Comments on: Sustainability Lesson One: There Is No Such Thing

By: lavonne althoff

lavonne althoff — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:21:55 +0000

i recycle everything possible but i have found no way to recycle or reuse the heavy plastic that chips,cookies,candies,freezer items etc come in. they do not break down and as a crafter, i cant believe there is no way to use this form of plastic.

By: Himalayan Wild Fibers

Himalayan Wild Fibers — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:50:16 +0000

“…there’s not enough organic cotton in the world to supply Walmart’s needs.”
On a more practical level, we need to find alternatives to cotton, and quickly. Organic is not the answer; it used nearly as much water as chemical cotton. And if the money spent to convert to organic was spent on reducing the post-purchase care requirements of garments it would be a much more effective move on the path of sustainability.
Nettle being cultivated in Europe has great promise. And, as a plug for my own work, Himalayan nettle, can make a small but meaningful contribution, and has great positive social impact through the generation of income for marginalized mountain communities that collect the wild-growing plant.
We must all press for alternatives to cotton and reduce our consumption by 75-90%.

By: Barking Unicorn, Denver, CO

Barking Unicorn, Denver, CO — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:51:47 +0000

I wish people would use words in ways that make sense. Then we’d have fewer senseless arguments.
“Sustaining” is a process.
“Sustainability” is a prerequisite to the process of sustaining.
“Sustained” is a real goal.

By: Cory Vanderpool

Cory Vanderpool — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:46:47 +0000

Neal, I couldn’t agree more with your insights and believe we are all saying the same thing. The goal of this article is to get people to think less about the terms themselves, like sustainability or green, and understand them given their own frame of reference. Stating that there is no such thing as sustainability, in my opinion, levels the playing field, starts us at ground zero and disarms people. For me, accepting this fact, oddly brought me some relief and allowed me to pursue sustainability on my own terms.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:09:03 +0000

Neal, isn’t that exactly what Cory said in her article?
I think the point of the headline is to get people to think “outside the box” in terms of sustainability. It starts with the headline and then leads into the rest of her point (that you generously reiterate), one that Cory made very well, in my opinion.

By: Neal H. Levin

Neal H. Levin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:36:55 +0000

It’s funny to see how people love to play-up the “there’s no such thing as sustainability” headline when talking about Chouinard. Clearly, it’s not what he is saying. Quite simply, sustainability is not a “tangible thing” nor a destination. Rather, it is a path, a practice, a manner of being. When designing initiatives that embrace environmental and social responsibility, our job isn’t done — and sustainability isn’t “achieved” — when we execute. That single step is just one of many down a never-ending path. Sustainability is non-static, the path does not have an end. Rather, it’s a conscious commitment to conducting business (and ourselves) in a responsible matter, one in which we are accountable for what we do and how we do it.