Cradle to Cradle

This is a video clip illustrates the importance of designing environmentally friendly product across all industries. William McDonough who is the author of the book cradle to cradle was trying to relate the idea of a world in which product designers are conscious of their environment. He stresses the fact that this consciousness should be seen in all industries across the world. This principle suggests that industries protect and enrich the ecosystems while at the same time maintaining a safe product. This is an advocacy for a world of much more eco-friendly product.

William McDonough was of this state of mind but from an architectural point of view since he is an architect. He discussed how architecture should incorporate eco-friendly techniques into modern design to reflect resonation with the environment. This new model of architectural approach takes into consideration energy conservation as it proposes prior study of sunlight, wind and other forms of natural energy before construction. The clip then goes into how we can get to defining and expressing an actionable goal to take on the challenges of the environmental crisis and achieve solutions.

This perception for designing future products is essential if present humans are conscious of future generation. This principle imbibes the culture of “no waste”, which is necessary for the sustainability of our planet. We need to start developing ways in which to provide for human needs without hurting the environment.  

In conclusion, the aim of this talk is to inspire a new model of production across the world. Moreover, this is consistent with the sustainability and livelihood goals that nations around the world are trying to implement. There is an increasing appreciation for a system that can address product and supply chain both backward in terms of where it came from and forward, because there are rigorous consideration into the recycling and reusability potential of the product.

Sustainable livlihood and Millenium goals.

Sustainability could be described as a way to improve the understanding of livelihoods of poor people. It focuses its attention on the main factors that affect poor people's livelihoods and the typical relationships between these factors. This can then be used in planning new development activities and in assessing the contribution that existing activities have made to sustain livelihoods. The rate of population growth has made it imperative for the current generation to develop ways in which to manage resources much more effectively. Situations are particularly bleak in Sub-Sahara Africa, as the astronomical population growth, which is partly due to “Rural to Urban” migration, is met with lack of infrastructure, failure to plan and lack of data. This is usually a chain effect of bad government policies and corruption of leaders.

Sustainability for rural livelihood aims to approach the problem by trying to address the fundamental cause of poverty in most rural areas. These, which are ways of thinking of the people as it relates to employment, production and the general perception of standard of living.  The sustainable livelihood plan puts impoverished people themselves at the center of all of its analysis. It takes into consideration the complexities of poverty: what level of skills an individual possesses, whether or not they have access to education, whether or not they have access to social network and how vulnerable they to stress factors like natural disasters or fluctuations in food prices. It recognizes not just what assets the rural dwellers lack be it physical, financial, human, social, but also what assets they do have and develop a sustainable way to make it work. Sustainability is used to determine the challenges and opportunities confronted by poor people, as expressed by themselves. It builds on these representations, and then supports poor people as they address the constraints, or take advantage of opportunities.

A key component in the framework of sustainability approach is the integration of future plans. The framework is not a model that puts into consideration, all the key elements of people's livelihoods, or a universal solution. Rather, it is a means of provoking thought and analysis. Its implementation is also based on the current situation of the people on which it is to address. The ability to be able to prepare for the future is important in a bid to retain a sustainable system for the upcoming generation. Conclusively, sustainability analyses poor people’s needs and their assets and develop ways in which to maintain a livelihood while developing mechanism to respond to stress.

The Rio+20 draft article talks about sustainable development goal (SDG), which refers to a concession reached by the United Nations to meet and deliberate periodically on matters that would affect the future of the world. Such issues include food security, access to clean water, biodiversity, greenhouse emission control and poverty eradication. The article on sustainable development goal describes the steps been currently taken to address energy, biodiversity, food security and climate change. The aim of this conference is to create an all inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process, which is open to all stakeholders, with a view to developing global sustainable development goals to be agreed by the General Assembly.  The result is a carefully outlined set of goals and a timeline appended to each of these goals for execution. Each member state is required to adhere to these outlined goals in bid to contribute towards sustainable planet earth. The framework for the project is set up to correlate the poverty-reduction Millennium Development Goals earlier agreed upon by member states

The financial downturn been experienced around the global economies coupled with the deficiencies in the earth’s natural resources has compelled governments around the world to try to formulate a new “socially responsible” economic model. However, according to the article most observers of the sustainable development goal project are pessimistic of the process. Their major worry is that governments around the world and mostly in developing nations usually just pay lip service to these directives. Even in developing nations that go ahead to implement, the processes are half hazard and for the most part hindered by government bureaucracies and corruption. Critics of project are calling for more impetus on the part of world leaders, as they are not seen as addressing the problem head-on.

The article on the United Nation’s millennium development goals emphasizes the need for countries around the world to be in unison in the fight to eradicate poverty, improve healthcare, food security, environmental sustainability and improve the general standard of living.  The goals are eight carefully itemized objectives that were established following the millennium summit of the United Nations in the year 2000. To each of this goal is a target, and a time limit is assigned for theses targets. These goals are as follow:

·      Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

·      Achieve universal primary education

·      Promote gender equality and empower women

·      Reduce child mortality

·      Improve maternal health

·      Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases

·      Ensure environmental sustainability

·      Develop a global partnership for development

Since its adoption, the world in general has made considerable progress in achieving many of the Goals. Average number of people in extreme poverty declined, Child mortality rates have fallen, life expectancy has since increased and an additional 8 percent of the developing world now has access to clean water. However, progress has not been uniform across the world or across the Goals. There are huge inconsistencies in implementation across different regions of the world. Sub-Saharan Africa is in the middle of implementation crisis, with shocking child and maternal mortality, continuing food insecurity, surge of extreme poverty, huge numbers of people living in slums, and a widespread shortfall for most of the goals that have been outlined. Asia witnessed better success in implementation but a huge number still live poverty there. Critics berated the project for lack of analysis and basis for the chosen objectives, the complexities involved in the measurements for some goals and uneven progress.