The human brain possess pathways that can operate in a manner to inhibit logical faculties when a topic of discussion is contentious, where persons have different pre-conceived opinions or the discussion subject goes against one’s belief system. If this is the case then when the average person is presented with information for example about climate change, water shortages, natural resource declines, affects of population on global stability, pollution, energy problems, etc., there is ample reason to assume that active inhibition of a person’s logic can be caused by heavily invested opinions, emotions, and belief systems. As much as anything else this can arise from a feeling of self-preservation (avoiding hysteria) implying that these issues are somebody else’s problem, not mine.

The possibility that human logic can be affected in this way does not bode well for sustainability advocates to convince the populace at large that our global situation has problems. Therefore it is important that we go back to the fundamental, non-refutable basis of why there is a sustainability crisis in today’s world. The many examples of stressed natural resources and unstable human societies, in and of themselves, are viewed by many as doomsday paranoia that is unfounded because of ideologies or myths that are perceived as unsupported facts. To overcome this distorted view our conversation on sustainability has to be in touch with the basic truths that affect the foundation for a sustainable future – those facts that pull us back to the roots of the problem. After all, facts you can cling to – emotions just float away.

It is important the public at-large recognize these facts as irrefutable truths supported by our understanding of social, economic, and biophysical science. And these basic truths must be presented in a calm, peaceful, and emphatic way so that logic can prevail over pre-conceived opinions and emotional belief systems that are mostly false, but easier to live with. The fundamental truths that support the need for achievement of sustainability include the following (for further details on these truths go to the Sustainability Manifesto).