Being less bad isn’t being good

Too many times I’ve read or heard people say “we’re doomed”. And that, I think, is an awful message to send out to our society. Yes, we’ve destroyed or polluted nearly all ecosystems on Earth, but now that we know that we did it and how we did it, we can repair our mistakes. It will take time to return ecosystems to their pristine state and we will not be able to recover all ecosystems but if we find a way to completely stop polluting our environment, then restorative actions will bring about incredible positive change. And William McDonough and Michael Braungart offer such solutions.

I therefore find "Cradle to Cradle" to have, by far, the most inspiring ideas, out of all the pieces we’ve read so far. In their book, William McDonough and Michael Braungart not only bring up a great point that “being less bad isn’t being good” but they offer solutions to the problems we are facing. Instead of listing all the things that humans have done wrong and are still doing wrong and leaving the reader in a pit of despair they offer tangible, inspiring solutions. I find that very existing and uplifting.

I think the authors are correct in saying that “Eco-efficiency /…/ presents little more than the illusion of change.” However, I think that putting their ideas in place is going to be very challenging on the political spectrum since it requires great cooperation between industries and their (often many) suppliers. But if everyone starts thinking in a similar way as William McDonough and Michael Braungart, then I believe our problem would be solved.

I would lastly like to point out Michael Braungart’s quote on page 11: “I directed Greenpeace's chemistry department and helped the organization to protest more knowledgeably, but I soon realized that protest wasn't enough. We needed to develop a process for change.” As much respect as I have for Greenpeace, I agree with Michael Braungart. Environmental activism and education won’t do the trick. We must offer people alternatives that have no negative impact on the environment. If people don’t care about the environment, they won’t bother to live by Greenpeace’s advice of saving water and turning the lights off when you leave the room. But with tangible evidence that 100% eco-friendly alternatives exist to every negative thing we do on Earth, politicians will be more inclined to set strong environmental regulations since it will be possible for industries to abide by them.