Sustainable Development Goals Surfing to Saftey or Suffer the Final Wipeout

I'm running through the thought piece in Nature on what the SDG's will look like. Must say that I’m struggling to see this new paradigm. The three pillars approach was always seen as a starting point for broader exploration and expansions. The economy, society, and earths life support System is also far from new and is in fact part of the existing paradigm.   Of course I understand the need to translate a hugely contested, ambiguous concept into a meaningful policy grounded form, but there is also a need to maintain an appreciation of this complexity.  I worry about this articulation and its transmission to the six proposed SD goals.  I will elaborate on this at a later point. For now I draw on the imagery used in the article and obviously this is going to stand out in light of my research into sustainable development and Surfing.  A sweeter synergy I could not have asked for.

 

 

 

 

 

Not only a  wave, the most terrifying of waves, the Tsunami well at least an artist’s impression,  as this wave does seem to have a shoulder and a very workable face, can’t make out if it’s a left or a right though. There is a flimsy boat about to be pounded  by said wave.  Four figures at the helm and one looking back at the stern, life rings are seen thrown asunder, not needed now, the image would suggest, as it is too late.   In the background a volcano billowing smoke, undoubtedly about to erupt and cover everything in the vicinity with red hot magma.  Is this how the authors imagine the Anthropocene?  This too is something I will explore in more detail at a later date.  For now I simply ‘note with interest’ the use of the wave and the multiple ways this iconography is employed. We must ask ourselves with SDG’s that now put the economy front and centre, well in the middle anyway. What is it selling now, a car, a T-shirt, in this instance it is an ideology, a political imperative that none can escape from. A global community bound to and responsible for (to very varying degrees) the disintegration of the global life support system.  The image leaves one wondering.  Does the life boat mange to surf the wave to the saftey of the shore (though im worried about the volcano) or does it suffer the final wipout.