But as architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart point out in this provocative, visionary book, such an approach only perpetuates the one-way, "cradle to grave" manufacturing model, dating to the Industrial Revolution, that creates such fantastic amounts of waste and pollution in the first place. Why not challenge the belief that human industry must damage the natural world? In fact, why not take nature itself as our model for making things? A tree produces thousands of blossoms in order to create another tree, yet we consider its abundance not wasteful but safe, beautiful, and highly effective.Waste equals food. Guided by this principle, McDonough and Braungart explain how products can be designed from the outset so that, after their useful lives, they will provide nourishment for something new. They can be conceived as "biological nutrients" that will easily reenter the water or soil without depositing synthetic materials and toxins. Or they can be "technical nutrients" that will continually circulate as pure and valuable materials within closed-loop industrial cycles, rather than being "recycled" -- really, downcycled -- into low-grade materials and uses. Drawing on their experience in (re)designing everything from carpeting to corporate campuses, McDonough and Braungart make an exciting and viable case for putting eco-effectiveness into practice, and show how anyone involved with making anything can begin to do as well.

    Using salvaged lumber and bricks, discarded tires, hay and waste cardboard bales, concrete rubble, colored bottles, and old license plates, they create inexpensive buildings that bear the trademark of Mockbee's work, which he describes as "contemporary modernism grounded in Southern culture."In a time of unexampled prosperity, when architectural attention focuses on big, glossy urban projects, the Rural Studio provides an alternative of substance. In addition to being a social welfare venture, the Rural Studio--"Taliesin South" as Mockbee calls it--is also an educational experiment and a prod to the architectural profession to act on its best instincts. In giving students hands-on experience in designing and building something real, it extends their education beyond paper architecture. And in scavenging and reusing a variety of unusual materials, it is a model of sustainable architecture. The work of Rural Studio has struck such a chord-both architecturally and socially--that it has been featured on Oprah, Nightline, and CBS News, as well as in Time and People magazines.The Studio has completed more than a dozen projects, including the Bryant "Hay Bale" House, Harris "Butterfly" House, Yancey Chapel, Akron Chapel, Children's Center, H.E.R.O. Playground, Lewis House, Super Sheds and Pods, Spencer House addition, Farmer's Market, Mason's Bend Community Center, Goat House, and Shannon-Dutley House. These buildings, along with the incredible story of the Rural Studio, the people who live there, and Mockbee and his student architects, are detailed in this colorful book, the first on the subject."I tell my students, it's got to be warm, dry, and noble"--Samuel Mockbee

    David Holmgren brings into sharper focus the powerful and still evolving Permaculture concept he pioneered with Bill Mollison in the 1970s. It draws together and integrates 25 years of thinking and teaching to reveal a whole new way of understanding and action behind a simple set of design principles. The 12 design principles are each represented by a positive action statement, an icon and a traditional proverb or two that captures the essence of each principle.Holmgren draws a correlation between every aspect of how we organize our lives, communities and landscapes and our ability to creatively adapt to the ecological realities that shape human destiny. For students and teachers of Permaculture this book provides something more fundamental and distilled than Mollison's encyclopedic "Designers Manual." For the general reader it provides refreshing perspectives on a range of environmental issues and shows how permaculture is much more than just a system of gardening. For anyone seriously interested in understanding the foundations of sustainable design and culture, this book is essential reading. Although a book of ideas, the big picture is repeatedly grounded by reference to Holmgren's own place, Melliodora, and other practical examples.

    The prospect of following in the family tradition seems less than appealing to Jack but on the first day of his MBA he meets a retired professor who offers him a class that wasn't exactly on the curriculum: how to make it in business without losing in life. Over a series of memorable evenings the professor shares with Jack seven laws to turn his life around: don't settle for being money rich - time poor; believe that the job you do makes a difference; play to your strengths; believe in the pwoer of dreams; put your family before your career; keep the common touch; and don't settle for success, strive for significance.

    In this daring and sprawling memoir, the captain of the Sea Shepherd recounts his remarkable life on the front lines in the war to stop the viscious slaughter of the Canadian harp seal.Seal Wars opens in 1996 with Paul Watson -- holed up in a hotel with Martin Sheen in the Magdalen Islands and facing an attacking mob of angry sealers -- being rescued by police and airlifted to safety. Watson recounts the childhood experiences that shaped his adult consciousness and environmental ethic. He records a history of the seal hunt (including all the tragedies, brutalities, and government mismanagement and obfuscation) from its beginning up to the rescue campaigns he courageously led from the prow of the Sea Shepherd.Starting in 1976 with a Greenpeace crew off Labrador, Paul Watson has braved numerous forays onto the ice floes, many with such celebrities as Brigitte Bardot, Farley Mowat, Martin Sheen, and Pierce Brosnan. He has served time in prison, debated politicians, and quite often put his life on the line. In a passionate defense of environmental responsibility, Seal Wars guides us through the highs and lows, the defeats and successes of Watson's untiring devotion to this noble cause.

