Author: Steven Cohen51

Getting Sustainability on the Agenda of Our Dysfunctional Federal Government

What is needed politically and in reality is a positive vision of a sustainable society. In the case of this country it will need to be built on the traditional values that have always attracted people to America: freedom, rewarding individual achievement, a love of the new and novel, innovation, and acceptance (even if reluctantly)…
The White House Pushes Clean Energy While Coal States Push the Past

The fact that we are addicted to energy and still require fossil fuels should not be taken to mean that we couldn’t get off of fossil fuels while increasing energy efficiency. We can and we will. But no one is going to give up the current energy system until a cleaner one comes along that…
Sustainability Requires Technology, Ethics and Political Will

What we are missing here in the United States is the environmental leadership that we had during the 1970s and 1980s when we showed the world how to grow an economy while building our knowledge of ecosystems and reducing the degree of damage we were inflicting on the natural world. Since 1990, technology has advanced…
Sustainability Has Entered the Political Mainstream

Environmental protection and economic development have been integrated into the single overarching idea of “sustainability.” These are centrist public policy positions in the mainstream of politics here in New York State.
A Well-Deserved Honor for Mayor David Dinkins

David Dinkins represents a time when public service was considered a calling. From his service in the U.S. Marines, to his time in the New York State legislature, his service as New York City Clerk, Borough President, Mayor and now Professor; he has always looked for ways to make a contribution to the public good.
Volkswagen Needs to Adopt 21st Century Sustainability Management

While it is true that many nations do not enforce their environmental and occupational health and safety rules, a quick study of economic history demonstrates that the trend is toward more enforcement rather than less enforcement. And even when the government ignores noncompliance with the law, NGOs and consumers notice it.
Volkswagen’s Shame and Challenge to Sustainability Management

Let’s remember that America is part of a global economy, and if we are not aggressive about sustainability we may find ourselves left behind and noncompetitive in the new businesses that emerge in renewable energy and recycled materials.
Arctic Oil Drilling: Deluding Communities About the Benefits of Resource Extraction

We continue to need resources that the earth provides and someday we may even mine other planets. But communities that rely on mining alone, or even depend on resource extraction as their primary source of revenue, are asking to be left behind in the modern global economy.
California Takes the Lead on Climate Policy

While current technology could be used to achieve the new climate policy goals, it will be far easier to meet and exceed the new standards if new technologies are developed and implemented. For California, the key will be the rapid development of the electric car.

Getting Sustainability on the Agenda of Our Dysfunctional Federal Government

What is needed politically and in reality is a positive vision of a sustainable society. In the case of this country it will need to be built on the traditional values that have always attracted people to America: freedom, rewarding individual achievement, a love of the new and novel, innovation, and acceptance (even if reluctantly)…
The White House Pushes Clean Energy While Coal States Push the Past

The fact that we are addicted to energy and still require fossil fuels should not be taken to mean that we couldn’t get off of fossil fuels while increasing energy efficiency. We can and we will. But no one is going to give up the current energy system until a cleaner one comes along that…
Sustainability Requires Technology, Ethics and Political Will

What we are missing here in the United States is the environmental leadership that we had during the 1970s and 1980s when we showed the world how to grow an economy while building our knowledge of ecosystems and reducing the degree of damage we were inflicting on the natural world. Since 1990, technology has advanced…
Sustainability Has Entered the Political Mainstream

Environmental protection and economic development have been integrated into the single overarching idea of “sustainability.” These are centrist public policy positions in the mainstream of politics here in New York State.
A Well-Deserved Honor for Mayor David Dinkins

David Dinkins represents a time when public service was considered a calling. From his service in the U.S. Marines, to his time in the New York State legislature, his service as New York City Clerk, Borough President, Mayor and now Professor; he has always looked for ways to make a contribution to the public good.
Volkswagen Needs to Adopt 21st Century Sustainability Management

While it is true that many nations do not enforce their environmental and occupational health and safety rules, a quick study of economic history demonstrates that the trend is toward more enforcement rather than less enforcement. And even when the government ignores noncompliance with the law, NGOs and consumers notice it.
Volkswagen’s Shame and Challenge to Sustainability Management

Let’s remember that America is part of a global economy, and if we are not aggressive about sustainability we may find ourselves left behind and noncompetitive in the new businesses that emerge in renewable energy and recycled materials.
Arctic Oil Drilling: Deluding Communities About the Benefits of Resource Extraction

We continue to need resources that the earth provides and someday we may even mine other planets. But communities that rely on mining alone, or even depend on resource extraction as their primary source of revenue, are asking to be left behind in the modern global economy.
California Takes the Lead on Climate Policy

While current technology could be used to achieve the new climate policy goals, it will be far easier to meet and exceed the new standards if new technologies are developed and implemented. For California, the key will be the rapid development of the electric car.