The other day I ran into a journalist friend in the grocery store. “How is the ‘Save-the-Word’ Business?” he asks. That solicited a flash of a smile and a giggle from me. He had delivered the question in a half-serious, half-joking manner, so when I laughed he responded with a Cheshire cat smile. Upon later reflection, I realized the question was not only funny, but had merit.

The concept of “sustainable development,” as coined by the World Commission on Environment and Development and with it, the term “sustainability” itself, have been gaining increasing recognition in recent years all around the world. Wide-spread use, however, has been followed by growing ambiguity so that today both terms are employed within a very broad spectrum of meaning often, to the point of trivialization.

On June 3rd, 2010 the Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) held a day-long symposium at American University featuring presentations by all 2010 finalists of a BFI ‘Challenge’ contest for architecting the future. This article provides a link to the keynote address by Dr. Michael Ben Eli.

Over the past year I have had a chance to see the spread of culture and human civilization as it has splayed itself out over the land and through the centuries, both in the Orient and in the Occidental world. Many of the places I go are way off the beaten track for American tourists; therefore, I’ve had a unique peek at the world as it is in so many places.

Jordan is a progressive forward-looking country and a beacon of light in the Middle East. This article outlines some of the most important programs they have put in place to empower women in the workplace.

Currently in both houses of Congress, we have the FRAC Act (concerning the use of water to recover natural gas) under debate. The motivation is to bring hydraulic fractured drilling under the auspices of the EPA, in order to ensure that the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act) guidelines are adhered to.

The U.S. government is beginning a reapproachment with the military junta of Burma. It was reported that President Obama met with General Than Shwe of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) during the last ASEAN conference in Asia. It is believed that Obama was pushing for elections and the easing of restrictions on the democratically-elected Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi in exchange for the lifting of trade sanctions against this S.E. Asian nation.

Non-zero sum thinking by the political leaders would significantly help the population of Myanmar lift itself out of poverty. Improvements to the basic transportation and communications infrastructure would allow them to participate in the next phase of economic growth and prosperity stemming from the globalization process.

Recent scientific studies reveal toxic chemicals in the blood of newborn babies. This information cannot be ignored, and the author provides an action step to consider.

More people of wealth and wherewithal are waking up to the shared and common goal of preserving our planet, our species, and all living things. It is my view that privately held, socially conscious and engineered companies can energize change and bring solution and sustenance to the end user. In terms of water, profitable distribution can flow hand in hand with philanthropic thirst quenching.