Notes on Cradle to Cradle, Introduction & Chapters 1 and 2.

After the novelty of having a plastic book wore off (and after actually testing its claim of being waterproof), I actually read the first two chapters of Cradle to Cradle. Before reading it, I had expected a dull tome on "sustainability" and "conservation". I was astounded to discover Cradle to Cradle was a revolutionary text. It reads as a green manifesto, and an attempt to singlehandedly set in motion a paradigm shift. Cradle starts by demonstrating the flaws of the commercial, "cradle to grave" philosophy, and its roots in the Industrial Revolution. The text also hits upon the business practice known as universal design solutions, where a product is made to meet the worst case scenario, and the broader concept of brute force, where nature must be overwhelmed to serve industry. Chapter two attacks the idea of "doing less bad", aiming its sights on the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. At this point, I began to realize how radical Cradle is. I always thought reduction was a good thing, but apparently it merely prolongs the destruction of the environment. Reusing and Recycling can only go so far. Certain waste products are completely unusable. Many materials, when reused, degrade in quality, what the authors aptly call "downcycling". Also, they deal with Regulation, explaining how it can hinder rather than help the environment. Finally, it lambasts efficiency for efficiency's sake, describing the ultimate efficient society as devoid of creativity, monotonous, and counterproductive.

So far, I am not only enjoying this book, but it has also profoundly affected me.

In class blog

Which of your experiences have raised interesting questions or created unusual associations in your mind?
Through the food handler's class I took to get a Food Safety card, I learned a great deal about sanitation and the spread of bacteria. It got me to thinking about the epidemiology of food-borne illnesses, and I wondered about the conditions that allow outbreaks of e.coli, salmonella, and other bacteria.
What intriguing events have you noticed while walking on campus, attending class, working at your job, or watching television?

As I have a poor memory of thing that happen in my life, it's hard to pick out one thing. one thing I've often wondered is why construction occurs during the day, where it causes traffic, instead of during night, where the effects on commuters would not be as severe. There must be an answer to that somewhere. maybe?

What problem would you like to solve?

I'd like to find some way to do something better than it is currently done, increase efficiency or efficacy of something.

Topics I'm interested in:
Diseases and epidemiology
Food additives and their effects on human physiology
Hazardous substances inside computers.