Sustainability is mostly discussed, as nearly all other issues, in terms of incremental, issue-specific problems and solutions. In an ideal alternative world, all key sustainability factors could be integrated and managed effectively, with full knowledge, strategic focus, and a balance of competing interests. What we live with, however, is a lack of clear areas of responsibility, focus, etc. through which “big picture” issues of sustainability can be comprehensively addressed. The prevailing mode of operation is really “non-model, even anti-model,” and features:
- Selective, piecemeal management of critical sustainability conditions, without the benefit of comprehensive, strategic positioning.
- Small, individual actions, independent of oversight, etc. adding up to big consequences.
- A tendency for overuse of resources held in common.
- Short-term time horizons at the expense of long-term considerations. From worst to least the offenders in this case are:
- Corporations
- Elected officials
- Individuals, if at their best
- Government agencies at their best
- Institutions at their best
- Avoidance of difficult, controversial issues in favor of an apparent implied hope that the issues will: 1) go away, 2) be displaced by some major shift in societal emphasis, 3) be postponed through creative accounting, or 4) be fixed with technological advances.
Regarding the last point, we should never lose sight of the fact that eternal optimism is a valid psychological, even metaphysical, human trait that has helped people prevail over some extreme conditions. Furthermore, there is ample evidence from failed regimes of hopelessly failed attempts to micro-manage the future. However, we have long passed the point at which careful planning to meet growing demands on the environment, from both increasing population and per-capita consumption, is essential.
Fortunately, all of the challenges outlined above can be addressed to a great extent, even incrementally, and with minimal disruption. Although progress is complicated by the presence of multiple nations, political inclinations, etc., addressing the issues among diverse stakeholders becomes essentially an exercise in more-creative diplomacy.
Our suggested priority for establishing a true sustainability macro model is the following:
- Direct universities to establish disciplines that address the big picture of sustainability challenges. This will require a certain amount of refocusing from specialists to interdisciplinary generalists.
- Establish public-policy-making forums at arm’s length from government, to do comprehensive strategic planning at the national level. This will not only create better, longer-term policy, but also relieve elected officials of the burden of using primarily their imaginations to define the “issue of the day” and, generally, some stop-gap solution.
- Transition economic policy into a pattern by which environmental services are fully accounted for, and integrate this thinking into national as well as international policy.
- Continue to encourage small actions on the part of the individuals and businesses that add up to sound environmental practices, and provide a sense of the comprehensive basis on which progress can be made through such incremental actions.
- Apply advances in conflict resolution and related sciences to problems of overuse of the Commons.
- Reward politicians who understand the need for actions such as these.
We will expand on these notions in the future, but welcome your comments at this time.
