quantifying earth

When we talk about sustainability, we calculate. 

We calculate the costs of climate change vs. preventing it. We calculate the amount of fish in protein. We calculate particles in the air. 

Everything is calculated. 

And based on these calculations, we make our decisions. Personally, economically and politically. 

The planet – in this way – becomes a quantified machine. 

But:

How do you calculate the feeling you have when you walk through a forest. 

How do you calculate the beauty of a sunset while breathing clean air?

How do you calculate an encounter with a whale under water? 

The planet is an organism. And organisms are too complex to be quantified. 

Our assumption than that we reach sustainability by getting our numbers right is fundamentally flawed. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do it, it’s just not enough. When we talk about change, we need to let go of the idea that we can just calculate our problems away.