FROM THE PUBLISHER
“Imagine a tribunal of all species sitting in judgment over Homo Sapiens charged to rule on our fitness to remain on Earth based on our behavior over the past 10,000 years. … Other than the votes of the cockroaches, crows, and any number of viruses, the motion to evict us would win by a large margin.”
bill, we just can’t seem to get it right. Oberlin College professor David Orr
From Revelation to Revolution
I look at the world around us, and I see extreme polarities. I see incredible feats of science, medicine, and technology that miraculously address the challenges of our time, nations galvanized by the desire to heal the planet, and random acts of kindness by individuals all around me. I see people energized by the promise of a better future, acting to improve the lives of their neighbors and communities. I also see environmental catastrophe, the greed of Wall Street, the paralysis of Washington, and the ferocious hatred of terrorists who blindly kill in the name of God. I see the neglect of our children and the disregard for small creatures of the earth. I see people crippled by compla- cency and fettered by fear. While I do feel excited and optimistic
about the future, I can’t deny that our country is dealing with environmental issues in a manner that seems more like a high-stakes game of Russian roulette rather than a deliberate, integrated strategy. From the inept responses to the natural disasters that have affl icted us, to the political warfare that has been waged over a comprehensive energy and climate
10 GreenBuilder July > August 2010
writes, “Imagine a tribunal of all species sitting in judgment over Homo Sapiens charged to rule on our fi tness to remain on Earth based on our behavior over the past 10,000 years. How we would we judged? Other than the votes of the cockroaches, crows, and any number of viruses, the motion to evict us would win by a large margin.” How would today’s systems, proce-
dures, organizations, and social behaviors be judged in that tribunal? Are they wor- thy of being sustained? The building industry is a microcosm of our system—it is broken, and so, too, many of the institutions within it. These institutions no longer represent the bulk of building professionals. But in a world where hope has become
a four-letter word, how can the average person implement real change? How can we break through an outdated, ineff ective mold that was created decades ago but no longer is applicable for our industry, our economy, or our natural world? How do we turn change from something scary into something aspirational and achievable? How do we create a language that allows us to eff ectively communicate not just with those who are aligned with us, but also with those who hold diff erent truths? Dissension is the key to change. To break through our paralysis, we must overcome our fear of change, even though leadership often comes at a high price. We all strive to live meaningfully. But
that’s not enough anymore. A truly sus- tainable life involves more—it requires the revelation that we are a part of a natural
community for which we hold an undeni- able responsibility. How we live, what we produce and consume, and how we treat the creatures and ecosystems around us are not negligible choices. Rather, they determine the condition of our world. It has been said that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. Our con- text shapes us moment to moment just as every act we make changes the world. Our feelings and emotions register in those around us. As physicist Hans-Peter says, there are no parts, only participants. That’s the power of interdependence. In certain Native American tribes,
young warriors were told upon embarking on a vision quest, “As you go the way of life, you will encounter a great chasm. Jump, it’s not as wide as you may think. Jump.” It is time for us unshackle ourselves
from polluting energy sources, manufac- turing processes, and extractive practices. It’s time to imbue our systems, organiza- tions, and relationships with transparency and authenticity. It’s time to leap into the future, with the faith that the chasm is small, the jump is manageable, and that what awaits us on the other side is better, and more sustainable, than where we are today. Please share your thoughts with me about our energy future at sara@greenbuilermag. com or join me on Twitter at SaraGBM. GB
Sara Gutterman
sara@greenbuildermag.com
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