Cradle to Cradle

I came across William O'Donoghue's TED talk (below) a few years ago, and felt really inspired by the cradle-2-cradle concept; it was probably my first exposure to 'there is no waste in nature' and seeing the value in cyclic systems to address our issues.  Closed loop cycles to contain the things that currently accumulate as toxins in our natural systems and technical cycles so we don't lose control when we are working in such complex ways.  I don't overly enjoy listening to him speak (his manner) but he can appreciate some really eloquent expressions.  For example, he calls 'design' as 'the intent in what we build', or when he describes competition as stemming from the Latin word competare which apparently means strive together; imagine businesses 'training together and then competing'...very relevant, as this is what we will need to do to get ahead fast enough in becoming sustainable.  Here is the talk:

He also published a book with Michael Braungart calling for the transformation of human industry through ecologically intelligent design. They describe the current systems as a consequence of the industrial rush, but that "today, with our growing knowledge of the living earth, design can reflect a new spirit".  I found a few websites out there that say William O'Donoghue doesn't walk the talk enough, but I also found this irrefutable  claim on his website:  "In addition to describing the hopeful, nature-inspired design principles that are making
industry both prosperous and sustainable, the book itself is a physical symbol of the changes to come. It is printed on a synthetic 'paper,' made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers, designed to look and feel like top quality paper while also being waterproof and rugged. And the book can be easily recycled in localities with systems to collect polypropylene, like that in yogurt containers. This 'treeless' book points the way toward the day when synthetic books, like many other products, can be used, recycled, and used again without losing any material quality—in cradle to cradle cycles".  Gotta say, I like the out of the box thinking.