Develop a National Strategy for Sustainability

by Robin Wheeler

Published February 04, 2009 @ 09:07AM PT

We have a big challenge and an ever bigger opportunity before us. The sustainability movement, and adoption of sustainable practices in the US, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years; but we are still a long ways from living sustainably. The United States agreed during the Rio Earth Summit Conference in 1992 and again during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 to develop and implement a National Strategy for Sustainability.

During the Clinton years a President’s Council for Sustainable Development was established that met for 6 years and issued a series of reports and recommendations for how we could create a more sustainable America. Unfortunately most of the recommendations have still not been, and thus need to be considered, added to, and/or implemented.  Go here for more.

Meanwhile many of the environmental challenges that we face both in the US and around the world have gotten worse. The water table is dropping in many regions. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from the chemicals, soils, and fertilizers that have washed off of our farmlands, has continued to expand. And the US with just 5% of the world’s population uses 27% of the natural resources, while recycling only 15% of our wastes.

Meanwhile millions of people here in the US are barely getting by, while billions more are facing even greater challenges and harsher conditions around the world due to a lack of food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, and/or access to electricity. Humanity already uses 30% more of the bio-capacity of the earth than can be sustained; and this situation could get even worse as both economies and demand grow. Meanwhile the cost of basic goods is rising, the rich/poor gap is expanding, and our economy has its own problems. Fortunately, President Obama has repeatedly stated that the US must join the world community in reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice recently said at the UN Security Council that the Obama Administration is committed to, “addressing climate change; alleviating poverty; promoting sustainable development; and supporting respect for human rights, democracy and human dignity” among other things.

During the past six months the Citizens Network for Sustainable Development, Working Group for Sustainable Change, and US Partnership on Education for Sustainable Development have written to President Obama’s advisors, appointees, and transition teams urging the new Administration to lead our country in fulfilling our commitment to develop and implement a National Strategy for Sustainability. The papers are posted here.

Two months ago I entered our proposal for creating a Sustainable America on Change.org’s Ideas for Change in America voting website. It came in first within the category of Environmental Conservation and was selected as one of the Top Ten Ideas that will be featured in Change.org’s National Advocacy Campaign. During the process we have met hundreds, no thousands, of good people and found out about a lot of organizations that are now supporting our organizing effort.

So, the Citizens Network for Sustainable Development is now rolling out a campaign to get as many people and organizations to support our proposal as possible. We are organizing interactive processes and consultations to share ideas and build common agreement about how such a National Strategy could and should be developed, the types of things that could be addressed and included in it, and how we can develop a vision for a sustainable America.

Many people, companies, government agencies, educational institutions, etc are adopting sustainable policies and practices in the US now; but we still have a long way to go before we can leave a sustainable future for our children and provide for everyone's needs. Creating and implementing a National Strategy could provide the next steps towards developing needed policy and legislation, giving incentives and signals to the business community, and enrolling as many people as possible to help in making the transition to a more sustainable future. Thus we are inviting all Americans to participate in this process including business, civil society, the faith community, educational institutions, and all levels of government, etc.

In the coming months we will ask you to send in your stories about how you are helping to create a Sustainable America many of which will be included on our blog; and we will tell you things that you can do to support and participate in our campaign. For now, you can support our call urging President Obama and the Congress to lead our country and people in developing and implementing a National Strategy for Sustainability; and you can join our campaign and receive periodic updates by signing up on our Facebook Cause page.

Thank you for your interest, support and contributions in creating a Sustainable America and world. Send us your stories and/or post your ideas for the National Strategy on our suggestions page.