Sustainable?

It was once said to me in a graduate school lecture that no unsustainable trend is... sustainable. Tautology to be sure, but thoughtful tautology!

Absent sustainable, we cannot have green.  The symbol for our familiar effort--the green triangle of arrows, represents reduce, reuse, recycle.  I would add repurpose.  I suppose that is in part of reuse as well.

We now fairly know that we cannot maintain our world and burn endless carbon fuel.  It is impossible.  "Endless" may be sophistry.  We can't burn ANY carbon fuel.  Of course we will.  We have no means by which to switch, so we will add damaging hydrocarbons to our world and we will warm our climate at a pace that is dangerous for life as we know it.

So, what to do?  Anything we can is the realistic answer because, in part, so many will cynically do nothing.  There is no amount of training or pleading that can motivate the sociopath to be communitarian.  At some point we must have law and regulation that enforces the brutish to do the appropriate societal things.  They will still fight and cheat.

At some juncture, the grab for extended resources will slow and cease.  Wealth will simply melt.  It is a fixture, as currently conceived, of a bygone era.  I don't worry about it.  People will fight hard to have their super shares.  They will rationalize and wheedle and connive.  No worries.  Sooner or later, we will do the right things.  And in the intervening period, those who are selfish first will be selfish first.

Eventually, we must find sustainable.  How does that happen?  By choice.  By action.  By youth.  By education.  By honesty.  It will be a long fight--like great fights before it--Civil Rights for instance.  It will come.  No unsustainable trend is sustainable.