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Free Bestseller for each delegate
Each delegate will receive a free copy of the international bestseller "Cradle to Cradle:
Remaking The Way We Make Things", by William McDonough and Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart. This book lays out the "Cradle-to-Cradle" (SM) philosophy and gives readers
concrete ways to apply it in their personal and business environment. The reviews are raving:
"Proof that our technologically-advanced, highconsumption industrial system can make
environmentally sound and sustainable products. We can manufacture a whole range of goods that are ecologically efficient in that they reduce waste and yet are less expensive to make than traditionally manufactured items. Pick up CRADLE TO CRADLE and the proof is
right there in your hands. "This book is not a tree" the authors tell us. It's slightly heavier
than your average paperback, the pages are whiter and they're also waterproof (I took the
authors word on that one and am happy to say I was able to read on). The pages are made
from plastic resins and fillers and in keeping with the message of "eliminating waste", the
book is 100% recyclable.
McDonough and Braungart's vision of "Remaking the Way We Make Things" goes way beyond books. Why not buildings that produce more energy than they consume? Or "green" roofs that give off oxygen while cooling the occupants? How about factories that produce drinkable effluent? or products that when their useful life is over can be used as nutrients for soil? What sounds like science fiction is convincingly shown to be quite feasible by the authors. They offer numerous examples to prove it.
"We see a world of abundance, not limits" they say. As an architect (McDonough) and chemist (Braungart) they don't have any special qualifications for this re-thinking and re-doing. What they simply have done is re-imagine the whole manufacturing process beginning with the design elements. Sometimes it's simply a matter of asking the right questions and looking at things differently. They are not talking about smaller-scale industry or limiting themselves to the "four Rs" of traditional environmentalism - reuse, recycle, reduce, and regulate. With their intelligent designs, "bigger and better" is possible "in a way that replenishes, restores, and nourishes the rest of the world".
McDonough and Braungart cover topics such as the history of the industrial revolution, new business strategies that emphasise eco-efficiency, the relationship between man, nature, and science, and the importance of design and planning. Hopeful, well written, thoroughly researched, and packed with practical examples, this refreshing book offers an alternative to our current industrial system that "takes, makes and wastes". We have the talent, technology, and with the enthusiasm of these authors, we have the capability to achieve economic and ecological sustainability."
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