Penguin Random House | Munich, 10/30/2018

‘Cradle to Cradle’ – Verlagsgruppe Random House Relies on Sustainability

In mid-September, the German Penguin Verlag published the nonfiction book “Wenn nicht jetzt, wann dann?” in which authors Harald Lesch and Klaus Kamphausen discuss possible actions and ideas for a prosperous coexistence. It is the first book of Verlagsgruppe Random House has produced in the especially sustainable “cradle to cradle” process.

“Handeln für eine Welt, in der wir leben wollen” (Actions for a world we want to live In) is the subtitle of the nonfiction book “Wenn nicht jetzt, wann dann?” (If not now, when?) by Harald Lesch and Klaus Kamphausen published by Penguin Verlag in mid-September in which the authors together with experts including Ottmar Edenhofer, Karen Pittel, and Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker discuss approaches, possible actions, and ideas for a prosperous coexistence. The publisher took the authors’ statement to heart and had the book produced in a “cradle to cradle” process. It is the first book of Verlagsgruppe Random House produced in this especially sustainable process.

“Cradle to cradle” currently is the highest standard for environmentally friendly production. All “cradle to cradle” products are conceived in a way that allows them to be returned to biological or technological cycles at the end of their life cycle. The environmental and health compatibility of all constituents of “cradle to cradle” print products is examined by environmental institutes and they are especially developed for comprehensive recycling and composting. “Wenn nicht jetzt, wann dann?” was printed in Austria on paper from sustainable forestry and with completely recyclable plant oil inks. In addition, the books were not shrink-wrapped in plastic.

Professor Harald Lesch, astrophysicist at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich and one of the most famous natural scientists in Germany, has been presenting exciting natural science facts and knowledge to the broad public for many years. He has published numerous books and hosts the popular TV show “Leschs Kosmos” on ZDF. The publisher and documentary filmmaker Klaus Kamphausen is his co-author; in 2016, they jointly published “Die Menschheit schafft sich ab” (Humankind is abolishing itself).