In today's integrated world economy, ... eradicating poverty may contribute as much to U.S. security as eradicating terrorism.

In today's integrated world economy, ... eradicating poverty may contribute as much to U.S. security as eradicating terrorism.

No civilization has survived the ongoing destruction of its natural support systems. Nor will ours.

The transition from coal, oil, and gas to wind, solar, and geothermal energy is well under way. In the old economy, energy was produced by burning something - oil, coal, or natural gas - leading to the carbon emissions that have come to define our economy. The new energy economy harnesses the energy in wind, the energy coming from the sun, and heat from within the earth itself.

Rising oil prices have focused the world's attention on the depletion of oil reserves. But the depletion of underground water resources from overpumping is a far more serious issue. Excessive pumping for irrigation to satisfy food needs today almost guarantees a decline in food production tomorrow.

A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused on the health of the planet and the poor than on material acquisitions and military might. While it is a fundamentally new endeavor, with many uncertainties, it is far less risky than continuing with business as usual.

The biggest threat to global stability is the potential for food crises in poor countries to cause government collapse.