Let me begin this post by saying I'm grateful for the concerted efforts of many to counteract climate change and save the planet-by reducing waste and carbon emissions as part of a sustainable lifestyle.

The way I see it, though, material sustainability is passé. It's more accurate to report we're in some kind of post-sustainability scenario because of two crushing facts:

1. The speeding up of the Arctic ice melt-the planet's most glaring response to the activity of global civilization
2. The growing global macroeconomic uncertainty caused by investment practices fostered by Wall Street investors and those of other major financial centers

According to an article in the August 10, 2008, issue of Guardian's weekend magazine, The Observer, "Ice at the North Pole melted at an unprecedented rate last week, with leading scientists warning that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2013" (not 2070, as predicted by the first climate change computer models).

The article cites Mark Serreze, of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado; Professor Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University; and Professor Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, whose team used U.S. Navy supercomputers to produce the forecast of an ice-free Arctic between mid-July and mid-September 2013.

Based on the eminent researchers' findings, it would seem that no matter what we communicate about sustainability through film, T.V., advertising, publishing, or journalism, our good intentions, well-founded knowledge, and positive actions aren't adequately counterbalancing the reality that, according to Serreze, "global warming is occurring far earlier than any of us [in the scientific community] expected."

So, what are we to do?

The astonishing rapidity of global climate change contradicts the notion that we can save the planet by simplifying our lives or by becoming more aware consumers. Which means we may not be able to tap into humanity's collective wisdom quickly enough to stop catastrophic climate change, particularly since the truly heroic efforts to date of activists and other concerned citizens show no signs of forestalling devastating economic and environmental impacts.

Here are nine practical suggestions for those who think that the melting of Arctic ice-and Wall Street-are essentially inevitable (I'll write more on each item later):

1. Develop intuition As the reality of inexorable economic and environmental factors take hold, and a significant proportion of citizens begin to panic, we'll need intuition as an ally. By slowing down and learning to respond to life more calmly, intuition will be of effective service, supporting trust in the midst of individual and collective worries about survival.

2. Build bartering networks Begin to meet with friends, neighbors and others who share common concerns about the convergence of macroeconomic and climatic instability. Start to map out the skills you have and how they could be shared with others. Consider those skills that are only useful in the current economic context, and begin to learn new skills that may be more helpful to you and others.

3. Prepare to couch surf Whether you (or your friends) will be able to count on your current shelter will depend on whether a fast-shrinking economy supports your labors. Don't assume that you'll have anything resembling the secure lifestyle you expect given the double-whammy of climatic and economic change.

4. Learn to be a friend If you have few friends or not the kinds of friends you need, how will you survive the unstable future implied by historically dangerous weather patterns and a global economy without a solid foundation? An attitude of friendship will help to rebuild trust and cooperation in shattered communities.

5. Make a list of sensitive people you know Reach out to these people as the global and local conditions worsen. They may be more susceptible to nervous breakdowns and anxiety. If you're strong enough, your support will be a lifeline.

6. Spread goodwill when traveling Forget carbon offsets; we aren't that good at calculating our impact on the planet even though we might like to think we are. Instead, consider whether you're spreading goodwill through your travels and are making a positive contribution to the community you'll be visiting. If you are, then go. (Surely, carbon offsets for your flight are useless if you're a consultant working on the US$4.0 billion coal-fired electricity generation project in Gujarat, India. In other words, if your business activities are going to harm someone's society or local environment, just say "no" to the trip.)

7. Innovate calming products and services If you're an innovator, develop products and services that help people become calmer and that assist with reducing anxiety. This will help people preserve their sanity so they can make sound decisions during these increasingly disturbing times.

8. Get closer to the soil Explore small-scale agriculture to understand some of the basics of growing food.

9. Share as much love as possible When people become afraid during times of scarcity or conflict, it becomes more difficult to love. Those who are able to maintain their goodness and humanity during this period of civilizational ignorance will have done so because they've developed and maintained their ability to love and care for others despite the uncharted territory of a hotter and harsher climate-and an economy incapable of supporting a viable middle class over the long haul.