Sustainable Meltdown

We have read it in magazines and newspapers, we have heard it from politicians, the tube and the web. Green is a fashionable, trend-setting cultural commodity. This has a lot of people very excited, while others worry and wonder if all of this "green" stuff will go away like it did in previous decades. Is sustainability in its current form a big fat juicy trend? And if it is a trend, what does this mean to companies who have been committed to sustainability before it was a fashion statement? What are the consequences of this much attention?

I must admit that I have thought about these issues more than once, but I have done so because colleagues and friends have been kindly sharing their thoughts and concerns frequently. I have come out of these exchanges unmoved when I point out that sustainable development is inextricably linked to the economic, social and political conditions of today. For me sustainability is not a design movement, a fashion statement or a trend, it is a logical, and ethical problem solving process that addresses the cultural and social issues we face. To put it simply, issues of national importance such as energy independence, defense, climate change and health care are directly impacted by the greening of society. The means may be questionable and the excesses of the market evident, but no matter how many layers of cool branding or good old marketing are spread on top, the simple truth is that sustainability is not likely to fade away like leg warmers, skulls and polka dots.