With the ghost of a smile on his face

“To define perpetual growth on a finite planet as the sole measure of economic well-being is to engage in a form of slow collective suicide.” Wade Davis

On top of business courses I have been studying geographic interpretations of globalization and Anthropology. Both seem a little more sceptical of CSR than the average business class. I have been asking myself recent if the term ‘Corporate Sustainability’ is any less ridiculous than ‘Clean Coal’. With the latter, yes it is better than the alternative, but clean is a gross overstatement.

In a recent New York Times article regarding men living in complete isolation one stated, “People use the word ‘sustainable’ a lot, especially if they are in business, and it means nothing.” At this point I would have to agree. The abolition of space by time has created a world in which production is largely related to distinctive geographic or political advantages. When any region is forced to differentiate in order to survive how can sustainability really exist? One will always be more desperate, willing to undercut standards set elsewhere. Educated consumers can certainly affect the market via niche demand but realistically price is the economic signal, and externalities are rarely adequately factored in.

09 Fantasy in C, D760 (Wanderer)- 2. Adagio

Musical inspiration for the post.