"Thousands of blossoms create fruit for birds, humans and other animals, in order that one pit might grow.

In fact, the tree's fecundity nourishes just about everything around it ... without depleting its environment.

Design must not just decrease resource use and unsalable waste, it must create products whose waste can be put to use
in either the biological or technological metabolism.”

"Cradle to Cradle"

McDonough and Braungart

 

 

 

Long term sustainability often needs thinking "outside the box" like the Cherry Tree example.

Efficiency alone can be a valuable part of a transitional strategy to help current systems wind down and adapt.

But efficiency alone will not avoid net loss of resources and net increases of toxic and non-recyclable waste.

Sustainability requires design and planning for eco-effectiveness to reverse the production of unused or non-recycled waste.

The 'old rules' don't always apply in the search for sustainability.

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