Sustainability and Freedom: Less Regulation, More Leadership, Price Incentives, and Education

Feb. 28, 2011 - PRLog -- The political dialogue in the United States usually treats freedom and sustainability as two separate topics.  People discussing these concepts within the framework of the mainstream political spectrum of liberal to conservative often see these two concepts as conflicting.   Alex Zorach, in a new blog post, draws into question this separation, arguing that freedom and sustainability are inextricably linked, and that freedom is necessary to truly achieve sustainability.

Full post: http://zorach.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/sustainability-and-freedom/

Freedom as Responsibility:

Drawing an analogy to parenting and the process of growing up, Zorach argues that true freedom involves the freedom to make mistakes, including decisions that are harmful to ourselves and others.

Regulatory Approach to Sustainability:

Zorach provides examples of the regulatory approach to sustainability, relying on prosecution and the criminal justice system, failing to enact substantial changes in people's behavior.  Zorach argues that giving people responsibility is a prerequisite to them acting responsibly, as far as sustainability is concerned.

Promoting Sustainability Through Freedom:

As an alternative to the regulatory approach, Zorach proposes three techniques that can promote both sustainability and freedom: Leadership, Price Incentives (including use taxes), and Education and Knowledge.  The post concludes with concrete recommendations of how to achieve these goals.

Read the full post: http://zorach.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/sustainability-and...

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This blog is about ideas oriented towards changing the world. The blog emphasizes building consensus around common sense ideas. Topics tend to be focused on sustainability, which is often interpreted in a broad, cultural context.