The hardest part about my job as a sustainability consultant is defining sustainability to people. Luckily for me it is becoming more and more part of our every day conversations. In the July 27, 2009 issue of Time Magazine they gave a good example of sustainability.
The article is Postcard: Bristol Bay. There is a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska called The Pebble Mine that could be worth more than $300 billion at todays prices. Just 100 miles downstream from this mine is Bristol Bay, home of some of the richest commercial-fishing grounds in the U.S. About 40% of our wild seafood is caught right here. It should also be familiar to fans of The Deadliest Catch.
But back to our definition. Author Bryan Walsh called sustainability “the idea that there are alternatives to exploiting natural resources without regard for the consequences.” Verner Wilson, a Yupik Eskimo and Bristol native summed it all up. “Do we want to embrace the mine, a resource that will be played out in 50 years? Or do we want to embrace a resource like the fish that we can manage for thousands of years?”
Companies, cities and individuals are starting to ask these question every day about every conceivable issue. Do I want to take the short-term profit not matter how it impacts me or do I want to go for the long-term and leave things for those behind me?
If you are not asking yourself these questions maybe you should start now.
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