zmotion

Green is here to stay. It’s not just a hot fad. It is key to the future of all life on earth. The real question that should be asked and is being asked more and more is “How do we plan and how do we invest so that we grow an economy that is truly sustainable?”

As recent as 60 years ago, enormous tracts of land were deteriorating from fertile timber growth to barren land because there was no plan for reforestation or soil conservation practices. Soil erosion further complicated the reversal of this natural dilemma and made it difficult to reforest on degraded soil. Fortunately, the timber industry began to plan and develop strategies that were not only green, but financially sustainable. The result – green investments methodically transformed timber into one of the most stable markets on earth.

Because demand is outstripping production, the petroleum industry will dry up and give way to the growth of green energy. This is inevitable, regardless of my opinion or yours. I believe renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and geothermal are clearly the most promising alternatives, but bio-fuels and biomass technologies may also play important roles in future markets.

Nature has phenomenal recuperative abilities, but the unrelenting extraction of natural resources has demonstrated that some resources can never be replaced.  Once consumed and turned into carbon gases and particulate matter, there is no recycling of petroleum-based fuels. There are some situations where there is no possible means of a reversal, but there are paradigm shifts that can avert disaster and create growth.

Every plan has its subtle differences, but the common thread is the intentional strategic investment of time, energy and capital that captures the vision of perpetual growth and viable sustainability. There will always be consumable products, but the industries that produce consumables must exercise wisdom and understanding. They must employ green business practices to assure the continuity of the natural resources that feed their industry.

It is my belief that these types of business strategies make green money a good investment. These good investment practices create a sustainable financial market.

The earth abounds with food, water, energy, social and economic resources.  The only shortage is in genuine concern for the well-being of the less fortunate and for future generations.

Why all the buzz about sustainability? Currently, many natural resources are being consumed at unsustainable rates.  Once consumed, some of these resources, such as hydrocarbon fuels and certain other elements, will be forever unavailable unless we import them from other planets. And, by the way, interplanetary transportation costs make that highly improbable for the foreseeable future, not to mention the exploration costs.

There must be a worldwide paradigm shift in the way we raise and distribute food, manufacture and deliver products, generate and supply energy, fuel and conduct travel and transport. It has become not just advisable, but necessary to change the way we do business and sustain life.

There are viable sustainable technologies available today that are capable of producing renewable fuels and energy products. There are many more just waiting to be invented. In agriculture we should be returning to healthier organic practices. We must learn how to provide an adequate water supply for all nations.

We can learn to conserve natural resources, make it economically feasible and beneficial to do so and determine to build a legacy of improved quality of life for generations yet to come until a truly sustainable plan is fully developed.

The alternative to sustainable life is the inevitable depletion of certain natural resources, the destruction of our environment and a dark legacy of sick, starving and shrinking populations around the globe.