Sustain what?

Sustainability is certainly in the top 10 buzz words list of 2007 partly thanks to Al Gore, Greenpeace, and many other non/for-profit organizations. It seems to be a genuine concern for consumers, voters and citizens. It's not a secret that Nokia is currently investigating and implementing solutions across the board to limit its ecological footprint. Nokia Design is actively participating in this effort. Yesterday, I have been asked this simple question, and I couldn't answer it. All my answers seemed meaningless after 5 seconds reflection. Whether or not we continue at our current pace, it is reasonable to assume that Human beings and the planet Earth will "survive" - both will evolve. So what exactly are we trying to sustain?

*I have just been told that this provoking question was asked by Braden R. Allenby (Professor at Arizona State University) during the recent "Sustainable Mobility" Conference at the Art Center in Pasadena.

Technorati: Nokia, question, sustainabilty