Perspective on Sustainability

I’ve been thinking about sustainability lately, and what it means for my fellow humans and me.  When we talk about sustainability, we are talking about nothing less than longevity of human existence on this planet.  The exact scientific details can be argued to the smallest detail, but we can’t allow these miniscule details to obscure the larger picture.  The consumer culture that we have allowed to thrive is not conducive to the natural systems that keep us alive and healthy on this unique planet.  For too long we have denied the actual cost of products and goods.  Companies have externalized the costs; ignoring the damage to ecosystems, and the exploitation of both resources and peoples.  We, as consumers, must begin to realize that the natural systems have limits that we are quickly approaching.  There is a severe disconnect between the stuff that we have and the process in which it’s brought into our homes.  I recommend The Story of Stuff to investigate these issues further.  

David Orr, a professor at Oberlin College and social visionary, speaks to the need to internalize the actual costs of production.  A product created by factories that pollute should inherently cost more to us as consumers because companies have to pay for their pollution.  Products made in sweatshops shouldn’t be cheaper, they should be more expensive so the workers can be paid fairly and treated justly.  Perhaps there is a silver lining to this economic crisis, in that it is making us rethink the economic system.  The idea that if we aren’t growing, we are failing is outdated and needs to be tossed aside.  We need to find it within ourselves to limit the amount of stuff that we are creating and purchasing.  We need to realign our values.  The measure of our person is not defined by the amount of stuff we have; we should be defined by our actions, the amount of love we share, and the community we build.  

Orr wrote an essay on sustainability in which he admits that the issue of sustainability may not be solved for generations to come, but that action needs to begin today.  The need for a framework of possibility is paramount.  For me, the future begins with education.  When we teach our children to view the Earth as precious and finite, new solutions will arise.  When we teach them to see the true cost of things, we will begin to alter how we live on this planet.  These values have been lost but not forgotten; we just need to be reminded of our connection to the Earth rather than our connection to our stuff.

Orr's Sustainability Essay

                         -Liam Gallagher, M.S.Ed.

                            (Stephen's son)