Category Archives: Philosophy/ethics

Water From Oil

I was exploring Dubai, searching for sustainability lessons to share with students and clients who travel on study tours with Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability, and boy did I find a doozy.  Dubai figured out how to turn oil … Continue reading

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Rural Development Dilemma

Study tours help sustainable development professionals witness globally relevant challenges and innovations.  Most recently I was leading a CLiGS study tour in India, where teachable moments abound.  India’s development trajectory will likely be the most significant in human history and … Continue reading

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A Path Through Trump’s Minefield

Our rational, wonkish, scientific explanations are completely counterproductive. Continue reading

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Earth Day 2013: The 2050 Convergence*

What does Earth Day mean to you? To me Earth Day is about the future, having a future, enjoying the future, creating a future in which we thrive. I want to celebrate Earth Day 2013 by looking into the future.  … Continue reading

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What I Believe

While climbing an observation tower leading towards the canopy of a Brazilian rainforest, Christoph (of Hotspot Tours) asked for an update to my Rebound Romantic philosophy published years ago in Infinite Nature. Here is the jeito-inspired update. I begin at … Continue reading

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Towards which future should we aim?

Kloor’s recent blast about the schism in environmentalism echoes Nordhaus and Shellenberger‘s claim that environmentalism was dead or should die.  These reoccurring tussles over the purpose of environmentalism stumble over a familiar tension: sustainable development versus environmental protection. We can … Continue reading

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Beyond Bio-Blitzs

When we share ideas about creating our future, two story-lines dominate. One is characterized by profit, work, discipline, achievement, productivity, efficiency, industry, and growth.  It goes by the name of Economic Development.  The other is characterized by protection, appreciation, wildness, … Continue reading

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Sustainable development is a moral obligation

Sustainable development  promotes world peace, human dignity and the continuous improvement of human potential.  It requires careful stewardship of our environmental, economic, and cultural commons. Leadership for sustainable development takes many forms, reflecting the leader’s talents and intentions.   I focus … Continue reading

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Sustainability Warfare

India’s enormous economic growth, deep cultural divisions, fragile infrastructure, and stressed ecological systems may make it one of the least sustainable places on earth.  But I just returned from Mumbai and I wonder if the opposite is more accurate. The … Continue reading

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A story is the responsibility of the traveler

I went away. Now I’m back.  Life at home continued without me.  My return flight, with layovers, starts at New Delhi’s wonderful new airport and ends too many hours later in Virginia with my wife waiting near baggage claim.  I … Continue reading

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