ORLANDO – Despite the election outcome last November, which suggested many Americans are disengaged, sustainability remains very much alive.
“It may be dormant, it may be hibernating, but it is not dead,” said Ron Jones, president of Green Builder Media, addressing about 200 attendees at the 2017 Sustainability Symposium in Orlando.
The event, organized by Lake City, Colorado–based Green Builder Media, LLC — a leading North American media company dedicated to residential green building and responsible growth — was promoted as a pioneering thought-leadership forum centered on practical, intelligent solutions for building resilience in a changing world.
The Symposium included several high-profile international speakers, such as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, senior White House Resiliency Advisor Samantha Medlock, and Philippe Cousteau, the television host and social entrepreneur who is the grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Panelists acknowledged that the U.S. election of a president who has called global warming a “Chinese hoax,” pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and threatened to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency has forced sustainability advocates to reassess and regroup.
“Now is the time to define our ongoing and collective role within the enduring momentum of the sustainability movement,” said Sara Gutterman, CEO of Green Builder Media.
Gutterman cited anthropologist Margaret Mead’s reminder that “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Philippe Cousteau observed two clear global trends exposed during recent elections: widespread anxiety about mass migration and perceived threats to social cohesion, and concerns about the economy — specifically how societies create purpose and meaning for their people.
“We’ve always looked for innovation and opportunity,” he said. “If we don’t address those challenges, we won’t be able to solve the larger issues.”
Cousteau emphasized that supporters of sustainability must improve how they communicate their vision for a better world.
“Clearly, we’re not doing a good job,” he said. “There is so much competing for people’s attention. We need to tell our story in clear, simple language. The topics we address are complex, so we must distill them into straightforward phrases and ideas that resonate with people.”
Jan. 10, 2017 Realty News Report Copyright 2017