One of my favorite writers, Howard Kunsler, today redefined the word “Hope” and takes it back from the U.S. President:

Perhaps it’s time to redefine “hope” in the greater social sense of the word. To me, hope is not synonymous with “wishes fulfilled.” In fact, hope should not be about wishing at all. Hope should be based on confidence that the individual or group is reliably competent enough to meet the challenges that circumstances present. Hope is justified when people demonstrate to themselves that they can behave ably and bravely. Hope is not really possible in the face of patent untruthfulness. It is derived from a clear-eyed and courageous view of what is really going on. I don’t think that defines any of the behavior in the United States these days. We’ve become a self-jiving nation intent on playing shell games, running Ponzi schemes, and working Polish blanket tricks on ourselves.

This is what sustainability is to me: seeing and then meeting the challenges that we face now and shortly in the future.

Whether that be ensuring clean water to drink, finding less expensive and less polluting  fuels for transportation or the greater challenges of feeding ourselves healthy, nutritious food in an era of climate change, the challenge is the same: to provide for ourselves while not destroying the planet’s assets that our children and grandchildren will also need to survive and grow as human beings.