True sustainability means making a change in the way we think about our lives, workplaces and communities.
In my January column, I predicted that the next big idea would be the sustainability revolution — an idea larger than simply “going green.” In the future, the nations that are able to implement (and export) sustainable practices in the fields of research, technology, manufacturing, education, marketing and law will prove to be the most successful.
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The coming decades will demand a change in the way we think about ourselves
Paradigm shifts such as the agricultural revolution, industrial revolution and communication revolution don’t happen often, so it’s remarkable that in the coming decades we’ll witness not one but two revolutions simultaneously.
The communication revolution, which has dramatically shifted the way we produce, store and share information, remains in full swing. It’s not clear when it will end, or what its final impact will be. But while it continues to unfold, a new revolution has already begun brewing: the “sustainability revolution.” (Not the “green” revolution, but more on that later.)
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This year’s best present idea never fades, never ages and never goes out of style.
The best Christmas present each of us could give this year is a dose of optimism. It’s a universal gift. It’s never the wrong size or color, never out of style and never unwelcome. Who couldn’t use a dose of optimism, especially now that the world has become increasingly uncertain, cynical, hurried and angry? We must keep in mind that there are more good things happening than bad things, and more good people than bad people. Read More
Note to Bluffton readers: What happens in Hilton Head does not stay in Hilton Head, but spills over to Bluffton and the entire Lowcountry.
Dear fellow citizens,
We have a choice to make. We can continuing hitting the brakes and become a second-rate resort town. Or we can unite our energies and become the most desirable small beach town on the East coast. On Nov. 2, we can take the first step and elect a progressive Town Council.
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Our lifestyle is at risk. Only the implementation of a forward-looking long-term plan will guarantee a prosperous future.
Eight months ago, 13 citizens took on the mission of defining key strategies for the future of our island. As a member of this Mayor’s Vision Task Force, I’m not attempting here to be unbiased — nor to speak for the group as whole — but merely to give you my interpretation of the outcome:
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It made me chuckle: “Summer is over, my kids are back to school!” So read the white-lettered, hand-painted inscription on the back window of a minivan expressing what I’m sure many parents are thinking: “I’m so happy to go back to a regular daily schedule.” On the other hand, maybe it was just the feeling that sharing the responsibility of educating their kids with their teachers is a blessing.
In either case, it made me reflect on the things we learn at school and how they contrast with the essential skills we need for life.
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The times where we forge along by taking as much as we can, believing that man is stronger than nature, are coming to an end.
A smell of blood, diesel fumes and sea salt was in the air. After what seemed an eternity at sea in the eyes of a 10-year-old boy, we pulled back to the harbor with two dozen bonito on board our lightweight sport fishing vessel. Bonitos are in the same family as tuna, but smaller. It was the summer of 1966. We proudly showed off our catch in the small village on the Italian Riviera, and because it was more fish than one family could eat, we gave away the rest, which was no easy feat since tuna, in the Mediterranean, was not regarded as a desirable seafood staple in those days.
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It is the ability to foresee what steps need to be taken today in order to be successful many, many years later. This is obviously not an easy task and hindsight is always 20/20.
Let’s agree that we live in a wonderful community and that many good things have been achieved in the last 20 years. Would it then not be best to assume that everything is fine and that we can continue to go down the same path as we have been?
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Imagine that you are invited to talk about the future of our community 20 years from now. That is exactly what 14 *civic leaders set out to do on a May afternoon at the Marriott. For your benefit, I’m providing a synopsis of the outcome and invite you to send me your own reflections:
It won’t surprise you that we concluded that the population shift to the Southeast will continue; life expectancy will increase significantly; geographic boundaries will blur; that everybody will be in the know; and that technological advances (such as bio-, nano-, genetics, robotics, Internet, renewable energy and sustainability) will be the big economic drivers of the future.
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Only a few months ago, economists and CEOs were troubled by the possibility of a “double dip” recession. Luckily, the general consensus among leading experts is now much more optimistic. This is by no means a sudden bonanza, and the return of “free wheeling and free dealing” rampant capitalism. But it is possibly the beginning of a more modest and more realistic emergence of “conscious capitalism.”
But enough of the philosophical observations. What in reality should we expect? Read More
