AntiSustainableGrainsofTruth

Sometimesitshardtoimagineweinthesustainabilitybusinesshaveanyoppositionanyoneon
the
other
side.Wemostlywalkaroundwiththethoughtthataslongaswecouldsitdownwith
someonelongenoughwecould
mostlikely
convincethemofthemeritsofsustainabilityandthe
very
realness
ofclimatechange.Weliketobelievethattheoneswhodisagreewithusorthe
sustainabilitymovementarejustwillfullyignoranceofthefactsandjustalostcause.

AndwhileIthinkitshardtoconfrontpeoplewhoflatoutdisagree,Ithinkitsimportantto
understandwheretheyrecomingfrom.ThephilosopherJohnStuartMillsaidsomethingthats
alwaysstuckwithme:Hewhoknowsonlyhissideofthecaseknowslittleofthat.Perhapsits
timetostoplabelingpeopleassimplybeyondthepaleandsincerelyattempttoseewhere
theyrecomingfrom.Bewarned:thistakesmorepatienceandisquiteafrustratingendeavor.
______

Recently,Icameacrossanarticlefromthatstatedtenreasonswhysustainabilityisawaste.
Evenreadingthewordsmademecringewithdespair.Butthatsamecringingwasaddressedin
oneoftheauthorspoints:that
Sustainabilityadvocatesassumethatnoonecanlegitimately
disagreewiththeirmessage.Theythereforehavenoqualmsaboutimposingtheirpoliticson
students,faculty,andstaff.Ifsomeone
does
disagree,theyattackthatpersonsmotivesand
ignorehisactualpoints.Thisdismissaloutofhandoftheoppositionhappenstoooften.
Whetherornotyou
really
thinkthatyouinhabitthemoralhighgroundonsustainability,its
probablynotworthwhiletoactasifyoudo.Moralrighteousnessisafantasticconversation
stopper,andthusahorriblepersuasivetool.Evenifyoudontthinktheresevenagrainoftruth
toyouropposition,itmightbehooveustoactasifthereis.Thatis,perhapsthe
only
grainof
truthisindeedthisairofmoralsuperioritywhichishardtodeny.Again,itmayinfactbetrue
thatweoccupyanalmostimpregnablepositionithelpsthatitsbackedupby99%ofscience
butitservesasahindrancetogettingmorepeopleonboard.

ThearticlewentontostatethatSomesustainabilityadvocatestipovertheedgeofideologyinto
apocalypticreligion,completewithendoftheworldscenarios,callstorepent,anew
ecomorality,andworshipoftheEarth.Thismayalsohaveagrainoftruthtoit.Theideathat
apocalypticundertonesgivesthesustainabilitymovementmorepushisfoolish.Preachingthe
endtimeshappensineverygeneration.However,sustainabilityisnotlikereligiontheformer
hasadecentamountofscientificbackingbutwhenthesustainabilityadvocateactswiththe
fervorofareligiouscrusaderitlosesitsintellectualfooting.Fervorandferociousnessareuseful
insomecases,buthardlyuseful,again,ingettingmoreconvertstothecause.Playthesecards
wiselyandsparingly.


IjustabouttoremyhairoutwhenIreadthenexttitle:sustainabilityshrinksfreedom.The
authorgoesontostatethatSustainabilityadvocatesdontlikefreemarketsorpersonalliberty.
Theybelievemarketsignorelongtermcostsandpeopletypicallymakebadchoices.Insteadof
liberty,sustainabilityadvocatespraisesocialjusticeandequitabledistributionofresourcesas
thefoundationofasustainablesociety.Thisissimplynottrue,butthepointisthatiftheother
sideisclaimingthis,itwouldbeimportanttoaddressit.Nonsensicalasitmaybeto
us
,this
doesntthenmeanthepersonespousingsuchclaimsshouldbeignoredorlabeledhopeless.
Ratherthispersonshouldbedirectedtothenumerousbusinesses,organizationsandcompanies
whohaveembracedtheideaoffreedomandlibertywhiletakingonsustainableprogramsinthe
publicsphere.Infact,itssomewhatcontradictorytoclaimthatadvocatesofsustainabilitydont
believeinfreemarketswhentheonlywaytheycould
enact
theirideasisthroughthefreemarket
model.Advocatesonlywishtomodifytheirvisions,butthishardlyentailscoercivenessor
straightupsocialismassomeontheothersideliketothink.
______

Perhapsitstimetojumpoffofthisdismissalbandwagonthatweseesopopularin
todayspoliticaldiscussions.Purposefulmisrepresentation,moralrighteousness,andintense
indignationarejustsomeofthetoolsIveseenadvocatesofsustainabilityhaphazardlyemploy.
Andtheyreallmisguidedandunproductivewhetherornottheyre
warranted
.Allgreatleaders
fromallkindsofmovementsareoftwostripes:eithertheysincerelyattempttoknowtheother
sidesothattheycanunderstandtheirownprojectortheydont.Butthesegreatleadersofthe
lattersortdidntthen
act
asifthey
did
knowtheothersidetheyunderstoodthatthismakes
peopleextremelyangryand
more
closeminded.Mostadvocatesofsustainability
think
they
knowtheotherside,butitsdoubtfulthattheyveduganyfurtherthantheblatant
misrepresentationtogettothe
actual
motivesoftheotherside.Ifonedoesntthinkthisisa
fruitfulexercise,thenthatsoktooeverymovementneedsleadersofbothtypes.Sustainability
isstillanuphillbattleatthispoint,butitdoesnthavetobesuchasteepincline:weneedtobe
betteratcommunicatingsothatwecaneventhebattlefield.