Welcome!   A Message from the Editor
		Welcome to the sixth issue of BWZ. This issue marks the end of our first full year of publishing, and it certainly has been a wild ride. Staying on top of a Webzine in this topsy-turvy industry is challenging to say the least. But we've been encouraged by your response to continue seeking the best of new ideas to transform our world for the better, and we've been appreciated by the award-givers of the Web too. We thank you all! This issue also marks a turning point for us: the economics of the publishing biz are going to have to start working out. We're launching a new advertising campaign, and hope that you and your sponsoring Web site will join us! If you are interested, please let us know. In this issue We have chosen to focus on sustainability for our final issue of the year, because it is at the heart of all better world ideas. Over the last two decades, a lot of things have been written about the need for sustainability, and a lot of discussion has taken place, from small neighborhood gatherings to the global Earth Summit. Unfortunately, in the balance of human affairs, our search for sustainability thus far has been mainly just that: talk. It is a thorny subject, the very definition of the word elusive. But as we continue our headlong rush to the future, one thing is becoming quite clear: If we do not begin to act sustainably, we won't have much of a future. I admit, putting together this issue of Better World 'Zine was challenging, because it demands a clear focus on the upside of the situation: what is being done, and what can we do, to make the world better? (After all, it's called Better World, not Doomed World.) At present, the need for sustainability is hardly being addressed in any significant way; indeed, we're only now beginning to develop and agree on the concepts and language we need to understand and discuss the problem. There is an upside to this picture, and a possible future that most of us would welcome. We take a look at that future, and examine the path from here to there. If we have the courage, we can make our way down that path to a better life for all. In the Cover Story, we review the problems of today and look at some of the measures that have been proposed to lead us to a sustainable future. Not just another rehearsal of scary statistics, we focus on a clear vision of where we are and where we need to go. We encourage you to explore the underlying data yourself, and we've provided you with some resources and references to investigate. In the Products for a Better World feature, Contributing Editor Tom Kee gives us the low-down on the state-of-the-art in cars that are made to be recycled and other interesting automotive innovations. Learning for a Better World features the Genuine Progress Indicator, also known as the Alternative GNP. It offers a promising way to account for the true costs of environmental and social loss, and so to drive human invention toward solving problems. In Acting for a Better World, Pat Lasswell shares his realizations of the truly unsustainable nature of a "day in the life" in modern America. And Exploring for a Better World presents Jay Forrest's graduate paper on what corporations are doing, and need to do, to ensure their own survival in a sustainable age. Our editorial is in a similar vein but from the activist side of the fence: Chris Bedford shares his view of corporations and sustainability. And finally, eager contributor Pat Lasswell reviews an interesting new book on ecologically sensitive interior design. Get in touch! We hope you enjoy our new issue. If you do--and especially if you don't--please drop us a line about it. If you would like to join us by donating your information, time, or talent, please get in touch. Building a better world is a big tent; there's plenty of room for more. Chris Nelder Editor-in-Chief
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