stop to smell the flowers

Mcdonough's ideas of eco-effectiveness correlate nicely to Meadows thoughts on system surprise. A major reason why systems can surprise us is because of the linear thought patter we have all developed. We see the cause and effect, "event-level" of a system rather than understanding the behavior of a system. This gives us the ability to answer questions and solve problems but leaves almost no room for the way the world really works, on a non-linear system with constantly changing inputs, outputs, and feedback loops. "The relationship between cause and effect can only be drawn with curves or wiggles, not with a straight line."

Eco-effectiveness is breaking the linear model of the world. It challenges the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra of the eco-efficient era and moves towards the idea of being 100% good, rather than just being less bad. An efficient mind may drawn the conclusion if doing a little less bad is good, than doing a lot less bad will be even better. A great assumption for a linear world, but ultimately we have the same results, it just took us much longer to get there. Not to bad mouth the idea of eco-efficiency, it can buy us time to develop new ideas and it is the responsible path to take at the moment but what if we looked at the world with a slightly different twist.

McDonough relates his new ideas and buildings to the system of a cherry tree. He is looking to create an environment, a book, or anthing else that not only does not promote deforestation or polluting the waters but helps become a part of the natural system and would improve upon it's environment. He discusses creating a book that does not posses toxic inks or paper, and that when finished can be taken and not only recycled but cleanly upcycled. It would be made out of a product that would not lose it's value. He also talks about a building that promotes healthy wildlife along with workers. That uses the natural world to help cool, light, and warm that building. A building that would help keep workers in tune with the change of seasons and times of day. The landscape would have wetlands that help filter storm water and waste water giving the local river a helping hand.

These ideas were a result of looking at the world the way nature works in it. The cherry tree did not produce waste, it may be abundant in blossoms but they behave as food, fertilizer, home, and are aesthetically pleasing. The tree cleans our air and water, it creates no harmful effects on the world around it.

This is our time to be inspired. We have the ability to create and do good. (be 100% good in fact, what an interesting challenge) It's time for us as a whole to escape our one track minds and think a little out of the box. The answers to a sustainable future do not lie on the paved road ahead, they are somewhere on the side of the road that we haven't taken the time to stop by, smell the flowers, and say hi.