As globalization and the age of information link communities around the world with expanding economic and social ties, it becomes critical for not only preservation of the global economy, but for human survival, to adopt and adapt to a sustainable mindset.

This involves a major shift in thinking from a linear perspective to a cyclical thought pattern.  This is important to consider while exploring the role of the seven core elements of the sustainable development transition.

The first element: Integration of environmental protection and economic development goals and the processes leading to their development.    Many major businesses see this as an oxymoron, which is an example of the linear perspective that drives the way business is done in many parts of the world.  A cyclical mindset would conclude that a healthy environment is critical for a healthy economy, because both are connected in various ways.  A healthy environment is one in which natural resources are abundant, the air is clean, and water supports aqua-ecosystems.  When these systems collapse, the economy which is ultimately based on these systems will collapse with them (Chrisman, 2004).  Efforts to transition to cleaner energy and more sustainable business practices have been attacked by powerful global companies who have set up the current infrastructure of non-renewable energy and overconsumption.  These companies have infiltrated governments and have spent billions and billions on lobbyist and green-washing campaigns  (Hargreaves, 2008).  Thus, the first core element of the sustainable development transition is critical, yet at the same time very difficult.  Separation of business and state may be necessary for the implementation of lasting environmental protection and accountability.  Another option would be the transformation of a significant portion of consumers to become conscious and supportive of sustainable businesses, thus creating a shift in the balance of power from non-sustainable to sustainable-minded businesses.  Although enormous in scope, if either were obtained, the remaining six core elements would come easily in comparison.   Many people around the world have developed plans and have vision, but the political/multi-national corporate climate has made it impossible to implement significant, lasting change.   However packaged, what is being talked about here is nothing shy of a global revolution. 

The second of the core elements of sustainable communities is to create a sustainable community vision, which requires mass education of sustainable concepts to communities around the world.  There have been grassroots sustainable workshops in many regions, and study of sustainability is being added to curriculum in colleges; and some programs like Energy Smart Schools are being adopted by some K-12 schools.   These programs, while addressing elements of sustainability, don’t address the scope of education needed to filter sustainable concepts into mainstream thought.  While school budgets are tight, some turn to industry for educational materials, and such materials can be filled with misinformation.  For example, Exxon has given corporate propaganda in the form of educational materials to public schools and Christian organizations have tried to ban evolution science. Groups such as the Textbook League have been trying to weed out misinformation in our schools .   

Education becomes difficult when facts become blurred, and educators have to cull through misinformation and propaganda.  To teach of a circle of life in which we all are connected is one of the fundamental principles of ecology, yet many people in the Bible Belt—even educators—will point this out as being pagan and anti-Christian.  A great challenge for the sustainable movement is to address these issues that shake the belief systems to which many people cling.  Why should anyone be concerned about the climate, environment, and fate of our planet if this a layover on our flight to heaven?  Sustainability appears threatening to many people and much work is needed to address these concerns.  Religious groups should be organized to address ways in which sustainability can strengthen spirituality.  When asked about concerns about global warming, many people claim that another place waits which will be perfect, therefore this place is expendable.  This attitude trivializes enormous environmental degradation from corporations around the world.   Obviously, in order to create a global sustainable community vision, the global community needs to agree that sustainability is good and something in which communities around the world should base economies and governments.  Sustainability is based on respect for life and community, thus reflects the values of most religions around the world.  With this in mind, sustainability isn’t something that has to be “sold” to the institute of religion; however, education would relieve fears and create more acceptance within religious communities.  Many religious communities around the world have already adopted these principles and could be helpful in bridging the gap with other religious groups. 

Setting goals and objectives along with indicators is the third element of sustainable development.  Many community models exist, such as the City of Seattle’s sustainable community efforts, in which volunteers spent thousands of hours designing and researching the integrated “report card” on long-term trends in their region .  Goals usually include incentives for locally owned businesses producing local products out of local material, using local labor.   In a global economy, where corporate trends are to set up in countries with lax environmental laws and cheap labor, efforts need to maximize incentives for local, responsibly produced products.  Sustainable development tends to be grassroots oriented, starting within communities and invitational in the process to members of that community.  Sustainable Development should happen from within community, but should also be adopted from the top.  “Trickle down economics” doesn’t seem to work as corporations become personified entities in which profit becomes the only motivator, pushing aside individual ethics and morality; however, “Trickle-down/Capillary Action Sustainable Development” could be very effective.  This is not a formal formula, but the concept is simple:  governments place sustainability in place of lobbyists and corporate agenda, while simultaneous smaller community efforts (Capillary Action) grow from grassroots to local governments and business involvement.  Accountability of corporations and individuals who disrespect life in the pursuit of profit, again, needs to be implemented at every level.  When companies make more money polluting, then paying the fines, the fines are obviously not holding them accountable.  In those cases,  the EPA fining department might take notes from OSHA in regards to their fines.  OSHA’s fines for repeat of willful violations get very steep very fast, providing much incentive for safe business practices .  NAFTA provides an open door policy for American companies, which creates difficulties in holding companies accountable. If a company doesn’t want to comply with environmental regulations, they can just move their operation elsewhere.  In those cases, perhaps a heavy environmental tariff tax or humanitarian violation tax should be created with imported goods. 

