A World of Abundance

3 downloads 176 Views 733KB Size Report
and Kneese 1989 J. Business has always strived for ..... Scientist Stephen Jay. Gould has captured this concept nicely as it pertains to nature: All bíologícal ...
A World of Abundance

WILLIAM McDoNOUGH

Schoo/ uf Architecture University of l!irginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

MICHAEL BRAUNGART

Universíty of Applied Sciences of Northeast Lower Saxony Herbert-Meyer Strasse 7 29556 Suderberg, Germany

Industry and the environment appear to be at odds because current methods of production, extraction, and disposal are destructive to the natural world. Conventional responses, such as eco-efficiency, focus on doing more with less, restricting industry, and curtailing growth. We view the conflict between industry and the environment as a design problem. Instead of simply reducing industry' s negative effects, \Ve suggest companies redesign products and processes for healthy, long-term prosperity. We presenta ne\v paradigm for industry, ecoeffectiveness; three new design principies: waste equals food, use current solar income, and respect diversity; new decision criteria that integrate ecology, economy, and equity; and beginning steps businesses can take towards a world of abundance, rather than one of limits and constraints.

S

ince the 1992 Earth Summit, discussíons about industry and the environment have focused on limits and restraints because conventíonal ways of making, taking, and throwing away are contaminating the natural world. Businesses have scrambled to become more sustainable by mak-

ing their existing methods less destructive. Environmentalists promote hopeful but guarded strategies, for example, "Greatly enhanced efficiency, reduced consumption among today's superconsumers, more sensible choices of energy technologies, and a halt to population growth followed by a

Copynght" 200() !NrOR/vb

ENVIRONMENT PLANNNG-CORPOI< "