Sustainability Simplified
By Stephen Porder
In an era of overwhelming climate and environmental anxiety, focusing efforts on the elemental building blocks of life can help shape a better future.
This Article From Issue
January-February 2024
Volume 112, Number 1
Page 46
At a recent family gathering, my brother-in-law sheepishly approached me with a confession about his coffee pot. “When I descaled it the other day, it used three full pots of water without making any coffee,” he murmured. “I knew you’d disapprove.”
QUICK TAKE
- Five elements—hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus—make up more than 99 percent of every living organism. They are also directly involved in global climate change.
- Organisms that have changed the world in the past have done so by altering the flow of life’s essential elements between air, land, and water.
- Unlike previous world-changing organisms, humans can (if they act wisely) enjoy the benefits of life’s essential elements without suffering unintended consequences.
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