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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BioInspire.16 5.19.04 The following essay first appeared on CYSI ONLINE: http://cysionline.chattablogs.com Please post all comments and reflections on this essay at http://cysionline.chattablogs.com/archives/012868.html#comments CYSI Online is a monthly online publication that takes hope in the thousands of young people across the US engaged in creative initiatives for social progress. It features short articles by a broad range of social innovators, generally between 20-30 years old, and focuses on identifying creative solutions to old social problems; and building bridges and crossing barriers that divide our movements and the country. Join CYSI Online’s distribution list for free by emailing cysionline@hotmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Faith in Sustainability
John Mlade Institute for the Built Environment Colorado State University johnm@biomimicry.net

When someone asks me about who I am, or what I believe, I invariably draw upon my affinity for sustainability. Increasingly just a buzzword, and sometimes out of context, for me the word "sustainable" is a way to describe restorative human social systems and designs. These are systems and designs that create positive impacts on our environment and the well-being of global societies. Today, our decisions, whether deliberate or not, frequently have negative impacts on the earth and humans in the form of pollution and the loss of cultural and biodiversity. Given that, a sustainable lifestyle embraces what I believe to be a very logical, conscious and fair way to live. Some of the most fundamental principles in sustainability promote diversity,