With issues like global warming, overpopulation, pollution and depletion of our natural resources looming on the horizon, it is clear that we cannot continue with a 'business as usual' approach to life on this planet without major future consequences.

The economist Adam Smith in his work Wealth of Nations suggested that in a free-market economy, change occurs because the people in that market have a vested interest in making that change. In layman’s terms, when faced with an economic decision, people generally ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Unfortunately a lot of the time we tend to focus on our present short-term goals rather than on further-reaching future goals. When it comes to taking care of our home, planet Earth, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate advantage to living in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. We’re creatures of habit, and it’s hard to change if we don’t see any immediate advantage in doing so.

The problem is that an increasing body of evidence indicates that we’re having a significant negative impact on the ecosphere. If we don’t focus on the long-term damage we’re doing to the Earth now, it may be too late tomorrow. While environmental awareness is on the rise, there are still many who think that sustainability isn’t an issue they should be concerned about.

I think the main reason for this is that people focus on the short-term expense and inconvenience of moving to a more sustainable lifestyle instead of seeing the bigger picture. Building greener homes, driving greener cars and using more energy-efficient appliances can require more money to start with, but over time the savings can add up, and a sustainable lifestyle can pay for itself many times over. But before this can happen, we need to recognize and realize the benefits.

What is needed is a paradigm shift. We can evolve to a more sustainable way of living. It means switching to resources that can be replenished or recycled instead of depending on resources that are being rapidly depleted. It means seeing ourselves as a part of the life cycle here on Earth instead of as separate from nature. Our culture will have to grow and adapt to make this happen. We will need a new culture; one that that is sustainable without being uncomfortable, spiritual without being dogmatic and artistic without being exclusive. With these goals in mind, I began The Culture Artist.  All culture is a process. I think the best process of creating a culture is to create one consciously and deliberately.

Chuck Hall is a Sustainability Consultant and author. His latest book, Green Circles , will be available in late 2007. You may contact him by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org or visit the Culture Artist Web site at: www.cultureartist.org.

About the Author

He has been an environmentalist and writer on sustainability and environmental topics since the late 1970s. His column, The Culture Artist , is currently carried by over forty newspapers nationwide. He is a Sustainability Consultant and a graduate student at Converse College in South Carolina in Marriage and Family Therapy, where his primary area of research is Ecopsychology, which is the study of how nature and the environment impact our mental health. He has presented research on the topic at several university conferences. Chuck Hall currently lives with his wife and family in the foothills of the Appalachians, in Upstate South Carolina.

“If the majority of leading environmental scientists are right, we could be headed for an environmental catastrophe of major proportions within the next generation or two. I like to think that one person can still make a difference. The Culture Artist is my own little contribution to the future,” said Hall about his column.