An original vision for using technology to transform supply chains into value chains in order to revitalize American communitiesWhen the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global economic “shutdown” in March 2020, our supply chains began to fail, and out-of-stocks and delivery delays became the new norm. Contrary to public perception, the pandemic strain did not break the current system of supply chains; it merely exposed weaknesses and fault lines that were decades in the...

A guide for our future that Booklist praises as "a practical and compelling deep dive into high-level solutions to address climate change, its impact on the economy, and our very survival.”Defines the challenges facing climate goals and offers achievable solutions to meet these goals by 2050-without sacrificing economic growth.Climate change and other environmental dangers are considered an existenti...

This book states the harsh truth: that despite best intentions, our current environmental practices are doing more harm than good, and that the solution lies in creating supply chains of the future that design, produce, consume, and reuse materials in a manner that is balanced economically and environmentally.One billion beverage containers are used on a daily basis in the United States, with at least 600 million of them ending up in landfills. Even the 400 million...

Shows why plastics, in aggregate, have become a toxin to humans, wildlife, and the planet, and proposes novel solutions that involve neither traditional recycling nor giving up plastic."Plastics!" In the 50 years since Dustin Hoffman's character in The Graduate was instructed that this was the career field of the future, we have not been able to escape this ubiquitous but poorly understood material. Author Jack Buffington argues that the plastics crisis is...

This volume models a 21st century supply chain: one that uses technology that leads to the power of the individual, not larger organizations. Author Jack Buffington explains how in the near future, each of us will be a “prosumer” in a peer-based economy of micro-level manufacturing with little waste and infinite customization.There are two primary schools of thought in regard to the world economy of the future; from one side is a belief that economic growth can continue in perpetui...

When the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global economic "shutdown" in March 2020, our supply chains began to fail, and out-of-stocks and delivery delays became the new norm. Contrary to public perception, the pandemic strain did not break the current system of supply chains; it merely exposed weaknesses and fault lines that were decades in the making, and which were already acutely felt in deindustrialized cities and depopulated rural towns throughout the United States.Reinventing ...

An innovation agenda for tackling our biggest global societal challenges, including the climate emergencyWritten by a top thinker in sustainability and responsible business, Thriving promotes change through innovation and transformation in nature, society, and the economy. It showcases new approaches in economics, business, and leadership to address a wide range of topics, including ecosystem destruction, species extinction, plastic waste, air pollution, g...

A manifesto for a radically different philosophy and practice of manufacture and environmentalism"Reduce, reuse, recycle" urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as this provocative, visionary book argues, this approach perpetuates a one-way, "cradle to grave" manufacturing model that dates to the Industrial Revolution and casts off as much as 90 percent of the materials it uses as waste, much of it toxic. Why not ...

The New York Times–bestselling author describes how current trends will create an era when anything and everything is available for almost nothing.In The Zero Marginal Cost Society, New York Times–bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin uncovers a paradox at the heart of capitalism that has propelled it to greatness but is now taking it to its death—the inherent entrepreneurial dynamism of competitive markets that drives productivity up and marginal costs...

The New York Times bestselling author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels draws on the latest data and new insights to challenge everything you thought you knew about the future of energyFor over a decade, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein has predicted that any negative impacts of fossil fuel use on our climate will be outweighed by the unique benefits of fossil fuels to human flourishing--including their unrivaled ability to provide low-...

In The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, McLennan outlines the major ideas and issues that have emerged in the growing movement of green architecture and sustainable design over the last thirty years. This book is intended as a starting point for anyone involved in the building industry on a journey to learn how they can build more responsibly. The book is rooted in practical knowledge but rather than being a ‘howto book’ asks individuals to understand how the philosophy of sustainable des...

From the visionary authors of Cradle to Cradle comes the next step in our ecological evolution: The UpcycleIn their groundbreaking book Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart presented a revolutionary design framework for creating products and systems that actively improve the natural world. A decade later, The Upcycle shows the green living lessons gained from putting this eco-effective concept into practice with businesses, go...