Subject: Climate Change

Posted by Dan Proctor on 12/5/2009
In Reply To:Climate Change Posted by Jay Forrester on 12/4/2009

Message:

Regarding the political incorrectness of calling attention to the two gorillas: A promising shift in a key term is occurring that better positions the general conversation to begin focusing on underlying causes. For more than 20 years, “sustainable development” was preached as the path to both environmental and economic viability. I agree with Herman Daly that this term is an oxymoron. In the past few years, apparently unconsciously, “development” has fallen away and the adjective “sustainable” has changed into the noun “sustainability.” Furthermore, everyone is in favor of sustainability. How can anyone be opposed to it?

NGO’s are just beginning to grapple in a consistent way with this pregnant concept. Several new, local organizations here in Massachusetts have sustainability (or Sustainable Ourtown) in their titles and/or mission statements. See www.sustainablesouthshore.org/south-shore-chapters, for example. Also see www.grotonlocal.org and www.relocalize.net/groups.

Clearly, most if not all of these groups are struggling with symptoms. But they are struggling with numerous disparate symptoms rather than a single one; they know, to varying degrees, that they are fighting against a huge system or several systems, and they constantly talk about connections among these problems. They are, it seems to me, ideally positioned to be receptive to a methodology that can help them “see the whole picture” and understand what's generating the problems.

Had you rather try to persuade a community to oppose economic and population growth or to embrace sustainability?

Dan Proctor