    The Power of Partnership provides us with the necessary tools to make major changes in our lives, to break free of the old habits and patterns of domination with their tension, fear, and unhappiness, and to grow and thrive in partnership with all.

    TaylorIs there a place for animals in the moral consideration of nature? by Eric KatzCan animal rights activists be environmentalists? by Gary E. VarnerAgainst the moral considerability of ecosystems by Harley CahenThe varieties of intrinsic value by John O'NeillValue in nature and the nature of value by Holmes Rolston IIIThe source and locus of intrinsic value : a reexamination by Keekok LeeEnvironmental ethics and weak anthropocentrism by Bryan G. NortonWeak anthropocentric intrinsic value by Eugene HargroveMoral pluralism and the course of environmental ethics by Christopher D. StoneThe case against moral pluralism by J. Baird CallicottMinimal, moderate, and extreme moral pluralism by Peter S. WenzThe case for a practical pluralism by Andrew LightDeep ecology : a new philosophy of our time? by Warwick FoxThe deep ecological movement : some philosophical aspects by Arne NaessEcofeminism : toward global justice and planetary health by Greta Gaard and Lori GruenEcological feminism and ecosystem ecology by Karen J. Warren and Jim CheneyBeyond intrinsic value : pragmatism in environmental ethics by Anthony WestonPragmatism in environmental ethics : democracy, pluralism, and the management of nature by Ben A. Minteer and Robert E. ManningThe ethics of sustainable resources by Donald SchererToward a just and sustainable economic order by John B. Cobb, Jr.Ethics, public policy, and global warming by Dale JamiesonFaking nature by Robert ElliotThe big lie : human restoration of nature by Eric KatzEcological restoration and the culture of nature : a pragmatic perspective by Andrew LightAn amalgamation of wilderness preservation arguments by Michael P. NelsonA critique of and an alternative to the wilderness area by J. Baird CallicottWilderness--now more than ever : a response to Callicott by Reed F. NossFeeding people versus saving nature? by Holmes Rolston IIISaving nature, feeding people, and ethics by Robin AttfieldIntegrating environmentalism and human rights by James W. Nickel and Eduardo ViolaEnvironmental justice : an environmental civil rights value acceptable to all world views by Troy W. HartleySustainability and intergenerational justice by Brian BarryDemocracy and sense of place values in environmental policy by Bryan G. Norton and Bruce HannonEnvironmental awareness and liberal education by Andrew Brennan

    It is an inspiring and stimulating book for anyone who cares about Earth and is concerned about the direction in which the human species is moving.

    As a cancer specialist, Karl-Henrik Robert faced a stream of parents who would sacrifice anything to save their children. Yet that same selflessness did not seem to extend to saving the environment. For debate on how to achieve sustainability was divided, with no agreement on universal principles. But Robert's experience convinced him that consensus on how to meet the most basic requirements of life should be possible. Thus began a long process of consultation among scientists and others that eventually led to the definition of four system conditions essential for the maintenance of life on Earth: conditions that have now been agreed upon world-wide and encapsulated as The Natural Step framework. Dramatic, visionary and inspiring, this book will appeal to all with a passion for sustainability including business leaders, academics, journalists, activists, and students.

    This text outlines the basic principles and rules that underscore the Bradley method, and provides the practical techniques required to put them into practice.

    "There is a way of being in the world that recoils from aggressiveness, cunning, and greed," writes bestselling author Carol Lee Flinders. This way of being arose out of the relationships our hunter-gatherer ancestors had with the natural world, one another, and Spirit -- relationships that are most acutely understood in terms of trust, inclusion, and mutual reciprocity. This society's core values, which include intimate connection with the land, empathetic relationship with animals, self-restraint, balance, expressiveness, generosity, egalitarianism, playfulness, and nonviolent conflict resolution, are what Flinders calls the "values of Belonging."But with the Agricultural Revolution, as people took charge of what they could grow and where, the nature of human society changed. Once we could produce enough food to have surpluses, food could be bartered. The concept of ownership took on new meaning; more complex economies evolved, and with them came social and economic inequities. Qualities that had been reviled, such as competitiveness, acquisitiveness, and ambition, became under these new conditions the means to success. God underwent a transformation as well, becoming masculine, supreme, and finally located above and beyond us in the heavens. Flinders observes that these "values of Enterprise" have played a crucial role in the development of human society, having given us our passion for innovation and exploration of our world. But, whether negative or positive, the values of Enterprise, which became associated with men, overwhelmed the values of Belonging, which were identified with women. This division has impoverished us all.The values that shaped the hunter-gatherer's life reflected the need for connection, while those that fueled the Agricultural Revolution, and the subsequent rise of civilization as we know it, resulted in disconnection -- from nature, other people, and Spirit. The two value systems could not be more deeply at odds. Because the values of Enterprise have prevailed, the entire world stands in acute and perilous imbalance. And yet there are those who have managed to keep the values of Belonging alive, while successfully negotiating Enterprise culture.In this fresh look at gender relationships, Flinders moves away from the dichotomy of male as oppressor and female as victim. She sees models for a new balance in the lives of visionaries, artists, and mystics such as the Buddha, Baal Shem Tov, Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John Muir, and Martin Luther King Jr., each of whom mirrors the essence of Belonging values for the world. This thought-provoking book adds an exciting dimension to the debate about Western values and where we are headed.

