We discussed in two earlier posts the idea of “global imperatives.” The values and beliefs that became our roadmap to helping to create the world at its best, and most sustainable. A world that creates opportunities for the wellness of people, planet and all living things. Fundamental to Seventh Generation’s business was how we understood sustainability and our relationship with nature and natural resources. In a world often focused on creating less pollution and waste, we knew that we had to aim much higher.
Our first “global imperative” about sustainability directed us to, “ensure that globally, natural resources are used and renewed at a rate that is always below their rate of depletion.”
With a global population that has increased by 4 billion in the last 55 years to a total of 7 billion souls today, and economic activity that’s increased eight-fold in that same period, humanity is now requiring more resources than the planet can produce or replace. We are rapidly depleting the vital support systems that sustain life on the planet. At our current rate of consumption there will not be adequate fresh water, topsoil, biodiversity, or clean air for the next generation, let alone the next seven generations.
As the economist Herman Daily began discussing decades ago, and the first law of thermodynamics insists upon, natural resources can’t endlessly be used at a rate that is above their rate of renewal. We are in a prolonged period of depleting those resources faster than they can be replaced, and unless we find we need on another planet, our system is destined to collapse.
We were committed to creating a “business where all our products’ raw materials, byproducts, and the processes by which they are made are not just sustainable but restorative, and enhancing the potential of all of life’s systems.”
This is a complex idea. Moving beyond sustainability, we must repair and restore the damage we have done to our planet. We must produce products that are good rather than merely “less bad.” Products that don’t slow the rate of environmental degradation but instead restore our natural resources. The entire life cycle of the products we sell, or as we call it, the value-adding process, must on a net-basis produce a positive, regenerative effect. This is no small challenge and none of the products we sold at the time or sell today come close to meeting this standard.
Yet, this concept represents a critical aspiration. It’s combines the dialogue around “good” vs. “less bad” with an understanding of system thinking. We should not aspire to sustain a world that has fallen into disrepair. I hope that 2012 will be the year of regeneration and revitalization.