Habitat Re•Imagined

Sustainable Community

Holistic Sustainability

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A foundational aspect of sustainability is to think holistically. It seems, even for those of us who try to think that way, the human tendency is to compartmentalize life. We tend to separate and focus on either the physical, emotional, or spiritual dimension of life and neglect the others. Even among health practitioners that acknowledge body, mind, and spirit one mode of healing is often focused on without integration of others.  It seems we are in a constant struggle for balance and, perhaps, it is balance that really is the solution to sustainability.

To be sustainable means the ability to endure. It is our capacity to continue day to day, month to month, year to year, generation to generation. It involves the needs of the individual, the family, the local community, and the the world as a whole. And it requires the balance of environmental, economic, and social concerns.

For the past forty years environmental sustainability has come more and more into focus. There is a growing concern about the sustainability of our energy sources and water supplies, our consumption of natural resources, the ability to process our waste, and other issues concerning our impact on the planet that sustains us.

Peak oil suggests that we are near the earths capacity for daily oil production – not to mention our dependency on foreign sources and the relations that involves. Along with peak oil, there is reasonable concern for our diminishing aquifers and the earths capacity for replenishing our water supply. Our consumption of resources has threatened ecosystems and species of life around the world, and our landfills are exhausted by the waste we produce.

Economic sustainability, also a growing concern for some time, has come into focus the past several years as personal investments have been lost and financial stability across the globe has been threatened. The concern of increased debt on a personal, corporate, and governmental level along with decreased employment and monetary value has suddenly shifted into awareness as the bubble we produced had suddenly burst. More and more people are considering their relationship with money – the debt they maintain, the business they support, and the luxury of enough.

Social sustainability, probably the key to sustainability in general, is the third leg to balance the sustainability stool. We are in vital need of support and collaboration with one another to find the solutions. We live in a time that demands that we once again learn to know our neighbors – this time in a deeper way that enables us to join hands in building a sustainable future for all.

I also want to add spirituality to the mix for pursuit of holistic sustainability. We must cultivate a worldview that sees our connection to all people and the environment we share. It is time to transcend our egos to embrace diverse opinions and perspectives. It is time to cultivate the understanding, wisdom, and compassion we need for balance and endurance.

The Story of Stuff

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I have always been baffled by the encouragement in our culture to purchase stuff we don’t need in order to boost the economy and provide jobs. It doesn’t seem to take much more than common sense to realize that doesn’t make much sense – especially sustainable sense. Sure, spending money on its own merit might temporarily boost a sagging economy but, long term, it only seems to enslave the masses with debt and increase the size of our homes, storage sheds, and landfills.

If we are serious about sustainability, both economic and environmental, one of the most important issues we all need to consider is our addiction to comfort and convenience. Somehow we must back out of our consumer culture and help to create a new culture based on need and care. If you haven’t seen this already, check out the Story of Stuff for a great reality check.

Transition Town

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There are a lot of issues to be considered around the subject of sustainability, and the need for transition to new models for caring for the earth and all its inhabitants. Whether you lean to the left or the right, most people recognize that there is much to be concerned about our environment, economics, and society in general. There seems to be growing consensus that we have reached, or are close to reaching, peak production of oil on the planet – if nothing else, our dependency on foreign sources for energy is a concern to all of us. We are also past peak water availability in many places, climate change is at least a serious consideration, and other environmental concerns are evident everywhere.

In addition the US economy has taken the biggest hit since the great depression and the world economy is struggling everywhere. If that is not enough, our culture has lost most sense of community and polarization of the population is fueled by the corporate owned media – the right against the left. Assumptions and accusations are thrown around like litter in the streets while people seem to grow farther and farther from their empathetic connection.

In the midst of this, one of the most hopeful grass roots developments is emerging. Transition Town is a movement to bring neighbors together to work hand in hand for change. This movement, regardless of politics or religion, is helping neighbors relocalize their economy, take control of their food sources, reduce dependencies on foreign oil and, best of all, build a sense of community and hope that needs revitalization.

Check out these links for more information and to find the Transition Town initiative in your area:

Transition Culture

Transition US

Transition in Action

Transition Asheville

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