Creating a world that works for everyone includes the 17 Sustainability Goals established by the United Nations. These Sustainability Goals recognize that environmental, economic, and personal health and well-being are inextricably linked. On Labor Day we celebrate more than just a day off with the traditional afternoon barbeque. On this day we focus on the value of the work each and every person contributes to the economic well-being of our country. We know our labor is an expression of the Divine Activity flowing as us into the world. We also recognize that the economic well-being of our country is one of the channels of Good that supports us.
The Value of Labor:
The value of our labor has diminished over the years, labor unions ensuring that workers have financially sustainable lives are gone. Making money off money or trading in businesses has taken its place. This impacts our lives, especially the youth and the elderly, and is perilously close to being unsustainable.
Economic Impacts:
In the meantime, resistance to environmental changes needed to keep climate change from becoming catastrophic has kept US governments and businesses from sustaining this a primary focus. Yet the economic advantages of laboring on sustainability and environmentally sound infrastructure and policy can not be denied. As tech jobs are falling to AI, the increase in jobs, especially for women, has been enormous in green energy, green and plastic-free products, and true environmentally sustainable business practices.
Celebrate and Explore:
This Labor Day, celebrate your own and everyone’s labor, whether physical, mental, or societal. Take time to explore the 17 Sustainability Goals while you are enjoying time off with friends and family. Talk about how your labor and lifestyle impact these interdependent areas. Explore which of these sustainability goals you will commit to with your labor. Join others who labor for empowering sustainability rather than resisting or diminishing it. Working together, we can make a difference.