Sustainable Living

Now more than ever, families and communities across America are recognizing the need for fundamental change in the way we go about our daily lives. This is based on a wide range of regional and national indicators, from growing fragility in our macroeconomic underpinning and income disparity to decaying infrastructure and more. Globally, there is evidence of steady decline in the health of our core ecological systems such as our oceans, our forests, our farmland, our biodiversity and our climate.

Sustainability means living and working in a way that meets today's needs without causing harm to the environment, to a stable-state economy, to other people or to future generations. Sustainability is durable, economically balanced, vibrant, healthy and satisfying to the human spirit. Sustainability uses simple techniques that are widely available to help each of us redesign, rebuild, restore, shop, work, eat, travel and in general live and prosper in an enduring manner. It is the gateway to an economically secure, environmentally sound and personally fulfilling future.

Guest editorial in the Asheville Citizen-Times by Sustainable Now founder, Ian Booth