I've been doing a lotta reading lately on books that will help inform a career of helping to create a sustainable economy, one organization at a time. And, it's clear from reading all of this that we've got to change the mainstream environmental thinking because it will NOT work
We've been raised on "reduce, reuse, recycle", which is all fine and good except one problem. It's an approach that tries to fix a fatally flawed model rather than redesigning it to work. That model is "cradle-to-grave". We need an economy based on a "Cradle-to-cradle" system. More below the fold...
First, I'd recommend everyone read "Cradle to Cradle" by McDonough and Braungart. Not only is it an easily read and entertaining manifesto on eaching such an economy, the book itself is plastic. Yes, is a nontoxic PLASTIC book. (further you can check out
http://www.c2c-home.org/ to see some of the myriad cool things they're up to). Basically, there idea is based on the concept "Waste equals food" where "products can be designed from the outset so that, after their useful lives they will provide nourishment for something new"
Second, I'd urge anyone even remotely interested to read Natural Capitalism (http://www.natcap.org), in which these, other crucial ideas, and lots of juicy and inspiring existing examples from the US to around the world are found. Everyone can and should read this book because the ENTIRE text is readable and/or downloadable right from their website! (I've also seen hardcover editions used on amazon for pretty cheap).
Anyway, other than just pimping these two venerable books, I wanted to see what ideas have been floating out there for sustainability: in farming, in transportation, urban growth, business, architecture, you name it. Imagine a workplace, for example, that is like working outside: lit by the sun, passively heated and cooled to mimic natural environments and save energy, tons of plants, even the occasional note of incense in the air (a la the Japanese workplace style). Don't you think you'd work much happier (and live longer) somewhere like that? There's plenty examples of places like this now. They've all made quick returns on investment.