Good Morning, Sunshine ] 10/3/05
I was up rather late last night responding to an ongoing discussion/debate with a professor that my reference to crystal methamphetamine addiction as a personal example in a definition of sustainability, as he puts it, "does not relate" to the global dialogue of what sustainability means, ie. preventing massive climate change as a result of global warming. I have included this dialogue/debate below for your enjoyment and insight.
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My most recent response:
Let us focus on one global environmental issue: Climate Change. As we have read in the handful of articles assigned this week, the release of CO2 into the environment, at the hand of human industrialization, is a leading cause of global warming which could potentially trigger a ice age within our lifetime. Fossil Fuels will not stop burning themselves. It takes a human hand, attached to a human mind, to turn the valve, shut down the powerplant, cancel the order. That human mind must have a motivation to make such a decision. Two possible motivations are: fear of a untolerable future and hope for a better future, or perhaps a combination of both. Motivation for change out of fear may solve an immediate problem, but does not prevent it from recurring. There is also motivation for change out of incentive for a more prosperous life and future, deferring immediate gratification. A business person may be motivated by promises of profit, which is really just another way of representing "hope for a better future."
One mind makes one decision.
My use of crystal meth, as an example, is not to say that it is the only issue affecting the world, or that to solve the crystal meth problem, will ensure the survival of the human race for millions of years. I use it as an example to demonstrate that the decisions that an individual makes must be based on a core motivation which is either self defeating or self preserving. The only way for someone to eliminate self defeating behavior is to possess concern for the future consequences of their actions, while acknowledging the benefit that awaits them as a result of change. This is just as true for a CEO, as it is for a drug addict.
Now let us focus on what has been covered in historical literature as "sustainability". I encourage you to turn to Chapter 14 of Natural Capitalism, entitled Human Capitalism. (Natural Capitalism does not equal sustainability, it is merely a economic framework crafted to achieve sustainability in the business sector). Page 301, bottom of the second paragraph, tells the story of a "Garbage That Isn't Garbage" program which uses the labor of "the homeless, the disabled, and recovering alchoholic" to sort recyclables. Without this labor, more trash would be put into the landfill, and more resources used to generate new materials (using energy which contributes to global warming.) Page 303 speaks of day care centers which provide "four meals a day for some 12,000 children who would otherwise wander the slums while their parents were away at work. (Their hunger pangs could also lead them, as in other Brazilian cities, to sniff glue -- an ultimately fatal practice.)"... "One measure of the community's solidarity is that through patient negotiation , without police involvement, local gangs that initially committed some vandalism to the day care centers ended up getting involved in their work. Similarly, when gangs initially tore up flower beds at the new Botanical Garden, interpreting their vandalism not as a venting of hostility but as a cry for help led to hiring them as assistant gardeners."
How do alcoholics, glue sniffers, and gang members affect global warming? They are citizens of a community who's values have shifted from self defeating pracitices to a new outlook of participation in and contribution to something greater than themselves.
The concluding section of this chapter, Synthesis, echoes my point resoundingly. The end of the first paragraph on page 307 says "Walter Stahel notes that traditional environmental goals -- nature protection, public health and safety, resource productivity -- can together build a sustainable economy.. But, he adds, only by adding ethics, jobs, the translation of sustainability into other cultures -- and we would add, citizenship -- can we achieve a sustainable society."
For me, quitting crystal meth was about self respect, knowing that I have more to contribute to this world, and that destruction of my mind and body would prevent that future from being realized.
The second to last paragraph on page 308 emphasizes "Curitiba's central political principle since 1971 has been consistent and profound: to respect the citizen/owner of all public assets and services, both because all people deserve respect and because, as Lerner insists, 'If people feel respected, they will assume responsibility to help solve other problems.' Closing the broken loop of politics, this principle recycles the poor and hungry, the apathetic and illiterate, into actively contributing citizens."
Thank you for your persistance. While driving me to stay up much too late (affecting my work tomorrow morning and crystal meth social marketing taskforce meeting in the evening) this discussion has solidified for me the essential need to communicate and promote self esteem, self respect and citizenship as the single greatest opportunity to prevent abrupt climate change and ensure life supporting natural systems.
Chad
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 10:50 PM
Subject: Chad's Definition of Sustainability
Thanks for your candor, Chad.
I agree that meth is a significant, global problem. But, other than clouding the minds of many important decision makers (and it's debatable which ones), it seems to me to be an anthropocentric issue.
What gave rise to the currently-popular emphasis on corporate sustainability is not just what's happening with people, but rather that what people have done to the natural systems upon which our lives depend has rendered them so precarious as to question whether or not the earth will continue to support human life. In that context, the merely human problems pale.
I don't mean to imply that the human dimension is insignificant--it's obviously not, as you so eloquently point out. But I still think that your emphasis on this one issue is somewhat out of proportion with what is being taught at Presidio, and what has been covered in the historical literature as "sustainability."
Agreed--we asked for your personal definition, and you gave it. And we asked to have the human dimension included, and you included it.
My suggestion was simply that you consider broadening your definition to be more in keeping with what others will understand when the term is used.
If, on the other hand, you feel that meth is SO important that you'd like to influence the entire field of corporate, environmental, personal, societal and cultural sustainability to similarly reflect what you consider to be most important, I'm happy to engage in that conversation with you. But for now, my position remains that a useful definition of sustainability will balance meth with the other aspects that authorities in the field have also outlined in past definitions.
But I welcome your continuing comments, and am including Hunter in this response so that she can offer her perspective as well. I don't want this to become an adversarial argument--I really am open to hearing your perspective, especially since it differs significantly from my own.
Thanks for standing your ground.
Cheers,
Paul
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There were a few more back and forths before these two messages, which I have not included simply to not overwhelm the reader. If you are interested in these topics, let me know and I will share more of this dialogue.
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