A few weeks back when giving the presentation What sustainability means to me I made reference to the fact that the current definition of sustainability was becoming less and less about addressing environmental issues, and more and more about economic and political goals.

That, unlike 15 years ago when the debate was largely one driven by the environmental movmment, the current catalyst was all the money that could be made from its solutions, and Charle’s Schumer latest action to block stimulus money for the Chinese-Backed Texas wind farm is a classic example of how a scope shift from common good to personal gain has occured.

Citing an analysis by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University, which found that 84 percent of “green” stimulus funding has thus far gone to foreign companies building renewable energy projects in the United States, Mr. Schumer vowed in a telephone interview to introduce legislation if such funding isn’t reconsidered.

The stimulus money “is supposed to create jobs in America,” Mr. Schumer said. “We’re not saying every nut an every screw has to be made in America, but the majority of these manufacturing jobs should be located here.”

It is in my mind, a very unfortunate action and debate that is occurring in the US.  That the goals of the economy and the goals of the environment are once again at odds, and that even in a time where it is generally recognized that we need to act in a more sustainable manner and make investments in the future… we are still having the same leaders making the same shortsighted decisions to serve their own interests.