The Two Paths to Sustainability

Achieving sustainability can take one of two paths, according to Richard Carson: centralized or decentralized policy. Choosing one will be crucial.

1 minute read

September 16, 2009, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"[I]t is no wonder that the concept of sustainability resonates with us. We would all love to live in a world with a sustainable economy, energy resources, and climate.

The real question, if you accept this premise, is how do we achieve this new sustainable world? I think that there are two very different paths to being sustainable. The dichotomy is that of socialist versus survivalist sustainability. In other words, do we nationalize and centralize sustainable policies or do we individualize and decentralize them? Do we regulate societal norms or do we incentivize them? These are mutually exclusive in the sense that the public policy approach is very different for each."

FULL STORY: INSIGHT: Sustainability -- The Great Divide

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in ArchNewsNow

Energy Environment Government / Politics World Sustainability

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