Here's a talk I gave a few months ago, in which I argue for a new definition of progress. I argue that we should not just be aiming to "sustain" our current way of life. Instead, we should be looking for a way of life that is both better for the planet and better for us. In other words, happier planet and happier people.
Put another way, should we really be looking for ways to make junk food containers compostable (i.e. the now defunct Sun Chips bag)? Or, given that many children in our food deserts don't have access to fresh fruit (i.e. food that is good for them), shouldn't we instead be putting our energy into getting the already-compostable apple into kids' hands?
Should our goal really be as limited as to make junk food "sustainable?" Or do we want a regenerative way of life that is–yes, better for the planet–but better for us too? If you look up "sustain" in the dictionary, you'll find it means "to bear the weight of." Do we want to figure out how to "bear the weight" of corporatized life the way it stands? Do we want mere "sustainability?"
Or do we want something better?