Natural Capitalism
The thesis of Natural Capitalism is that free-market capitalism does not have to destroy our environment, and deplete all of our natural resources. The book gives many examples of companies that have found ways to be environmentally friendly, and be very profitable doing so. Application of advanced technologies that are environmentally sound is one of the ways to accomplish this. This book really renewed my faith that technology can save the planet.
Probably the most interesting chapter was on the automobile. Despite a century of engineering, the automobile is unbelievably inefficient. Only five percent of the force created by an automobile actually moves the driver, the rest goes to moving the car. Eighty percent of the energy created is wasted through exhaust and heat. The book goes on to offer solutions to the way that automobiles are designed, along with solutions to many other problems facing the way that industry produces things.
Another fact that came up, which seems to be a recurring theme in what I’ve been reading lately, is misguided subsidies that go to industries that destroying the planet. Obviously this is a practice that needs to end, and quickly.
Overall, a great book. Even if you are not interested in the environmental theme of the book, I’d still recommend it to anyone interested in business or economics.
