Climate Movement Values: Sustainability
Introductory Series Post 10.9
Our vision, purpose, and Major Goal is to overcome climate change by creating a just and prosperous sustainability that enhances wellbeing for everyone and everything. I’ve already explained what I mean by “prosperous sustainability” in a previous post.
Simply put: sustainability means humanity living in balance and harmony with the rest of the natural world, which is not considered just a bunch of “natural resources” for us to exploit.
This balance and harmony is what the rest of nature is due; it is also what today’s children and subsequent generations are due. As such, sustainability is a particular form of justice.
So what does it mean that sustainability is a Movement Value we affirm and aspire to?
Sustainability inspires us to action because it helps us see how much work we have to do to move towards balance and harmony. It clarifies how out of whack we’ve let things become. And when the rest of the natural world is out of whack, so are we — because we are a part of the natural world.
But it also guides us by giving us a vision of how things should be and could be. To state the obvious, climate change, species extinction — these are the opposite of balance and harmony. As with human justice, we must stop bad stuff, set wrong right, and make things better.
Sustainability is valuable to us because to be out of sync with the rest of the natural world is antithetical to our wellbeing. It is a wrong that must be made right for us to be right, for us to be in balance and harmony, for the wellbeing of everyone and everything. It is part of our Better Future Covenant. As with our other Movement Values, sustainability creates hope because it is what we hope for.
Finally, sustainability is beautiful. To strive for sustainability is to be a hope-maker and beauty-creator. Join us!
Remember to check out other posts in this Introductory Series, including the other Movement Values of love, justice, beauty, freedom, creativity, wisdom, pragmatism, and non-violence. If you like this post, please “like,” comment, and share. And thanks for all you’re doing.