The term "unsustainable" got thrown around a lot in the 1970's, mostly regarding the environmental impact of consuming as if there were no tomorrow — virtually guaranteeing there will be no tomorrow. Literal extinction is within our capabilities and may already be unavoidable if we have surpassed unidentified tipping points.
With the impact of global warming already well underway and yet countries still measuring their national well-being from their level of using and trading resources, unsustainability is alive and well. Our reaction to the global economic downturn is to feverishly struggle to regain the level of consumption we have "lost," as if it were a precious object instead of a headlong journey toward self-destruction.
