ISU Bengal

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Life

These are just some of the symptoms of Affluenza, "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." Sound familiar? Luckily the authors have also presented "ways of living and working that make more sense and are, ultimately, more satisfying." Ranging from taking time off of work to becoming more active in our communities, the authors have numerous, achievable ways to enrich our lives and the lives of others.
The authors also discuss in detail what some cities, for instance Seattle, are doing to focus on a sustainable community. This involves reviewing more than just property values, the system utilizes "indicators" to account for education, environmental health, and community. For example, the population of salmon returning to spawn is an indicator linked to the economy, tourism, recreation, fishing, and the environment. Project coordinator, Lee Hatcher, credits linkages among indicators for helping to foster a holistic community view. "Already, hundreds of Seattle citizens have put in thousands of hours of volunteer time to create and maintain the indicators."
Sustainability, sounds like a healthy community goal. Wouldn't it be nice to focus on quality of living and health as part of the community, rather than growth and development? Liberating ourselves from a consumption geared life, that's measured monetarily, to focus on relationships, connections and happiness. "After all, the best things in life aren't things."

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