    “It is the medium through which we know the earth.” In a remarkable integration of environmental science, biology, meditation, and creative expression, Olsen, a dancer who teaches in the environmental studies program at Middlebury College, offers a guide to a holistic understanding of person and place. Part workbook, part exploration, Body and Earth considers the question of how we can best, most responsibly inhabit both our bodies and our planet. Olsen displays an easy command of fields as diverse as geology, biochemistry, ecology, and anatomy as she explores the ways in which our bodies are derived from and connected to the natural world. But Body and Earth is not just a lesson, it is also an investigation. Arranged as a 31-day program, the book offers not only a wealth of scientific information, but also exercises for both exploring the body and connecting with place; illustrations and works of art that illuminate each chapter’s themes; and Olsen’s own meditations and reflections, connecting the topics to her personal history and experience. Olsen insists that neither body nor landscape are separate from our fundamental selves, but in a culture which views the body as a mechanism to be trained and the landscape as a resource to be exploited, we need to learn to see again their fundamental wholeness and interconnection. Through hard data, reflection, exercises, and inspiration, Body and Earth offers a guide to responsible stewardship of both our planet and our persons.

    Concern about consumption emerges, if at all, in benign ways; as calls for green purchasing or more recycling, or for small changes in production processes. Many academics, policymakers, and journalists, in fact, accept the economists' view of consumption as nothing less than the purpose of the economy. Yet many people have a troubled, intuitive understanding that tinkering at the margins of production and purchasing will not put society on an ecologically and socially sustainable path.Confronting Consumption places consumption at the center of debate by conceptualizing the consumption problem and documenting diverse efforts to confront it. In Part 1, the book frames consumption as a problem of political and ecological economy, emphasizing core concepts of individualization and commoditization. Part 2 develops the idea of distancing and examines transnational chains of consumption in the context of economic globalization. Part 3 describes citizen action through local currencies, home power, voluntary simplicity, ad-busting, and product certification. Together, the chapters propose cautious consuming and better producing as an activist and policy response to environmental problems. The book concludes that confronting consumption must become a driving focus of contemporary environmental scholarship and activism.

    Helpfully organized by environmental zone, the book is an authoritative guide for nature lovers, outdoorsmen, and gastronomes.

    Here she provides her many young fans with what they yearn for most -- her advice on how to promote change and improve the health of the planet, distilled into an essential handbook. This book will be accessible to school-aged children, while accomodating the audience of parents and teachers who look to Julia as an example of how one person can "change the world." Packed with a variety of charts, diagrams, and interesting factoids, the book will be broken down into a series of steps and easy-to-follow lessons. It will be written broadly so as to accommodate all kinds of activism, though its core focus will be on environmental issues.

    She tells her own story as a cancer survivor, and the stories of others, with deep compassion and clarity. This is a guide to understanding the emotional processes of a health crisis, with clear guidelines for how to work with these insights.

    Forget knitting patterns—this book shows you how to explore the qualities of knitting in a new way. Each technique and idea is clearly explained in detail, so that beginners can follow easily and more experienced knitters can see the potential of this unique approach. The book includes an explanation of basic stitches and techniques and creative ways of using them; advice on how to design your own garments, cushions, and throws; and projects for a range of fabulous sweaters, jackets, hats, and cushions.

    Unable to import either food or materials needed for conventional agriculture, Cuba turned inward to self-reliance. Sustainable agriculture, organic farming, urban gardens, smaller farms, animal traction, and biological pest control are all part of the new Cuban agriculture. In this book, Cuban authors offer details of these remarkable achievements to serve as guideposts toward healthier, more environmentally friendly and self-reliant farming.Cuba's remarkable recovery from a food crisis brought on by the collapse of trade relations with the former Socialist Bloc and the tightening of the US trade embargo came about by the use of sustainable agriculture, organic farming, urban gardens, smaller farms, animal traction, and biological pest control. In Sustainable Agriculture and Resistance: Transforming Food Production in Cuba, Cuban authors offer details--for the first time in English--of these remarkable achievements, to serve as guideposts toward healthier, more environmentally friendly and self-reliant farming.Sustainable Agriculture and Resistance: Transforming Food Production in Cuba is the story of Cuba's achievements in the use sustainable agriculture, organic farming, urban gardens, smaller farms, animal traction, and biological pest control to feed the country.

    Elevated holes. Divots. Mounds. The revised edition of this quirky and popular field guide helps curious visitors -- as well as seasoned naturalists -- sort through the often bewildering abundance of desert holes so they can find out who's behind all that digging. Includes over 60 drawings of desert animals, their holes, and their tracks, and over 50 full-color photographs.