The Next Industrial Revolution 2001
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Earthome Productions
Directed by Shelley Morhaim
VHS, color, 53 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Architecture, Bioethics, Business, Economics, Environmental Studies, Urban Studies
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Marianne Foley, E.H. Butler Library, State University of New York College at BuffaloIn contrast to many environmental doomsday scenarios, architect William McDonough has hope for the earth and the species that inhabit it. He believes that the next industrial revolution will be a clean industrial revolution, a revolution of thought. But to accomplish this, we must learn to model man-made systems and products on the laws of nature. McDonough bases his philosophy upon the concept of a sustainable economy, that is, “an economic system that meets the needs of its current members without compromising the prospects of future generations.”
McDonough emphasizes the need for manufacturers, rather than governments, to create solutions. To him, a government regulation indicates a design failure. Sustainable plans preclude regulation and harm to living systems. As in nature, systems must eliminate (not just reduce) waste, respect diversity, and contain contaminants within closed cycles. McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart have formed a consulting company to assist engineers, architects, corporations, and public policy leaders to transform business designs to reflect natural models.
The Next Industrial Revolution profiles sustainable designs used by Oberlin College, Herman Miller Furniture, Rohner Textile, Designtex, Nike, and Ford Motor Company. For example, Herman Miller applied McDonough’s theory to its new Green House factory facility to connect workers with nature while decreasing energy costs through smart placement of windows. Nike produced a new rubber sole free of the many hazardous materials contained in former styles. In all cases, the sustainable plan maintained or raised quality, performance, and profits, eliminated environmental toxins, but did not increase consumer prices.
The video makes good use of interviews with McDonough and his clients as well as narration by actress Susan Sarandon. The many benefits of sustainable design and its ability to accommodate both business and environmentalists (the traditional growth versus no-growth conflict) are emphasized. The only shortcoming of the film involves the profile of Ford’s application of McDonough-Braungart principles to its Dearborn, Michigan River Rouge Plant. The goals and accomplishments of the project did not seem clear, aside from a desire to restore the Rouge watershed. Otherwise, this is a very interesting film about a pioneer seeking to redesign the world by transforming businesses to sustainability.