Cradle to Cradle

McDonough Ted-talk

“Our Goal is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world, with clean air, water, soil and power- economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed.”

I thought this ted-talk by William McDonough was amazing. The first time I watched it I wasn't that into it but after watching it a 2nd and 3rd time, I came to realize that it is actually pretty good. McDonough really stresses the whole idea of how we design things and takes a lot of factors into account. He said in the beginning of his talk that “design is the first signal of human intentions.” He goes on to question what our human intentions should be and how we are going to accomplish them. I think one of the questions he posed, which was, “How do we love all the children of all species for all time?”, was really good. He then explains how this has to be the first question we ask ourselves when deciding on a design. I could go on and on about this ted-talk but I'm going to control myself and focus on the designing of green buildings.

I think its incredible to see such amazing cities, where sustainability is the number one priority. It is really quite amazing that we can build buildings and still remain green. The things McDonough is working on is remarkable. This ted-talk really made me think of Angus and Jack, who both happen to be in France. Angus is greatly concerned with finding corporations that are sustainable and that aren't notorious for damaging the environment. Jack is very interested in green architecture and making the world a healthier place. I think there is hope, and like McDonough said, ““We see that the companies acting ethically in this world are out performing those that don't.”

This ted-talk also reminded me of the novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. The book talks a lot about mother culture and how long ago we split into two groups, the takers and the leavers. I see McDonough's plans for the Chinese cities as a step backwards or closer to the leaver lifestyle. With his ideas we are making the world a better place to live. Another question he asks is, “How can we secure local society, create world peace and save the environment?” I think this is a question we should all ask ourselves and really spend some time contemplating the whole concept. One way we can start is by spreading the word. We can take the initiative and try to be one of the first green schools in all of Taiwan. I could really talk about this ted-talk for another 30 minutes, but I shall stop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McDonough
http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com/
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjz8iTVoo

Hawken Chapter

Connection

Connection between "Waste Not" and SKOSMI

Upon completing “Waste Not” I sat at my desk and tried to remember the most important things I should have taken from the article. I found, after much thought, that this was impossible. This chapter was jam-packed with so much information that I just couldn’t do it. I then began to think about how my internship/senior project could relate to “waste”. How could a sports medicine clinic where the number one priority is helping people have negative impacts on the world? I tried to recall any section that talked about healthcare, and soon enough I came an interesting section. Although the chapter had 14 pages, I am only going to focus on a single paragraph. The first paragraph on page 58 talks about the amount of money “wasted” on healthcare each year. This made me think about how many patients might go in for therapy/massage that don’t really need it. “In health care, $65 billion is spent annually on nonessential or even fraudulent tests and procedures (including 420,000 unneeded caesareans).” That is $65 billion dollars that doesn’t necessarily need to be spent, which is considered wasting. It took me awhile to find the connection but I finally got it.

The paragraph at the top of page 58 made me think about whether or not patients at Shin Kong Orthopedic Sports Medicine Institute could fit into the same boat. I’d assume that they would although the article is mostly talking about people who seek help with obesity, heart disease, and dietary choices.

Another way that “Waste Not” might connect with my senior project is through the materials in which the Sports Medicine clinic uses. What did it take to make the tools and equipment that the clinic uses? How many trees were cut down to make them? How much water was wasted? Does the material include waste products or anything that may be harmful to the environment? These are all questions that I have yet been able to answer. Will I answer them? Yes, of course. I just need some more time in the environment to be able to ask these questions.

There are two ways (at least I think so) that this chapter, “Waste Not”, relates to my senior project/internship. First of all, it talks about the amount of money wasted on healthcare each year, which closely relates to the sports medicine clinic I am working at. Secondly, the chapter talks about the coke can and all the processes that it went through to get to its ultimate stage. I can look at the different sports medicine tools and equipment and do the same kind of thing. Are these materials used at SKISMO environmentally friendly?

I look forward to furthering my understanding of waste and how I can relate it to my senior project.