And these are not just American issues. When he acknowledged the “suffering outside our borders,” stating that we can no longer “consume the world’s resources without regard to effect,” Obama cut to the heart of the matter. Whether by overpopulation, globalization or karma, the slack has been taken out of the system. We as a nation—and a species—are beginning to reap the consequences of our actions and therefore must consider carefully our individual, government and corporate actions in a broader context.
I’m heartened by the depictions of Obama as a thinker, because the equations of sustainability are not simple. They are circular and multi-variable, requiring a methodical and balanced approach. If he ushers in “a new era of responsibility” and we truly lead the world on a sustainable course, the long-term security of our nation will take care of itself.
There are those who claim sustainability is an impossible, utopian dream, and they may be right. But we won’t know if we don’t try. And if we are going to fall short of a goal, let it be the most lofty goal we can set—one that highlights the equal and overlapping importance of the concerns that previously have been divisive.
The term “green” was rightly included this month in the 2009 List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. We must be careful that “sustainable” does not become similarly wasted, because sustainability is the next evolutionary step for humanity. It should be clearly defined for every schoolchild and adult, because—while it is critical to our survival—it takes us beyond survival of the fittest. Or, as Obama put it: “a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.”
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Bart King is News Editor of SustainableBusiness.com. This column is available for syndication.
Contact bart@sustainablebusiness.com .
