The Monticello Dialogues, Part 6 - Cradle to Cradle; Going Green with William McDonough & Steve Bradfield

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When talking about the future of the environment, choosing between what is bad and less bad isn't good enough, according to Bill McDonough, who with his partner, chemist Michael Braungart, are championing "the next industrial revolution." He speaks of his work with Ford, China, Green/Blue, Louis Mumford and more. For anyone concerned about our ecological future, this dialogue serves as a positive tonic. Includes special guest Steve Bradfield of Shaw Industries, the largest carpet company in the world, which has adopted "cradle to cradle." (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

William McDonough is an anticipatory design architect. But more than that he is a philosopher for the 21st century and is asking some of the most critical questions we should be thinking about in these challenging times. He’s the former Dean of the Architecture Department at the University of Virginia, and was named “Hero of the Planet” by Time magazine. He’s also the winner of three U.S. presidential awards including the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development. 

He is the author with his partner, Michael Braungart, of:

• Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (Farrar, Straus and Geroux 2002)
• The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability-Designing for Abundance (North Point Press 2013)

To learn more about the work of William McDonough go to www.McDonough.com and www.c2ccertified.org.

Steve Bradfield is Director of Corporate Environmental Affairs at Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer. Shaw Industries is 2003 recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for their innovation in material. It has adopted the "cradle to cradle" concept for their carpets.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• What can you do to create a sustaining lifestyle
• How can GreenBlue make a positive difference in your life
• How Shaw Industries' decision to adopt "cradle to cradle" transforms the entire carpet industry worldwide
• Why is China's interest in "cradle to cradle" so exciting for the rest of the world
• How is it that migrating birds are now landing on the roof of Ford's Rouge River assembly plant for the first time in a century

Host: Michael Toms     Interview Date: 5/2/2003        

Program Number: 2988

Music Playlist

From Album: En-Trance
Artist: Conrad Praetzel
1995 Perfect Pitch Music PA-103
Tracks - Question of Bliss, Waking the Shadows

From Album: Worldbeat Africa
Artist: David Lyndon Huff
2003 Green Hill Productions GHD5327
Track - Trance