Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | W | World Watch

The living earth ethical principles: spreading community.

Article Excerpt
This is the eighth and final essay in a series that describes a system of ecological ethics for living sustainably. For references, earlier essays, and additional discussion, visit www.livingearthethics.org.

Spreading Community. To succeed we must educate others and encourage them to adopt an ecological way of being in the world. As the movement grows, outreach efforts should be established around the world, whether through social enterprises, meeting houses, social service providers, or other means. These efforts will help keep members engaged and energized, facilitate their efforts to do good works, and teach others to live by this philosophy.

I have saved this principle, perhaps the most controversial, for last. I have laid out 10 organizing principles that might bring together those who understand that sustainability cannot be achieved by a watered-down climate change bill, carbon capture technologies, green jobs, or even vast areas of solar panels. Sustainability will only be achieved through a dramatic transformation of how we live, of our very cultures. And considering the level of capture of governments by special interests, the only way to do this may just be through individuals...