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22 • Green Project Management

taBle 2.1
Take, Make, Waste
cradle to Grave cradle to cradle
Take Closed Looks
Make Technical “Nutrients”
Waste Eco-effectiveness

of purely opportunistic design. The design of products and manufactur-
ing systems growing out of the Industrial Revolution reflected the spirit
of the day—and yielded a host of unintended yet tragic consequences.
They make the case that an industrial system that “takes, makes, and
wastes” can become a creator of goods and services that generate ecologi-
cal, social, and economic value (see Table 2.1). Mr. McDonough sent us
this quote: “Our goal is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world,
with clean water, air, soil, and power, economically, equitably, ecologi-
cally, and elegantly enjoyed.” 5

the natural steP
The Natural Step is one of the founding concepts in green thinking.
6
According to those fundamentals, there are four system conditions and
each must be addressed by a principle of sustainability. It includes four
conditions of sustainability and then answers each one with a principle of
sustainability (see Table 2.2).
What it boils down to is that almost all green efforts are centered on these
four principles. At first glance, the four conditions and principles may seem
overly altruistic and impossible to achieve. However, look more closely at
what is being advocated. The conditions and principles point to the fact
that something needs to be done to stop our contributions to the buildup
of the most toxic by-products of our society, not that we can’t stop using
natural resources. We just need to use them in a more responsible way.
Couple these conditions and principles with the five assertions from
EarthPM (see Introduction) and one can easily see the intersection
between green and project management. In order to serve the four prin-
ciples, future projects will need to be coordinated in a disciplined man-
ner. Who has the better capabilities to support the principles than the
project manager? Recall the definition of project management: “it is the