cradle to cradle III

After this week, I can certainly say that this is one of the most interesting and informative books I have read in quite a while. There were a few parts of this reading that were of particular interest to me. The idea of biological and technical material flows bought up a good point. I used to think that if every product could be made out of biodegradable materials, it would solve the problems associated with many products. The idea of technical nutrients, however, points out that it's not really about what products are made of, but rather how many times they can be reused that determines their environmental impact. As a side note, I recently found out some interesting eco facts while doing research for another class, which relate to the idea of technical nutrients. First, I found out that asphalt is actually a pretty great material ecologically, as it can be recycled countless times without using value, and it can be recycled on site or off of site. I also found out that Ohio is actually one of the best states when it comes to recycling asphalt; 90% of our new roads and road repairs are made of recycled asphalt. The concept of products of service was also very interesting to me. I think it might be difficult to implement, however, as it would force a lot of people to change their ideas about what products fundamentally are. I was surprised that LEED certification was not mentioned in chapter 5. I know that a lot of forward thinking architects and landscape architects take issue with LEED. I, for one, am not a big fan of the LEED program, as it has historically been exploited by construction managers as a way to earn tax breaks. The results may or may not actually be more eco-friendly and, more often than not, have little or nothing to do with aesthetic sensibilities. I was also pleased to learn in chapter 6 that Nike is pursuing more eco-minded production methods, as I just bought my first pair of Nike's ever a few months ago. Chapter 6 also brought up the issue of genetically modified produce. I just saw a documentary called The Future of Food which brought up similarly disturbing information about GM plants (i.e. the fact that they are probably not 100% safe for human consumption, but they are very good at competing with non-GM plants). Overall, I really liked this book and found it both inspiring, and a little bit scary.