Trees as design challenge

"The book itself is a polymer, it is not a tree. Imagine this design assigment: Design something that makes oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, accrues solar energy as fuel and makes complex sugars and food, creates microclimates, changes colors with the seasons, and self-replicates... Why don't we knock that down and write on it."

Will McDonough on his TED Talk on his book Cradle-to-Cradle.