UCLAx Cradle to Cradle: class 7

For our seventh class, I again turned over lecture duties to the students. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the students will do three profile projects - one about materials and/or resources, one about companies and/or people, and one about certifications and/or labels. Last week they selected a company or person to research and investigate. This week, they presented their findings. It’s easy to quickly list a few sustainable visionaries or luminaries. Unfortunately that’s because the list is much smaller than it really should be. Former Vice President Al Gore, or other such as Ray C. Anderson and his company Interface, William McDonough and his book Cradle to Cradle, and Paul Hawken and his many books leap to mind. Or even some of the more recently famous eco-celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt. It’s difficult to read a book about sustainable strategies without being told about method, Stonyfield Farms, or Seventh Generation. Their stories are almost commonplace.

But do just a little digging and you’ll uncover many companies and individuals who are doing great work without getting significant attention. I encouraged my students to find those stories and tell them. I gave them a list of potential suggestions, but they really surprised me with some of their choices. Here are the companies and people they chose to profile:

• 3M - formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company makes many products including Post-it Notes, Scotch Tape, Bondo, and many other adhesive and abrasives. In 2002, the company ranked 70th on the Political Economy Research Institute’s list of top 100 US corporations emitting airborne pollutants. Through aggressive efforts, they are no longer listed.

• HOK - is one of the largest architecture firms in the world is also one with the greatest commitment to sustainable design with 40% of all employees being LEED accredited professionals.

• Herman Miller - is an American modern furniture manufacturer known for being the creator of the cubicle also helped fund the start of the US Green Building Council and one of their buildings is the very first LEED certified projects.

• Anthrologogie - is an American retailer owned by Urban Outfitters who operate 90 stores in 24 states. Their stores are known for their attention to materials and fantastic window displays. Their head buyer is Keith Johnson who has a wonderful show on the Sundance Channel called Man Shops Globe.

UCLAx class 7 1

threadcollaborative11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601www.threadcollaborative.com

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• Theodore Payne Foundation - is an organization dedicated to teaching people about California native plants and operated the largest nursery in Los Angeles that offers more than 500 native California species.

• Dr. Arthur Rosenfeld - is a former Commissioner of the California Energy Commission and is largely responsible for the exceptionally small per capita energy use of California since 1973, which many have coined the Rosenfeld Effect.

• R. Buckminster Fuller - is a world famous American architect, author, designer, inventor, and futurist responsible for the expression Spaceship Earth and was the inventor of the geodesic dome.

• Celestial Seasonings -is an American all-natural and certified organic tea maker best known for their herbal teas. Many sustainable initiatives have led to significant reduction in waste.

• Aveda - is an American hair care, cosmetic, skin care, and perfume company with a long history of working to develop products through ecologically favorable means that aid local indigenous cultures.

• Green Depot - is a New York City based retail store that specializes in sustainable building materials.

• Friedensreich Hundertwasser - is an Austrian artist and architect known for very unusual, sometimes controversial, designs that have no straight lines, where no two windows or door handles are the same, and blend into their surroundings as they get totally overgrown by vegetation over time.

• Mike Reynolds - is a Santa Fe architect and proponent of radically sustainable living.

• Walmart - a global giant that really needs no introduction, but many are unfamiliar with their remarkable sustainable efforts. They alone have the financial might to rewrite the way retailers and suppliers do business.

• REI - Recreational Equipment Inc. is an American consumers cooperative that specializes in outdoor recreational gear and clothing. Many of their stores are well known for their indoor climbing walls and rustic design.

• Serious Materials - is an American manufacturer of energy efficient building materials. Their two primary products are Ecorock, an environmentally favorable alternative to drywall panels, and Serious Windows.

• Pangea Organics - is an American soap, skin cream, and cosmetic company with deep roots in sustainability that includes the recent complete redesign of all their

UCLAx class 7 2

threadcollaborative11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601www.threadcollaborative.com

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packaging to new environmental standards that are far and above all their competitors.

• Michael Pollan - is an American author, journalist, and activist who focuses on food. His many famous works include the Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and his most recent Food Rules.

I think we all learned a great deal. Some of the names are familiar, but many were new to me and the students.

UCLAx class 7 3

threadcollaborative11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601www.threadcollaborative.com

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