"Cradle to Cradle," the new SIS building, and the future of design

I've been really enjoying reading "Cradle to Cradle" for the last couple of classes. Many of the readings we have had this semester have talked about how we can change people's mindsets and change policies in the nation, but it never even occured to me that perhaps we should not be expending our energy in trying to improve the system we already have, but that we should in fact be throwing the current system out the window. I love the phrase the authors use that says that being less bad is not being good, it's just being less bad. I think that the phrase is extremely resonant and poignant since it hits upon the fact that most of the efforts done to make the system less harmful to the environment are not going to truly stop this problem, because the problem is the system itself.

I tend to be someone who is easily persuaded by a good argument--I admit it. If someone presents to me an argument that is well researched and well organized, I find myself more often than not atleast giving some credence to their argument by the end of it. I believe that in the case of "Cradle to Cradle", however, the argument truly is solid despite my tendency to find myself persuaded easily. The authors brings up many excellent points, such as the fact that the system we live in is not sustainable, and that trying to reduce problems within the system will only slow things down, and not stop them completely which is what is required in order to stave off global warming. Eco-efficiency will not be enough to save us in the long run; the authors are correct that we must turn to eco-effectiveness which means rethinking the way things are made.

Besides making sense in terms of an approach to help the environment, the design ideas brought forth in "Cradle to Cradle" are appealing. I really loved the description of how buildings should be like cherry trees, taking in light for solar energy, wind, etc. and interacting with the natural world and replenishing it when its done. I love the idea of having buildings which interact with the natural world just like the natural world itself--just like a tree! That is incredibly neat. It's exciting, and I'm really proud that AU's new SIS building will incorporate so many of these design techniques and that I attend a school that is working towards buildings from a new design approach that is beneficial to and which benefits from the environment. Everything should work that way. I hope that the author's design ideas will really take off, and was heartened by the video on the authors which we watched in class which illustrated several examples of the visions from "Cradle to Cradle" coming to life.

I think that if more buildings, appliances, etc. are designed in these ecologically effective ways, then people will be able to be proud of what they have accomplished once again, and will start to feel that we are a part of the natural world instead of forces apposing it or trying to control nature. These new design approaches, such as the new SIS building, are beautiful and interact with the environment in important and natural ways which take what nature has to give us in a replenishing, sustainable way. Even though these buildings might cost a little bit more than a building built in other ways, as the example from the video "The Next Industrial Revolution" showed us, sometimes that money can come back when people want to work more because the building is light and appealing and because the buildings have lower energy bills. Putting the authors' design ideas into practice on a wider scale, and harnessing solar power, respecting the planet and all its creatures and getting rid of the whole idea of waste will lead to a more beautiful, prosperous and sustainable world. There are some technical difficulties which need to be worked out in terms of the fact that some products cannot be continuously recyclable and others, but the ideas put forth by the authors of "Cradle to Cradle" are achievable, the technology exists, and can do important work to save our planet. In the future, I hope that these design techniques take over for old design techniques and bring about instrumental changes to the system in order to help the Earth.