Developing sustainability guiding principles is the forth element of sustainable communities.  In Portland, Oregon, city officials have developed sustainable city principles as guidelines for city elected officials and staff.  Burlington, Vermont, developed six principles of sufficiency including local ownership and the maximum use of local resources .   Guiding principles of sustainability should filter into every industry, thus creating jobs in every sector.  Further, because of the resource awareness associated with the sustainable mindset, companies will become more efficient, saving money which would help finance some of the modifications.   Also, larger companies are noticing that people want to support social and environmentally responsible businesses.  "It was slow to start, but we saw some maverick small companies with phenomenal growth rates, in part because people tuned into the values of these entrepreneurs and bought their products," says Deborah Nelson, executive director at the San Francisco-based Social Venture Network .  The history of the corporation, though, has shown that they can’t be trusted to always do the right thing; and with this in mind, governance is still needed to steer the corporate mindset in the right direction and create more incentives for sustainable business practices.   Wal-Mart Stores, long considered by many activists to be among the most reckless companies, found environmental religion. Last year, the company announced it would invest $500 million annually in energy-saving technologies, reduce solid waste by 25% over the next three years and urge its 60,000 suppliers to produce goods that don't harm the environment .   These kinds of efforts are great, but with a company like Wal-Mart depending on the low wages of Chinese workers and China’s lax environmental laws to produce its cheap products and driving local businesses out of the market, one has to wonder how a company like this could ever be sustainable.  Not only is it environmentally more responsible to support local economies, but it’s patriotic as well.  Sustainability is something Americans can be proud of, unlike war and energy dependency on unethical global multi-nationals.  People around the world will also respect countries that make concerted efforts to combat global warming and other environmental concerns, which ultimately effect even those not directly involved. 

Number five of the core elements of sustainability is to design and prioritize potential activities.  The priorities may be different for different regions, although all regions will share many needs such as clean and independent energy sources.  Another common priority would be the need to train educators from the communities to teach other people about sustainable concept and get locals involved with the programs .   Due to the fact that sustainability can be adopted into virtually any industry, again, the need to train people on the concepts is  paramount.  People will feel better about jobs that contribute to healthy communities and a healthy environment.    

The sixth core element is choosing and implementing activities accordingly.  This is the praxis part of the fifth element, in which the communities choose which projects to implement and how to go about implementing them.    Often, projects are chosen around basic community elements such as built environment, transportation, energy, water and wastes, and flora and fauna.  The projects usually address  economic, social, and environmental issues based around the community elements previously listed .  “The functional approach based on community elements is important for assessing the comprehensiveness of a sustainability activity.”  Many communities combine the issue and functional approaches; however, each community takes its own approach to organizing environmental, social, and economic issues.

It’s important to come up with measurable goals to monitor progress.  Evaluating progress and revising activities accordingly is the seventh and final element of sustainable communities.  Obviously, having a way to make sure the goals are being met is very important.  Not only is this important for the community involved, but successful projects can sometimes be used as a template for other communities, so as not to reinvent the wheel.   Not all projects will fit all communities, but many lessons can be learned and money saved by researching what’s worked where.  The Crossings is a transit-oriented project designed by Peter Calthorpe and Associates in Mountain View, California.  It converts a shopping mall built in the 1960s into a pedestrian-oriented mixed-use development within easy walking distance of the new Cal Train commuter station.  Village Homes Sustainable Community is an innovative housing development in Davis, California where there are more bike and pedestrian paths than roads.  Sustainable Urban Transportation Planning in Curitiba, Brazil serves as an international model of a city that is successfully integrating transport and land-use planning.  These are just a few programs of many that are working all over the world.  In most cases it is not a matter of whether they work, but how fast the pay-back is.  In the film “Kilowatt Ours” several southeastern U.S.A. schools and businesses who implemented technologies such as geo-thermal and general energy efficiency were able to pay for the systems within the first few years with the savings in energy they saw.  Pay-back should be considered, but along with pay-back the general increase in quality of life should be considered as well.  Day lighting, for instance, not only saves in energy bills, but provides a more healthy and productive working and learning environment. 

In closing, sustainability is nothing new. It is an ancient system in which the world works.  As the effects of a linear system based on over-consumption start to become uncomfortably evident,  change to a cyclical mindset becomes essential for the very survival of humans.  Action continues to be deterred by the powers that have created the linear system in which we’ve become engrained.   There comes a time in which citizens of this earth have to stand up and in one loud voice say: “Enough is enough!”   The time for a sustainable future is now.     

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is the head instructor for A-B Tech’s Carpentry Department, part of the A-B Tech Construction Science program.

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