I liked the original, European version of the book "Natural Capitalism" published in the German edition in 1995 and in the English translation in 1997 as "Factor Four". For the review see http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben187.html
"Natural Capitalism" seems to be a low-brow version of "Factor Four" for North American audience. Apologies for this snobbish evaluation, but yes, go for the "Factor Four". It seems to me to go deeper. Adolf Ceska, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ECOLOG- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of stan moore > Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 6:34 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Can we wean from carbon to hydrogen and benefit ecologically? > > Folks -- > > Before he passed away several years ago, the famous environmentalist David > Brower called the book "Natural Capitalism" perhaps the most important > book > of the century. it was written by energy specialists Amory and Hunter > Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (http://www.rmi.org) and > merchant/entrepeneur Paul Hawkin. The book is available in its entirely > online at http://www.natcap.org > > > One of the specific changes advertised in this book was a transportation > transition to what Amory Lovins called the "hypercar" a vehicle > constructed > of super lightweight materials, designed to be recycle-able, and powered > by > a hydrogen fuel cell which could provide adequate performance with no > emissions. The vehicle, or national fleet, could be plugged into the > electrical grid when not used for transportation, and generate electricity > for the (now dispersed/decentralized) electrical grid and help pay for > itself through the sale of the power. > > This book envisions a new industrial, but still capitalistic society in > which waste is heavily minimized, if not essentially elminated from > society, > where sustainability and renewability and high efficiency is a central > focus of industrial processes, and where the entire way of doing things > would be adjusted within the framework of an industrialized world. > > I thought many of the ideas of this book were brilliant and well worth > considering, and the ecological benefits would be self-evident to those > who > have already received an ecological education and who are living, as Aldo > Leopold said, "alone in a world full of wounds" and to which I would add > the > word "grevious" before "wounds". > > Imagine being able to use this mindset to reform agriculture, too! > > > Stan Moore > > _________________________________________________________________ > >From predictions to trailers, check out the MSN Entertainment Guide to > the > Academy AwardsR > http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline1
