Sustainability Comes of Age:

A Movement to Bring Global Balance .. and Save Mother Earth

Presented to: 2013 National Environmental Justice Conference Howard University School of Law, Washington DC
April 3, 2013

Onaje Jackson, President, Sustainable Systems & Design Intl (SSDI)

Christiansted, St Croix, US Virgin Islands

Taking the Long View:

We CAN survive Our Global 21st Century Challenges . And Emerge Stronger for the 22nd
Good Morning My objectives today are: Share a long-term view of our current global climate / social crisis and an optimistic projection of how we can meet them; Take a slightly out of the box look at Sustainability as more than just a progressive concept .. but as a potentially unifying movement .. To help save the Earth

Our Current Crisis

Given Todays Dramatic Evidence of Our Global Climate Out of Balance.

 2012: Antarctic Glacial Melt Far More Extensive than Estimated 2011: Scientists Identify Seven Species of Animals on Brink of Extension from Habitat displacement

2012: Carbon Pollution up to 2 million pounds a second

2012: Widest Spread Droughts in US History Costing $36 billion in Agriculture Losses 2012: Globally the Hottest Year On Record

2012: Hurricane Sandy Sets US Record for Size And Destruction - Loss of $ 65 Billion Estimated

Yet Political Action Remaining Largely Stalled by a Few .

The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, February 3, 2012

Small anti-climate action lobby prevails; no Congressional Action on Climate Change

The Washington Post Monday, December 10, 2012

No deal from climate talks; what will U.S. do now?

The New York Times Monday, December 3, 2012

With legislation failure in House certain, Obama looks to Executive Action on Climate Change

. And Our Socio-Economic Structures Out of Balance.

1990 2012: Record period of US Income Disparity. 2012: Top 1% of US Population now owns 48% of US Wealth

 US National Occupy-99% Movement Goes Global and becomes Increasingly Violent

And Put in the Context of the Historic Dynamic between

Climate/Socio-economic Imbalance & Violence.

 We Know that Our Global Community is at a

Tipping Point and a Major Leap in National & Global Action Must Happen

But the Big Questions Are:

What Direction will this new action take? Will the Direction address climate AND Social/Equity Needs ? Who will lead the way? Will People of Color have an equal leadership role .. towards forging balanced solutions?

With Balancing our Global Climate and Socio-economic Structures as The Bottom Line Sustainability - by Definition

Offers the Right Way Forward

Sustainability MEANS balance balancing of 3-Ps -(People)

Social

Sustainable
(Planet)
(Productivity) Environmental

Economic

Sustainability Naturally Brings Together the Climate Action & Equity-99% Movements

Social

Sustainable
Environmental Economic

Sustainability Provides an Opportunity for a Historically Unified Movement

Moving Forward: Actions Supporting the Sustainability Agenda

Proposed CBC Sustainable Earth Summit Earth Day, 2014

Proposing that the CBC & Environmental Justice Leadership bring together the Climate/Environmental Movement and Equity/99% Movement leadership under the banner of Sustainability to forge a unified way forward .. on Earth Day, 2014 (a celebration NOT
associated with People of Color and therefore noteworthy on the face of t)

By taking the lead in redefining the Earth-saving sustainability agenda, establish a new national/global leadership position for the CBC and Environmental Justice Movement

Moving Forward: Actions Supporting the Sustainability Agenda

S.A.F.E. Earth
(Sustainable Action For Everyone)
A social media, grass roots, small-group action based program (currently under development) providing motivational, organizational, and comprehensive technical support for the national & global community committed to sustainable action;

Basic Strategic Premise: The big answer will not come from top-down political and governmental action alone: this must be combined with the grass-roots-out, small-group action, multiplier effect

Moving Forward: Actions Supporting the Sustainability Agenda

S.A.F.E. Earth
(Sustainable Action For Everyone)
Generally inspired by the traditional community, Mutual Aid/Self-help Organization model

Specifically borrows the traditional Crucian (people of St Croix, US Virgin Islands) 1-1 Fill De Basket mutual aid legacy of the 1930s60s addressing the power of individual, small group and collective action.

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Thank You!