The word sustainability has become a nearly meaningless buzzword. One way to make it meaningful again would require indexing it with numbers indicating a reasoned estimate of time. The index number could mean years or indicate the number of generations. In other words every claim of sustainability would be stamped with an expiration date: for example, Sustainability-3.0 could mean sustainability for three generation. Of course there would be a complex interdependence among claims so this would still have limited validity unless the claim was part of a comprehensive systemic solution.

In a globally interconnected world, true sustainability must mean nothing less than humanity’s ability to survive and thrive peacefully on our uniquely rich and hospitable planet for countless generations into the future. It is now generally recognized that business as usual will not get us there.

There are those who believe that sustainability can be achieved by greening capitalism and those who believe that capitalist consumerism is inherently unsustainable. Counter claims by each side can make this an unending argument without definitive conclusion.

To find a conclusive answer to the question of sustainability we need to start by reexamining the philosophical foundation of Western civilization that gave rise to the Industrial Revolution that grew into global capitalism now dominating our planet.

The Holigent development code summarized bellow will be instrumental in finding answers to the complex issue of true sustainability.