Unlike the previous generation of sustainability manifestos that pit the economy against equity & ecology, Cradle to Cradle “sees commerce as the engine of change” and allows one to embrace their inner capitalist by proposing a sustainable world of guilt-free growth, prosperity and abundance. Instead of viewing consumer waste through the austere lens of the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle a.k.a. downcycle), McDonough and Braungart, inspired by the abundance of nature, propose the visionary idea of designing consumer products as either biological nutrients or technical nutrients. Read more…
Last week I took a tour of the micro-turbines at Astor Wines & Spirits in Greenwich Village, New York. Astor Wines & Spirits generates its own electricity using two natural gas powered Capstone Micro-Turbines to offset the intense energy consumption required for chilling sake and wine, resulting in lower emissions, reduced natural resource depletion and lower energy costs. Read more…