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Book Review

Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins

A thought provoking book that aims to educate everyone surrounding improved economic planning by getting rid of assumptions surrounding costs, thinking in terms of systems, and valuing efficiency with renewable sources of energy over non-renewable sources of energy and keeping the statue-quo.

The book asks some poignant questions like, how can clams or snails produce beautiful or durable shells with very low energy input and we can't. Figuring out how nature does so many wonderful things will only create a more efficient manufacturing process cutting costs and prices but it will also cut energy needs by as much as 90% and hence environmental impact.

The book suggest solutions like, rather than buying an air conditioner, if customers buy the product of cool air and businesses provide it in the most economical way, the provider is then motivated to create the most efficient air conditioner possible, maintain it, and recycle it when it no longer functions satisfactorily or something more efficient comes along. This approach would allow us to live better lives using half the materials and energy that currently supports a diminishing quality of life and a declining environment. This concept would actually put the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle into practical application which could be applied to everything we currently use. Ownership would become something of the past where we only borrow something for a period of time and when it no longer serves us well, it is replaced with something more efficient, less costly and more sustainable.

William Greider says, “The book will find its audience, regardless. It is that important. The authors are setting out a boldly different framework for understanding the ecological crisis.. This perspective has something to offend nearly everyone: Business interests will choke on the apocalyptic description of the earth in crisis but may be flattered by the suggestion that they have the means to solve it. Most environmentalists agree on the vast dimensions of the threat to nature but may dismiss the authors' can-do optimism as dangerously naive. I have particular doubts of my own. Nevertheless, Natural Capitalism poses an intelligent challenge to lazy assumptions on both sides of the political divide and ought to jump-start a reinvigorated environmental debate.”

A good read for everyone, no matter where you are on the debate regarding the environment, energy or economics.

Buy a copy of: Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

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