Summary: Efforts aimed at moving past polarization

—Andy Duncan

The Oregon State University Extension Service’s goals for this publication, as you learned in the introduction on page 2, are to "promote dialogue among Oregonians concerning the future of our communities, industries, resources and economy, and concerning the quality of life we want to make possible for our grandchildren."

The touchstone for reaching those goals is an exploration of the word sustainability.

We said up front the publication would be "more like a brainstorming session than an instruction manual" and wouldn’t contain much tidy agreement.

In summary we have some nonscientific observations:

• There are a variety of viewpoints in Oregon on what sustainability means. Discussion of what it means is increasing. Activities linked to the word are increasing, too.
  
  
• A common goal among individuals and groups promoting sustainability is trying to link how we live in the present with how people will be able to live in the future.
  
  
• A characteristic of many current sustainability efforts seems to be an attempt to integrate economic, social and environmental systems and goals. A related characteristic seems to be, as one person we interviewed put it, trying to "move past the polarizing arguments between economics and environmental protection and work together" to figure out how to improve the state now and for the future.

In a way, this entire publication is asking you to consider two questions:

What do you think sustainability means and, based on that, what can you do?