Sustainability*, but how distant, how frail!

 Sustainability*, but how distant, how frail! 

                                          Dr Abe V Rotor

Sustainability, but how distant, how frail!

in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, biological to social to self-actualization,

having satisfied our needs, indulge in luxury and affluence -

progression sans end, sans satisfaction, nations believing in others

not their own, bequeathing to the future false reference,

parameters of the good life in capitalism in the guise of  consumerism;

how deceived, how trapped we are, senseless, powerless. 

 

Sustainability, but how distant, how frail! 

In Malthus' theory, the outstripping of the earth's capacity to feed

an exploding population, warning of the Apocalypse's coming -

oh, how man defied with tools of technology, opening new frontiers,

with industrialization the goal and pride, all nations dreaming. 

and East meets West second time around, colonization to polarization, 

leading to two world wars and a Cold War, oh, how deceiving!

Sustainability, but how distant, how frail!

In Einstein's theory of relativity, he defied the power of the sun, 

dethroning John Newton, broke the integrity of the atom;

what a promise of unending energy, self contained, self generating

in nuclear reactors, yet found its way to make the Bomb,

and having tested it to end conflict and restore world peace, brought

to life a Frankenstein monster, and in fear, we became numb.   

Sustainability, how distant, how frail!

In Crick and Watson illustration, double helix in ladder, each rung

the gene's secret - the DNA - Hallelujah, we pray;

the code of heredity unlocked, that of life, too, creators we became,

irrational, amoral, but Dolly, the sheep has opened the way:

baptizing new life lines and forms GMO, meet another Frankenstein,

the genius, dedicated (for whom?), knowing not his prey.   

Sustainability, but how distant, how frail:

In the cyberspace of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Google, and Facebook,

the world is wired, tied to all its ends, satelite imaging

every minute thing and movement, seeing what we've never seen

except the soul - where is privacy, the sanctity of living?

and more than we need, heaps of infollution of images and words

and codes deluge the mind into believing and unbelieving. 

Sustainability , but how distant, how frail!

In postmodernism, in which we live in a state of free fall, sans control

over more than necessity, yet we are always in search

for more; laden are our consciousness, our psyche, our feeling

in transience - globalization's new order, new birth,

where diversity leads to homogenization, to Utopia of man's dream -

Myth of a heaven, when we shall have failed on earth. ~

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* Sustainability consists of fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations, while ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental care and social well-being.  Internet