While individual efforts are important to lead where others may follow, systemic change is essential. Government efforts are needed to ensure a balancing of private interests with the public good. Recycling needs coordination between government and private industry. Compliance with environmental and labor standards requires government enforcement. The expansion and protection of open spaces and the reduction of suburban sprawl is primarily the work of government.
Mass transit needs to be affordable, dependable, and frequent.
The effort to reduce global warming requires government and corporate cooperation. Gradually our lives change on this journey. We learn to rely less on our possessions for filling a void in our lives. We discover community. We learn generosity.