Point of View

There is always a heads and a tails, a glass half empty and a glass half full and a negative and a positive side to an issue. The way one views something influences and even determines one's behavior and actions regarding that issue. In the introduction and first chapter of Cradle to Cradle, two ways of looking at the world and its resources are introduced. One can either look at the world as a world of abundance or a world of limits. Instead of taking on the latter point of view, the authors of this book encourage readers to adopt a different vision. Adopt a vision that sees industry and the environment working together and benefiting each other in harmony; a vision that sees opportunities of creativity and productivity inspired by this world of abundance. Even though the industry is heavily motivated by economic incentives, design goals should not be limited to the economic system. Instead of creating universal design solutions that are enforced by brute force, society as a whole needs to take into consideration both natural and cultural diversity and transform not only design goals, but also ways of manufacturing, developing and distributing goods. As mentioned in the first chapter, "A Question of Design," a strategy of change should be assumed instead of a strategy of tragedy.