Is sustainability killing creativity?
Austin Williams, the author of the new book "The Enemies of Progress" is convinced that our current global push for sustainability is a deterrent for creativity. He thinks that sustainability, being fundamentally against human activity and progression, makes it actually stunt the growth of innovation. I tend to strongly disagree.To me, the exact opposite is true. When you don't have much to work with -- which is becoming the case in this decaying economy of ours -- you have no choice but to make due with what you have. As the saying goes: Necessity is the mother of invention. Our necessities include, most importantly, food and shelter. When the cost and availability of these staples extend beyond the grasp of the common working family, they are forced to turn to alternatives. These alternatives include growing their own food and building their own homes, independent of utilities in some cases. Sorry Mr. Williams, but this is the definition of sustainability.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-20-2008 @ 11:20AM
Austin Williams said...
Unfortunately, Shawn (and, by the way, it's always useful to read the book that you are reviewing/ condemning), your version of sustainability sounds like arguing for sharecropping because things are too expensive to buy. You can dress up your defeatism as much as you like, but if you think that the poor families - that you are supposedly defending - will thank you for capping their ambition for decent housing and provisions, I'm afraid (I'm glad) that you are sadly mistaken.
People want 'more', people want 'better', people want 'improvements'... and digging their own latrines and shitting in a bucket ain't it.
A
Austin
http://enemiesofprogress.blogspot.com
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