People who write to me often praise my "passion" for sustainability. And while these compliments are very much so welcomed and appreciated, I often wonder if they're true. Is sustainability really a passion? And, more importantly, is it MY passion?

I've always thought of someone's "passion" in life as something that stirs a seemingly endless well of motivation. But I could never say that sustainability is a "passion" for me because, to be honest, it's something I struggle with so often.

Sure, I put out these newsletters once a month and yeah, I add an article or an interview or a book review to the mix here and there, and it's probably more than most people do for sustainability. But I do it more out of obligation than anything else.

And it's not just an obligation to my subscribers, although I do feel a sense of service and loyalty to those of you who draw value from my semi-organized ramblings. It's a sense of urgency, a sense of necessity, that drives me. Sustainability is not so much a passion for me as it is a very deep concern--and sometimes a fear.

You see, my interest in sustainability was born of a love for animals and fascination with what we call "nature." It's when I started worrying that what I loved and appreciated was being abused and might be lost that I became preoccupied with taking care of it.

But it's important to make the distinction between what you're taking care of and how you go about doing so. Your passion, whether it's animals, plants, or whatever, is an EMOTIONAL process--one that doesn't listen to logic.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen on TV a forest get ripped down or a turtle get put on its back and cut open alive--it hurts me even to write about it--and the well of emotion that followed left no room for reasoning.

(What a coincidence that such footage is often followed by a 1-800 number and a Visa/MasterCard logo.)

On the other hand, the realization of whatever vision your passion inspires depends crucially on one thing: your ability to think rationally.

A perfect example: I wrote last month about how students at my school got all fired up when they found out that one of our professors was getting the boot. Unfortunately, it was this surge of emotion that nearly crushed our chances of keeping him around.

Strong emotions have their place in showing you what you want and what's worth working towards. But actually ACHIEVING your goals and doing the right thing hinges on much more than having your heart in the right place.

For me, sustainability is the vision, the goal that I'm working towards. It's driven by my passion, but it is not a passion itself. I have to make a good deal of conscious effort to figure out how I'm going to help achieve sustainability. It's not always fun. Every month I reconsider closing up the website and moving on. But as you can see, I haven't.

That's because I take a deep breath of fresh air after a heavy rain, and I watch my rabbit playing on my bed, and I feel a sense of joy and a little bit of wonder--and with that comes a sense of responsibility, to take care of what takes care of me.

And then I think to myself, what can I do? How can I make the biggest impact? And I start to type.

::LOOKING AHEAD::

Sustainability is a concern for everyone reading this newsletter. What I often wonder is why some people care and some people don't. Or, rather, why isn't everybody worried?

Just today I saw the movie "The Day After Tomorrow," a dramatic enactment of what global warming may bring. It scared the hell out of me.

I walked out of the theater wondering how I could prepare for the next Ice Age. Again, why doesn't anyone else seem to be as freaked out as I am?

Maybe it's because I'm somewhat of a worrywart--you know, that person who always plans ahead, especially for the worst-case scenario. Or maybe it's because I'm also a little bit of a control freak.

Does anyone else reading this newsletter share these qualities? I suspect that it's this tendency to look ahead, combined with an appreciation for nature, that bring us together.

If you really think about it, things aren't THAT bad right now. But anyone who takes a closer look at where we're heading can't help but notice that things might get really bad, really fast.

It's kind of like getting fat, for lack of a better analogy. Little by little, you put on the pounds. At first, you dismiss it. But then you start gaining weight faster and faster. One day, you look in the mirror, and guess what? You're fat. So you try to diet. Only it's not that easy. And despite your efforts, you continue gaining weight. Then your doctor gives you an ominous warning, which spurs another chain of diets and exercise machine purchases. And so on, until you get your act together and lose the weight, or die from a heart attack.

We humans have a general tendency to ignore gradual changes, like the boiling frog metaphor in "The Story of B," until it's too late. But some of us are worried. How in the world can we get other people worried?

I can't even begin to answer that question in this newsletter. But maybe I'll chip away at it in future issues. Until then, I've finally updated the backissues on the website--due to popular demand.

And maybe you guys can answer this question for me: Why are YOU interested in sustainability? I look forward to hearing from you.

Till next month,

Krystle C.

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