Will Sustainability become the Feared Equalizer?

HASTINGS ON HUDSON, N.Y. - May 17, 2013 - PRLog -- Why is the price of oil still hovering around $100 per barrel, if global demand has fallen and the supply of alternative energy sources, including shale and renewables, are increasing? Could it be that commodity traders are reacting to a new series of less visible market forces?

We know that whenever Iran talks up their nuclear energy aspirations or Israel fires missiles into Syria, oil prices tend to rise or as of late, not drop by much. There is also US Congress’ lack of a comprehensive long term energy policy that has kept a tight rein on infrastructure investments such as charging stations for electric vehicles. However, as I discovered recently, there is yet another force at play, one that is far more complex than society is prepared to confront today and which will surely cause the price of oil and similar fossil fuels to double, if not triple in price, in the coming decades. This invisible force is referred to as sustainability.

What exactly is sustainability? In simple terms, sustainability is about replacing a resource so it can be used again and again. Terms like 'recycling' trash or producing 'renewable energy' are commonly associated with the practice of sustainability or the act of sustaining an activity in perpetuity with minimal environmental damage. Perhaps the best example of sustainability are e-books because they never wear out from one user to another and can be reproduced millions of times from one stored copy. Nevertheless, sustainability is more than just a repeatable process. It is also a culture, an attitude, a way of thinking that inspires inherent behavioral changes on socially-acceptable consumption practices.    MIT’s Sustainability Summit  At MIT’s Sustainability Summit (http://sustainabilitysummit.mit.edu/program) last month, I came away with a deeper appreciation for what sustainability can mean to different people, especially how it can motivate them to change their habits and the habits of others, and yet, I could not help feel discouraged by the global indifference and the immense size of the problem. What set me over the edge was a powerful video called, ‘The Art & Science of Chasing Ice (http://www.chasingice.com)’ produced by James Balog (http://www.ted.com/speakers/james_balog.html) on how our north and south polar ice caps are melting away from the amount of black soot dispersed into the atmosphere from our factories and automobiles. If this visual does not do if for you then perhaps a TED video by Charles Moore on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg) may bring it home. The visuals are truly stunning, rude awakenings of what a planet with 7 billion individuals are capable of doing wrong.    With the UN’s projected 9.1 billion people by 2050, one can be absolutely certain that issues of sustainability will be front and center in the daily livelihood of every individual and entity. Why? ...for the simple reason that our planet resources are limited and our current lifestyles and diverse cultures have yet to align and adapt to a sustainably-friendly behavior.    After attending the MIT Summit, I concluded that the efforts to align sustainable priorities are not only a discombobulated entanglement of disparate, self-appointed initiatives but also an odd assortment of potentially conflicting outcomes. To get an idea,  take a look at two opposing car ownership attitudes by city dwellers.  While the new normal has shifted favorably to shared auto usage among urbanites in developed countries (i.e. US - zipcar.com (http://www.zipcar.com/)), in emerging countries (i.e. Brazil, China), new consumers expect to own their own car as soon as they move into a city!    Walmart vs WholeFoods  Another similar example of conflicting outcomes was visible at The Atlantic Magazine (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/) press conference in Washington DC on December 4, 2012. A forum of experts showcased the sustainability policies of two retail food companies, Walmart and WholeFoods.  While both companies work closely with their suppliers to recycle waste and introduce biodegradable packaging, Walmart’s Beth Keck (http://www.linkedin.com/in/bethkeck), Senior Director of Sustainability, explained that Walmart provides their tight-fisted consumers with environmentally friendly products and chooses not to educate them on how they should change their consumption attitudes toward a more wholesome sustainable lifestyle.    In curious contrast, WholeFoods’ counterpart, Kathy Loftus (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-loftus/2/569/910), Global Leader, Sustainable Engineering & Energy Management, stated that with one-tenth the number of retail outlets as Walmart, WholeFoods is deeply committed to educating its employees and the communities they serve. The company teaches sustainability as a shared problem that begins with each and every consumer. WholeFoods believes that the improved knowledge on how one’s food is handled and prepared can help consumers make better choices and therefore lead healthier lives that will result in fewer medical issues. The money saved from fewer doctor’s visits and drugs, for instance, could justify WholeFood’s higher prices, ...which explains in part why Walmart with its cadre of low-priced, branded, processed food suppliers has avoided engaging directly with their consumers.    Will the term ‘sustainability’ just become another commonly used marketing term such as ‘green’, ‘organic’, and ‘hormone-free’ that companies can push at will to meet their own corporate business agendas?  ...maybe not this time.    To view the rest of this article please visit: http://wp.me/p26dHY-5c