Cradle to Cradle

Much of the readings that we have done for this class have been well-researched and well-argued therefore I find myself being easily convinced by the authors' proposed theories and possible solutions/new lifestyles to take-on. This book, so far, has been no exception to the previous statement. I am inspired by their underlying theme of the importance of how and why you make things rather than how you dispose of these things. I am especially intrigued by the architect's view on how things built by humans should "flow" with the nature around them. Last year I saw a movie about another advanced-thinking architect who did projects in poorer areas such as one area in Mexico. The government had paid for poorly built housing to be constructed for a group of indigenous peoples who resided in the desert but had been internally displaced for centuries. They constructed neighborhoods of identical cement blocks where these people were supposed to live. The buildings were not only ugly but more importantly they were hot and inefficient. After only a few years in these houses the indigenous peoples could not afford them because they were either too cold or too hot and they could not afford for the electricity to keep them healthy enough environments to live in. The architect of the documentary instead came up with another design for their neighborhoods and houses that were specific to the people and their culture and surrounding environment. The buildings used material from the area that could go back into the earth many years from now when the houses were no longer in use. The buildings were not only much more attractive but they were much more energy efficient and suitable to the lifestyles of this indigenous group of peoples, including social outdoor courtyards that caught the breeze and created a situation cuitable for community.

Another interesting topic of the book Cradle to Cradle is the scary idea of how much dangerous and unecessary junk goes into what we use. We are so concerned about what goes into our bodies yet we do not have the important regulations and monitoring of the everyday products we use such as hand-mixers and swim wings. This book clearly explains that like in most problems, in order to find a solution you must get to the source. Whether it be; the necessity of focusing on the poverty of a 3rd world country to get to the bottom of immigration in a more developed country or the environmental degradation caused by the construction, transportation and use of the products in our everyday lives; it is so important for us to re-think the way we do things and how we tackle problems. Because of this I really like the idea behind the book and I hope that as a people we can start to really rethink how the system should be run and to understand how the things we are using are made and therefore change how we are making and using everyday products and resources.