The problem of sustainability

Sustainability, at this moment, has become ubiquitous in contemporary American culture. This is not to say contemporary culture is sustainable, only that a discourse of sustainability has arisen in order to both encourage sustainability and to sell cultural products based on their sustainability. The question for designers and others who wish to replace a marketplace keyed to cradle-to-grave public policy positions, design and engineering then becomes: How do we speak to both a fractured and disparate audience about the fundamental holism of sustainability? How do (and should?) niche audiences recognize holistic design and sustainable manufacturing practices?