From the CEO: The Chemistry of Sustainability
Science reveals to us simultaneously the universal forces of synergy and entropy. As matter flows through the dynamics of physics, chemistry, biology, physiology and psychology, it drives the advances our civilization makes in the realms of politics, society, philosophy and morals. This process extends to us from the forces at work within our cells and in distant stars. Through them, we find at every level new qualities help us create, sustain, and deepen our quality of life while expanding our potential.
The stars themselves are seared together by this process: as particles join to form atoms, matter emerges in the form of 118 unique elements. These elements combine to form molecules in millions of potential forms, each with qualities that appear seemingly out of nowhere, but reflect an underlying potential. Molecules join to form cells, which are the building blocks of life – fungal and plant life that is able to replicate, adapt, and evolve into myriad forms, each again distinctive in the qualities that emerge. Simple cells join together to unleash conscious life – thought and self-awareness, at which point matter gains the capacity to look back on itself and assume an individual identity. Individuals, born to one another, join together to form communities – families, tribes, villages, states, nations, and even whole worlds, at each level inventing new forms of ever more complex social organization, each of which unveils intellectual, technical, and moral insights that lead us toward higher forms of enlightenment, and new understandings of our interconnectedness.
Life is a creative force that somehow, against all odds, persists in tunneling its way from its latent forms deep within and between subatomic particles, through atomic, chemical, biological, and cognitive systems, all the way to fuller expression in each of us as living beings, both individual and connected. In the vast expanse of the universe, life takes on a material rarity; yet it is so persistent in its isolation over time as to be practically inevitable. And we are still evolving. Who knows what may be next?
Read the full article on the Huffington Post.
Future 500 is a non-profit consultancy that builds trust between companies, advocates, investors, and philanthropists to advance business as a force for good. Based in San Francisco, we specialize in stakeholder engagement, sustainability strategy, and responsible communication. From stakeholder mapping to materiality assessments, partnership development to activist engagement, target setting to CSR reporting strategy, we empower our partners with the skills and relationships needed to systemically tackle today's most pressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges.
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