This man might just save the world

The latest of Vanity Fair's special 'Green Issues' includes a profile of radical architect William McDonough, who believes we can and should build things that, like nature, ultimately return all their raw materials to the earth, or at least to the factories, to be re-used.

He calls it Cradle to Cradle, one of those brilliant rallying-call phrases that captures an entire philosophy in an instant. Rather than the Industrial Revolution approach of cradle to grave, where things are ultimately disposed of and wasted, this is a way to stimulate economic growth, have the wonderful things we want, and still rescue ourselves from environmental oblivion. Can it be true? Read it now and see.

(McDonough has also co-written a book called Cradle to Cradle, produced using only materials that conform to the 'C2C' philosophy. (No paper at all.) A book that is physical proof of its own theory in practice: quite something.)

Maybe things are getting better

There's considerable gloom about the environmental situation, of course, but people like this give one equally considerable hope. Great design can be green (and vice versa). An inspiring few minutes.