“We are under house arrest,” “the time of the finite world has come,” and “progress is no longer–necessarily–compatible with life.”

The natural and human worlds are interconnected by an intricate web of relationships. These relationships should be stable and self-perpetuating, but human activities keep shifting the balance through unjust decisions within political, economic, and social institutions, activities, public policies, laws and budgets. Therefore, there is a need to change “what is” into “what should be.” This is justice and sustainability. 

“What is”

The global ecosystem is characterized by consumerism, decadence, degradation, and exploitation. The secretary of the United Nations told the world at the Earth Summit of 1992 that “we are under house arrest,” “the time of the finite world has come,” and “progress is no longer–necessarily–compatible with life.”

Techno-economic power, sufficient to destroy the material condition of humans and other life, is the hallmark of today, together with the population explosion of humans and the accompanying alarming consumption.

When the century began,

• Human technology and population were not powerful enough to alter planetary life systems.
• Soil erosion was not exceeding soil formation (or at least it was not noticed).
• Species extinction was not exceeding species evolution.
• Carbon emission was not exceeding carbon sequestration.
• Fish catches were not exceeding fish reproduction.
• Forest destruction was not exceeding forest regeneration.
• Fresh water use was not exceeding aquifer replenishment.

“What should be”

This complex structure, the ecosystem, is artfully combined to be a web which should be stable, self-sustaining, and self-perpetuating. The natural world and the human world are inseparable, interrelated, and interact with and upon each other. This posture recognizes and affirms the interdependence and intrinsic worth of all beings—humans and others. It takes seriously the well-being of all creation individually and within healthy ecosystems, and proposes sensibility, justice, and sustainability. Therefore, what should be, proposed by the United Nations as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are:

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
10.  Reduce inequality within and among countries.
11.  Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
12.  Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13.  Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
14.  Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
15.  Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
16.  Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17.  Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

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