I think there’s a misconception around the word sustainability. We seem to make it synonymous with the word effortless. When something is sustainable, it’s not (necessarily) automated; those are two separate characteristics. A rockstar’s concert tour might be sustainable, but it’s not automatic—they still have to put in the work, keep performing at events.

This might seem silly, but I think it’s an important distinction for us as we navigate this century while juggling this buzzword. We want to strive toward sustainable energy, but that doesn’t mean set it and forget it. It will require maintenance and updates and continued effort. We want to build sustainable systems and institutions, but they won’t exist indefinitely: they will require constant diligence.

At the end of the day, there’s no getting around thermodynamics. As far as we know, we live in a zero-sum universe. Let’s pursue sustainability, but with realistic expectations.