Is a sustainable future possible? (editorial from AZ)

Is a sustainable future possible?: "...Appeals to human altruism for sustaining the Earth's ecological integrity cannot compete with economic forces geared to consumption and perpetual growth. Therefore, to achieve a sustainable future, economics must be coupled with ecology so that economic indicators (e.g., GNP) account for the cost of environmental degradation and the value of ecological services.

For example, the market value of clean water running out of the Sierra Nevada in California is approximately twice the value of the Sierra's timber, grazing, and tourist industries combined.

Costs of environmental degradation and the value of ecological services (e.g., clean water) are largely ignored on the nation's GNP calculator. Until such costs and ecological values are tallied in economic terms and indexes, this false accounting system will always lead government officials and business leaders to conclude that the economy is sacrosanct and cannot be jeopardized for a sustainable future."