Climate Change and Global Sustainability

Yesterday, the Virginia Governor's Commission on Climate Change honored us at George Mason University by having their 4th meeting in Dewberry Hall on our Fairfax Campus. The meeting lasted all day long, and the public was invited to attend and to provide comments at the end of the meeting.

What struck me as very interesting was that the tone of the meeting, although focusing on the economic opportunities of green technology (which is, to me, an inherently optimistic topic), was quite negative. It amazed me that questions were raised by both the Commission members themselves and the public during the comment period that indicated a lack of understanding of one basic principle that has brought these issues into the public forum for discussion in the first place: Earth is hurting. And with it, humans are hurting.

While there is ample opportunity for entrepreneurs to take advantage of filling the market need for new green energy technologies, energy efficient technologies, etc, the main point of our public discourse is to identify ways to reduce the harm we have been creating to our fellow man resulting from our current lifestyle, and if possible, to also grow new markets, which is what Americans have excelled at in the past.

I am, as I said during public comment period yesterday, a Professional Optimist - I believe that humans can solve, using our big under-used brains, not only our environmental problems, but the social and economic problems closely intertwined with those environmental problems, but ONLY if we stop wasting our personal energy on fighting change tooth and nail and start working with everyone - EVERYONE, not just the people you hang out with on Saturday nights or on Sunday at church - to solve these problems. People you may not like or agree with but are still your brothers or sisters just the same.

Economic health is important, I acknowledge that unequivocally - but as a wise man once said, the economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment - without social and environmental health, we can not, and will not, grow and sustain economic prosperity for the world's populations. Someone at the meeting yesterday commented, somewhat wistfully and sadly, that a gas tax will prevent them from taking their child to little league and on camping trips. I - even as the eternal optimist I am - became sad, because I thought, if that person understood that their child's trip to little league contributed to the pain of other species and other humans in other parts of the world, I mean if they could really see the impact they were having, they wouldn't see their "predicament" in quite the same way.

Another speaker said that by creating green jobs, we would merely be taking jobs and money away from other sectors, thereby hurting those sectors. This would be called Creative Destruction, and actually is good for the economy - replacing old outdated technologies and completely re-imagining them by envisioning what the consumer needs. The manufacturers of laundry rollers were certainly injured by the introduction of the clothes dryer. Should we not have created the clothes dryer? The assertion not to evolve for the sake of retaining current outdated jobs is ludicrous.

We all deserve a life free of pain and disease to the extent possible. We all deserve happiness. But happiness does not come from things, and should not be contingent on economics. We have a duty to be stewards of the Earth, and of our fellow mankind to the extent that we have control over them. Our duty is to strive to be better humans. Some do not accept that challenge, but I believe those people are not living life to its fullest and most rewarding potential.

We may not be able to control our climate at this point, but if we don't try, it's the same as saying we don't care about the future of our children, who will be subjected to war, poverty, famine... all because we were so stubborn that we couldn't think our way out of our current lifestyle. Come on, fellow Americans - let's try to put our petty differences aside and opt for some unity here to solve the world's toughest problems and to greatly benefit from it financially at the same time.

Peace.
Lenna

A Journey Into the Green...

Hello World. My hubby and I have been making the long trek to sustainability for years now, and yet it always seems like we've just begun. We'd like to share our experiences here with you, so you know you're not alone and can learn from what we've learned along the way.

Peace and namaste,
Lenna and Pete