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Schedule including this lecture.
Goddard Space Flight Center Engineering Colloquium
Date: Monday, March 31, 2003
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is articulating and putting into practice a new design paradigm; what Time Magazine calls "a unified philosophy that -- in demonstrable and practical ways -- is changing the design of the world." Instead of designing 'cradle-to-grave' products, dumped in landfills at the end of their 'life,' MBDC transforms industry by creating products for 'cradle-to-cradle' cycles, whose materials are perpetually circulated safely in closed loops.
Ken Alston, MBDC'S VP of Marketing, Communications & Education will talk about 'The Next Industrial Revolution' illustrated with current examples of the emerging transformation of human industry from a system that takes, makes, and wastes to one that celebrates natural, economic, and cultural abundance.
KEN ALSTON is Vice President for Marketing Communications and Education of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). He joined MBDC in June of 2000. He is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society in Chemistry.
After receiving a degree in Applied Chemistry from Brunel University and a Master's in Business Administration from Henley Management College, Ken worked for SC Johnson Wax in both research and development roles and on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe, he developed and test-marketed several environmentally responsible products and helped develop environmentally friendly packaging.
In 1992, Ken transferred to SC Johnson's corporate environmental department in Racine, Wisconsin. There, he worked on the development of environmentally friendly products and on the techniques to assess the environmental impact of products.
He also participated in Sustainable Racine, a community-wide forum. He helped plan and lead the discussions, then helped develop the standards for assessing the city's environmental performance.
As part of its drive for eco-efficiency, SC Johnson worked with consultants, including Bill McDonough and MBDC. As a result, Ken joined MBDC full time in June 2000.
Since joining MBDC, Ken has been helping major clients -- including Ford MotorCompany, Milliken and Visteon Corporation -- lead the transition to Cradle to Cradle Design(sm). Under his guidance, MBDC is developing and implementing new curricula using live and web-based training media.
Colloquium Committee Sponsor: Brent Warner
Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov