My interest is in 
power and vulnerability as it applies to creating a sustainable environment. We all have hopes or assumptions that we will continue living the good life here on earth in much the same as way we have been or better. The bad news is that how we are currently living is not sustainable – not for those of us who benefit daily from technological advances or for those who fight daily to meet the need for food, water and safety. We are living a lie.
It is, however, a lie with comfort. Ok, maybe not quite a lie, but an illusion. We believe that we can power through a solution to every problem, that we have that power through science and technology and can overcome any roadblock to our continuing to thrive. But it takes the will to survive, not simply the latest tools. It takes collective will – an active, not passive, energy. So, we don’t succeed by assuming someone else will work it out – not science and technology, not government, not private enterprise, not God. It’s up to us.
For all of us to come together, there needs must be a galvanizing force. I believe that acknowledging our collective vulnerability in the face of events like extreme weather occurrences, mass migrations from beleaguered countries, big money pressure to exploit the environment, and becoming aware of the injustice you’ve done to your neighbor can be what pulls us together. The curious thing about “collective vulnerability” is that there is power in the sharing of it. And being vulnerable does not mean without hope. It’s more like acknowledging that I can’t do it alone and, looking around, realizing that we are all in it together. Commitment comes easier if you are in it with someone else.
So, from the backseat of the car, my question to you is, “Are we there yet?”