Sustainability

I haven't done too much research myself on sustainability, but i have been introduced to some of the ideas, and people who are vastly more knowledgeable than myself.

A few of my classmates from Dartmouth are interested in sustainability, and the last class newsletter was about various classmates who are involved in various aspects of it. One of my classmates considers, "a sustainable future is one where people (including individuals, companies, governments) are acting and planning in a way that considers the impact of our decisions several generations into the future."

Unfortunately, from my point of view, the world is not in a position to consider sustainability as a whole. Fortunately, though, there are pockets of conscious individuals, small companies and communities creating their own ripple effect towards this end. Sustainability, in my mind, starts by being conscious of one's consumption. Moreover, it can pertain to taking action to help the environment repair itself. In Kabbalah, the notion of Tikkun Olam, repair of the world, has various levels of meaning. Sustainability, for me, is one category of Tikkun Olam.

The concept of sustainable communities is another subject i would like to delve into at some point. There are many planned communities popping up all over. One of the biggest ones, East Lake Commons, is here in Atlanta. Most of these conscious communities encourage environmentalism and awareness, not to mention community. East Lake Commons boasts a 5 acre organic garden and lots of other community benefits.

On one of my sojourns to North Carolina, i was introduced to an interesting man, whose main vision is connecting people interested in sustainability and international cooperation. Michael Lightweaver of Mountain Light Sanctuary is a veritable fountain of knowledge and earth keeper, walking his talk, and providing visitors with a taste of how healing nature can be. From Michael's information, such sites as Earth Policy Institute gives short articles on economy and sustainability and Alternative Energy Institute offers more information on energy alternatives.

I'll have to do some more research on this and related topics for the future.