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1-Page Summary of The Upcycle
“The Design Solution”
Pollution isn’t the problem that people think it is. It’s actually design flaws in products that cause pollution and other environmental issues. If designers create products with a better understanding of their impact on the environment, they can avoid those problems altogether. Products designed with this mindset are called “upcycled,” because they’re made from old or discarded materials. The goal of upcycling is to make designs that care for all species forever and don’t harm anyone at any time by being created or used.
The “Cradle to Cradle Framework”
Upcycling refers to the process of re-purposing discarded materials into new and useful items. This is based on The Hannover Principles, which were written for design guidelines at a World’s Fair in Germany. These principles are: * Humans and nature have a right to live side by side, flourish and endure; * Humans depend on nature; * There is an interdependence between humans and nature.
Humans are accountable for the things they design. They should create things that don’t hurt nature or other people. There is no such thing as throwing something away, because there’s nowhere to throw it to.
Energy is a natural force that moves through the world. It can be used to benefit people and things.
Design has constraints. Sharing information helps humans stick to these principles. There are two categories of design: biological nutrients and technical nutrients. The first is made naturally by the Earth, while the second is comprised of things that aren’t created by nature (metals, plastics). Both types nourish the planet and feed the cycle of consumption, but cradle-to-cradle products have no end date for use; they nourish nature forever.
Regulations and warnings do not consider the Earth or its inhabitants, but sometimes they indicate that something should be redesigned to fit cradle-to-cradle principles. Often, regulations mean that there is an opportunity for improvement.
“Nature-Deficit Disorder”
In today’s world, we are bombarded with information about how bad things are getting. We see people suffer and die; we see animals go extinct; we see extreme weather that threatens our safety. The human race is in danger of dying out. In order to fix this, humans have to stop producing emissions and waste altogether, because it seems like the Earth can’t handle any more of it.
The author believes that the idea of Mother Nature is a myth. He says that people should be more aware of how brutal and destructive nature can be, because it’s an important part of our lives. For example, botulinum toxin is 10 million times more potent than cyanide. It’s also dangerous to think that we exist separately from our physical world; in fact, they’re inseparable.
The belief that humans need to leave a smaller footprint on the earth is wrong. There are many people who believe this, but it’s short-sighted because it doesn’t lead to sustainable solutions for the future. Rather than focusing on reducing the impact we have on Earth by consuming fewer products and recycling everything, we should focus our efforts on healing past damage and ensuring a sustainable future.
Creating “Additionality”
Environmental groups focus on reducing or eliminating emissions. In reality, however, these can be harnessed for good purposes. For instance, plants need carbon dioxide to survive. People also breathe in oxygen that comes from trees. So designers should look at ways to utilize and benefit from emissions instead of merely trying to eliminate them all together.
Ideas are critical in today’s times. They can change the world and inspire people to do great things. People who are better at presenting their ideas are more influential and successful. Therefore, wouldn’t it help to dissect the world’s best idea communicators and figure out why they’re so good at communicating their ideas? We can do that with a thorough analysis of TED (Technology, Education, Design) presentations, as well as interviews with those speakers and the author’s insights from business leaders.
