Sustainability, What The World Needs Now

Sustainablity is a word of many meanings that is not in common use. In it's modern meaning it has been around for 20 years, or more, but mostly in environmental circles. I prefer the definition that "sustainability is improving the quality of human life within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems" but that only hints at the complexity of the word. It should also be noted that sustainability can be seen as a "call to action, a task in progress or a journey." That makes it a "political process."

Sustainability is what the world needs now! In considering the mess in which we find ourselves today as Americans, there is no simple fix. There is no way that a man/woman on horseback could enter our political life, a la Ross Perot and try to lead us to the promised land of milk and honey. Nor is there any way, this side of unification to defeat an alien invasion, that I can see our nation, let alone the rest of our churning world, arriving anytime soon at a level of understanding and altruism that would bring about a better day for Americans and/or humanity.

Nor is this a time to bet the farm on "the brightest and best." Though I will always believe in the leadership superiority of service oriented graduates of America's great colleges and universities, their track record has been spotty. And the present political climate in Washington could defeat Alexander the Great. What we need is dedicated and competent leadership AND a voluntary, nationwide commitment to be much better citizens and to live up to our best, renouncing greed and selfishness. Such a momentous development could come to us as a cause and sustainability could well be it, especially if there were enough power behind it to get the attention it deserves.

I see this great new effort as a mass movement from the bottom up that rests on simple, sincere, sacrificial, personal action that is sustainable and self-rewarding. For some it could be as little as shorter showers, or not eating meat on Monday, a la Paul McCartney. For the more affluent, it could be publicly adopting the Buffet-Gates philanthropy and inheritance models, or just deliberately shuffling off some conspicuous consumption like extra residences or memberships and eschewing the million dollar birthday parties. These manifestations of conspicuous consumption would come to be seen as disgraceful and odious. Multiplied by millions of people, this could be big and transforming. One could affirm one's willingness to be part of the movement by awarding oneself a new wrist band to advertise the issue and promote solidarity, as well as accountability. We now have ways to reach billions of people and to help them get beyond mere personal greed. Putting it differently, we are able to discourage greed, to make it un-cool (and less profitable through taxes on bloated bonuses) and to increase the attractiveness of altruism. Our children and grand-children are ready for more than pure personal gain as the overriding goal in life. Are we? If not now, when?