The Day After Tomorrow
What does sustainability mean?: Yeah, that question again. Today I began to see another interpretation of what "sustainability", and "working toward sustainability" might mean. I'm sure it is not a popular one, but somehow seems much more realistic, and I will have a hard time to forget it.
Most people, including myself, seem to view moving toward sustainability in terms of a shift from our current insane economic and political systems, into a more enlightened system that takes into account the true (immeasurable) costs of nature, and uses economy as a means to achieving a goal of well-being, as opposed to an end in itself.
Today, a series of chats with different people led me to see that perhaps responsibly working toward sustainability is not solely about trying to change that system, not even about simply providing a vision of the final goal, but also (or rather?), about setting up alternate systems so that when the insane one we are currently following crashes, there is something soft there to break the fall for at least enough people to start rebuilding the world.
The challenge, and the object of our effort, would then be to streangthen that alternative system, not with the expectation of overcoming the dominant system, but rather, with the hopes that it is strong enough not to get sucked down the crapper when everything else goes.
A lot of people are anxious for the tipping point to happen now. But I wonder now if the soft spot is soft enough, or strong enough. I was never under the impression that we can correct our course painlessly, despite the "no sacrifice, as long as it takes" idea that seems to dominate here. In fact, I never really thought about how contradictory the desire for a "tipping point" is with the desire to change without sacrifice. To make such a shift implies a slow gradual change in which we have time to adapt. There is no tipping "point" in such a shift, it's more of a rolling hill. If we want a tipping point however, we have to be prepared for what is on the other side (as Jo said today). I have never really planned for ways to alleviate the hardship where the system to collapse tomorrow. Perhaps this is something to think about. Not only what should the end vision look like, but also ways to soften the fall when the tipping point does come. Because there will be a a tipping point, and there will be a fall. The only question is what will trigger it, how soon, and how far will be the fall?
Comments
Regardless (of 'tipping point' or 'collapse'), I think both look like a rolling hill. The collapse has already begun and it will lead to the tipping point (oops! I typed tipping 'pint' first...you know where my head is at!). People, cultures, species and ecosystems have already fallen. The question is how many more will fall before the tipping point? Then once the tipping point is reached, change occurs slowly (picks up momentum here and there depending on people and issues) and looks more or less like the Blekinge countryside...
Posted by: Amy | November 17, 2004 02:30 AM
I agree that the collapse of the system has begun, but the tipping point I am speaking of is the point at which society will make a serious effort change the system that caused the collapse.I think that a tipping point indicates that change will happen rapidly after "the tip".
I realize that my post seems a little doomsdayish. This evening I was bouncing this off of a couple classmates, and realized that what I am trying to say does not have to be negative. By saying that we should prepare for the upheaval when things change could be very positive... We all want the change to happen soon, we consider that a positive thing. If so, we should also be ready to aleviate some of the stresses that will be placed on society as a result of such a rapid paradigm shift.
Of course, as I write in the post, it can also be very negative. If the "tip" does not happen by choice, it will be forced upon us by the system. In this case also we need to have a plan to handle the aftermath. Perhaps that too is a strategic plan for sustainability.
Posted by: kevin | November 17, 2004 06:09 AM
Yeah. I like that positive spin better, Kev. Isn't that the scouts motto? Be prepared. I also like the thought that change will occur rapidly once the tipping point comes. I agree, change will occur MORE rapidly than before, but I guess I only hope that it occurs rapidly. I think its still going down that gentle slope. If the slope is steeper than I think, and if change is near (as we hope), we'd best start recruiting for next year's program!
Posted by: amy | November 17, 2004 06:25 AM
Preparing and investing yourself in alternatives is definitely positive. The system as its stands is totally invested in perpetuating itself, it doesnt want to change. Ive always thought that you have to be the change you want to see, live the change rather than try to impose it on others. Foucault's archeology of history shows that periods of stability are followed by sudden shifts, settling down into another period of stability. The changes you want to see may happen far more rapidly than you expect. Planning alternatives is an excellent investment, puts you ahead of the game...
I read your site because i appreciate your attempts to reconcile the change you want to exist with the way the world is now. Thanks! And be happy!
Posted by: j-ster | November 17, 2004 12:13 PM
I believe in the "be the change that you want to see" as well, but in this case, I have to be two things. One is the change that I want to see, and the other, is ready for what happens if the change the I want to see does not.
If the whole thing crashes, it will take down the "what we want to be" with it. If we are fully invested in that vision, we too will go down.
There has to be a third vision. The what do we want it to be like if it can`t be like our first choice of what we want it to be... This takes much more planning and speculation I guess, and there is much less freedom to choose that scenerio. It will basically be something forced on us.
(or so it would seem)
Posted by: kevin | November 17, 2004 06:52 PM