The basic ingredients were there to create a profound interest in the struggle between man and nature, and tradeoffs between environment and economics. However, a significant period in my life was the three years I lived in Vancouver, Canada. In addition, I have the hope that individuals at the community and local level can make a difference and will want to do something to improve their quality of life. Last but not least, I have the hope that the leadership from civil organizations and NGO's will increasingly take part in policy development and decision making. In a variety of ways.
Sustainability requires a vision, responsibility and commitment.
There is a severe lack of inspiration and vision among our political leadership. The slogans and themes of the 20th century are worn out and no one has been able to fill the void. I expect a new generation of individuals to fill this void shortly, and have great hopes that some of these individuals will come from developing countries. My predecessors in this column have come up with some good magic wand policy changes. I like in particular the shortening of the workweek.