Saving the environment is not a sacrifice

We have the technology, and more importantly we have the resources. America is a country that produces over 20 trillion dollars in GDP every year, with a government that spends around 5 trillion a year to match. Renewable energy and eco-efficient practices are not a luxury, but a necessity. Contrary to popular belief, these solutions don’t have to be a cost either. Being an environmentally ethical person or company is not something that one should do simply because its “the right thing”. Environmental solutions can be used to increase income as well as save the planet. Take Unilever, for example, the #1 rated company for corporate sustainability. In 2010 Unilever decided to undertake a massive sustainable living plan, and directly tie the plan to doubling the company’s value by 2020. Unilever was successful both financially and environmentally, positively reaching billions of lives. As an individual, sustainable decisions that you and your community make provide health and quality of living increases that far outweigh the costs of making these decisions. This cost doesn’t always take the form of tens of thousands of dollars in solar panels either, but can appear in smaller, even cost-saving measures such as flying less and eating less meat.

I see a future that did not require us to make our lives worse to save the environment, but one in which we are all wealthier by harnessing our immense technology and planning to help humanity rise along with restoring our planet.