Natural Capitalism

A sustainable framework is a way of organizing thoughts about sustainability, as well as planning and managing activities and resources in such a way to better the lives of people and the planet we live in. After reading chapter 3 of “Design is the Problem” I have considered each framework carefully and chosen one that I think works best. In my opinion, it is the first framework called Natural Capitalism but also known as eco-efficiency. Of all the complicated sustainability frameworks, I have found this one to be the easiest to understand and the most straight forward. It understands the value of sustainability in new designs and development. This model is business focused and covers three main issues which are social, environmental, and financial. Additionally, it describes the main types of capital such as natural resources from the earth, the value we get from working people, materials and energy people create, and money such as cash, credit, stocks and bonds. I think this framework is best because to me it makes most sense. Basically, we have the resources, the intelligence, and the technology to be sustainable. It is up to us to put in that extra work to prioritize being sustainable and reducing waste and being as efficient as possible. One aspect that I really appreciate in this framework is how it prioritizes the most important sectors of energy and material use. Most people waste the most when it comes to transportation and in the home. Adding up all these losses across the world proves how big of a problem we are have and the potential we have to fix it. Yes, this framework does have its flaws. It does not cut out waste entirely. Instead it just aims to minimize waste and maximize efficiency. I agree that we cannot go from zero to one hundred overnight. It is not possible to just cut out waste completely especially at the rate we are wasting. I think this framework is a good start, it is important to me that we start simple and perfect later. We must learn the fundamentals before proceeding to the more complicated, use our tools and resources, be realistic with the time it takes for each step, that is why we cannot just skip to the Cradle to Cradle or Biomimicry framework.