Summary of Way
Economic theory has long portrayed a clean environment as a luxury good, affordable only for the well-off—a view that says that pollution has to increase before it can decline, and (guess what), growth will eventually clean it up.
But as with inequality there is no such economic law: environmental degradation is the result of degenerative industrial design. This century calls for economic thinking that unleashes the potential of regenerative design in order to create a circular, not linear, economy—and to restore ourselves as full participants in Earth’s cyclical processes of life.
Introductory video
Relevance to digital tech
This way refers to embedding recycling, re-use, minimising waste and the circular economy into all our economic activity – and in our workshops this was a very strong theme with a large number of comments:.
Comments included:
- Extend product & material lifespan –> circular economy
- Modular designs for partial upgrades
- eWaste becomes eResource. Designed for infinite use
- We make better use of urban infrastructure – things like rainwater harvesting, heat waste reuse, urban/rooftop gardens, rooftop solar, etc.