A new way

What Michael Braungart and William McDonough's idea of from cradle to cradle is not a new concept as they admit. The idea to actually produce a product with the intention of it being restored to nature later is a great idea. However, I do believe that they seem a bit optimistic with this idea. For example, the roofing they propose made of soil and an assortment of plants will be cost effective for cooling a building and preventing water running off and flooding the area, but there will still need to be material below the roofing. The destruction of buildings to implement these new designs will cause the harmful substances to release into the air quicker than what they would in the first place. I also believe that they underestimate the "good" people are trying to do. Not only do recycling programs bring environmentalism into the consciousness of vast communities, but it also encourages people to consume less, which is very significant. Even if materials were made to be absorbed by the environment, I believe that there is a limit. You cannot dump bottles everywhere and anywhere simply because you know that they are environmentally friendly. This will perpetuate the problem they mentioned about the absence of aesthetic beauty. We will be walking around on top of bottles! Therefore, not only do these products need to be environmentally friendly, but people also need to learn to consume less. Dead leaves in a lawn can be used to encourage plant growth. However, too much chokes the light from reaching any new plant life. To an extent, producing products purposefully to become recycled is a wonderful idea, but it needs to be combined with reducing and recycling programs in existence already in order to promote the ideas among the populations and to limit consumerism, which could out weigh the positive effects of the from cradle to cradle approach.