parts, to the machines that make cars and car parts, to the factories in which cars are made.

While the changes that Cradle to Cradle proposes would be difficult to make, especially with our consumer culture. But that does not mean they are impossible. I enjoy the idea that we could change the way we live so that we live with nature and still maintain a similar lifestyle that we are accustomed too. And I believe that the general population would be more receptive to the idea of improving the way we live while still having some of the comforts we have grow accustom too. And I also believe that the idea that we use human creativity to create these new lifestyles will also be appealing to a large number of people. However I do also believe that it will take a very long time for people to start jumping on board with these concepts and that we still need to take more aggressive action now in order to be able to take these steps later.