Thursday, June 10, Dr. Michael Braungart spoke at the 4th Annual Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Awards ceremony sponsored by Resource Venture, a program of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Braungart was powerful, funny and challenging. More on him follows. First, however, I want you to know a little about the 180 breakfast Awards Ceremony attendees. Lawyers, bakers, and candle makers, were there, actually lawyers, ecologists, landscape architects, architects, corporate L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design*) representatives, designers, small business people, non-profit organizations, and a number of folks from branches of local, regional and state government. All were there because they believe in sustainability at some level and they wanted to acknowledge the contributions of the Award Winners. The age range was great, and I mean GREAT! There were lots of people under 30 and those up into their seventies. They were alive, energized and eager to hear what Michael had to say. Dr. Braungart, Michael, pulled no punches. He first slides showed smog, pollution, etc. letting us know that America has been consciously/unconsciously committed to GUILT and has set up recycling as a way to assuage that guilt. He challenges that that is not our "HIGH DREAM!" We don’t even really want to settle for "sustainability." He believes we actually want much more, we want the full advantage of our internal and external resources, our creativity, and our spirit. Taking a trajectory that is pointing in that direction is what will lead us out of the dark cycle that is polluting our "nest" – air, water and natural systems. Dr. Braungart and his partner and co-author of Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough, believe in Cradle Design/”Total Beauty Design” that defines a framework for designing products and industrial processes that turn materials into nutrients by enabling the formation of cyclical material flow metabolisms. With this design focus "waste equals food" for another product or process. For example, they have helped design a Ford SUV that is fully recyclable in 5 years, you lease it, and when you return it, the materials are "up-cycled" in a way that maximizes use and minimizes unusable waste. (They do know where the U.S. consumer lives!) If you want more of the science, by a copy of Cradle to Cradle or Natural Capitalism and check out Braungart’s website at www.braungart.com. Excellent regional resources if you are considering eco-efficient innovation are: www.resourceventure.org and the Sustainable Industries Journal Northwest (www.sijournal.com).