Resilience better than Sustainability.

Jamais Cascio over at Foreign Policy has an article up about the next big thing in Environmental/economic thinking. I think he is on to something good here. Its called Resilience.

I always scoffed at "Sustainability" in the "Green" thinking of the Environmental Movement. I found its restriction and sacrifices mostly unsustainable. With the exception being some of the "Green" Architecture I saw in the Big & Green exibit at National Building Museum in Washington DC. I found that the architects referred to in this exhibit were not actually about sustainability but ingenious use of their skill to make pleasing and efficient buildings. That they also used recycling of air/water or in one building generated enough power in the building to give back to the grid to achieve the awesome look and efficiency of these buildings was to me secondary to the fact that these architects were not moving backwards to be "Green" but forward; improving the technology and the comfort of thier clients.

Resiliance seems to just be smart. Build a system thyat lasts and when parts fail its fails graciously. Give it a read.