Transition of Sustainability

Combining this summer’s reading assignments (The Common Life by Scott Russell Sanders, Sustainability Primer by The Natural Step, Soul of a Citizen by Paul Rogat Loeb, Bridging the Green an interview of Van Jones by David Kupfer, and Tools for the Transition to Sustainability by Meadows, Meadows, and Randers) with my summer work experience and general knowledge of history, I have come to develop a few new perspectives on how social problems tend to be addressed. (Though I will continue with a focus on vague social problems, draw other social/environmental/business parallels as you may see fit.)

When it comes to the general overall improvement of the human condition, as a race, we tend to be rather slow moving. Logic, sensibility, good intentions, and long term thinking are not the most effective tools for driving the masses. Though the long term benefits of humanitarian efforts would largely be agreed upon by all, the immediate change that would take place by immediate action is enough to frighten those who are not ready to be held accountable by their action. What if it doesn’t work? What if it goes wrong? Can an investment today be justified by its benefits 20 years in the future? In these cases, social inaction is the preferred course of action. Sustainability (the humanitarian and environmental aspects), I believe, fall into this category.

On the opposite side of social problems is the “immediate threat” that tends to see action more quickly. These immediate threats are often the consequences of ignoring logic, sensibility, good intentions. Just the same, they are the problems that receive attention and action. Simply enough, because the problem and the benefits are immediately known. Collapsed bridges and broken levees come to mind as a couple of examples falling into this category.

With all that being said, one could hardly argue against the general quixotic principles laid down in each of the writings mentioned above. However, in terms of driving action, they are ineffective. For example in Tools for the Transition of Sustainability it is noted that “information is the key to transformation… relevant, compelling, select, powerful, timely, accurate information flowing in new ways to new recipients, carrying new content, suggesting new rules and goals… When its information flows are changed, any system will behave differently.” While this statement hits the mark, the form of “information” that will drive a complete social transformation, unfortunately, will likely be in the form of catastrophe, not words.