What Does Success Look Like?

(Originally Published as a “Climate Friday” on Facebook)

The way we define success is pretty important, and for me there are a few guiding principles that help me understand where we are and where I hope we end up. I would be curious if anyone has their own set of principles that they’d like to share.

ENERGY IS CLEAN, ABUNDANT, AND VERY CHEAP. There are almost a billion people who do not have reliable access to electricity. There are two billion people who don’t have reliable access to clean water. The prices they pay for what little they get are astronomical. We want to waste as little as possible, but we want everyone to have access to modern technology. We just need to do this in a way that doesn’t destroy our atmosphere. Without clean, abundant, and cheap energy, then this problem becomes impossible to fix.

WE STOP THE SIXTH EXTINCTION. We are currently causing the sixth mass extinction event in Earth’s history, but there is still time to turn things around. We must restore and protect large quantities of land and ocean. Restoration ecology, particularly if it includes indigenous people and protects their rights and traditions, is a key component to a sustainable world. Without thriving ecosystems and wildlife populations, we cannot be considered sustainable.

ECONOMIC GROWTH IS DECOUPLED FROM RESOURCE CONSUMPTION. We must decouple economic growth, which is generally a positive thing, from the growth in resource consumption. Global poverty is still a huge problem, and even if we manage to address inequality, we will likely need more economic growth. However, our economy is already using too many resources, so we must get more efficient and more creative.

PROSPERTY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, AND STABILITY BECOME THE NORM. To protect the environment and create a sustainable world, we need governments that are stable, competent, and generally ethical, and we need citizens that are prosperous, educated, and happy.

These four principles speak to the interconnected and interdependent challenges that we are facing. Each of these represents an enormous challenge that I doubt will be solved in my lifetime, but we must work not for our own lifespans, but for the lifespans of those who will come next. Progress is progress, and though we may never reach our final goals, we can move towards them and make a great deal of good.