Month 8, Day 30: Ka-Ching!

The Chicago Tribune appears to have discovered that sustainability is good for business.

What is mind-boggling is that this epiphany is not rewarded with a resounding, “Well, duuuuhhhh.”

But I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

It should not seem counterintuitive that ecologically sensible practices are good business practices as well. Environmental destruction is the worst possible corporate strategy — because ultimately all wealth is a function of our relationship to the natural ecosystems of which we are a part. Most contemporary economists assert that infinite economic growth is both possible and desirable, ignoring the fact that we live on a finite planet.  As Edward Abbey famously said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”

The survival of our economic system is predicated on the survival of our species; even the largest multinational cannot outlast humanity. That’s why it makes absolute sense for business to embrace the disciplines of sustainability at every level, whether it’s implementing a careful recycling policy, adhering to green building practices, or supporting strong legislation to fight global climate change. Can someone tell the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?

Warren Senders