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Nova Fuels has what might be considered by some a progressive environmental agenda, though it is essentially conservative in nature - no pun intended. Conservatism and conservation have, until recently, walked hand in hand. The core values of conservatism, as espoused by the founder of modern conservatism, Edmund Burke, are based upon legacy. These values hold highest the concept of learning from our ancestors and acting in the present with the interests of the future in mind as those who are of the future are not present to represent their interests themselves, a crucial distinction often lost in reams of quarterly reports and short attention spans. For a number of reasons, the commitment to such values has been all but abandoned over time. Part of that has been due to a lack of awareness of the collective impacts of our choices and part due to an obsession with consumer culture. Together, these two forces have helped drive the global ecosystem into precipitous decline, where resource availability and quality are becoming what has been called a slow emergency, to which we might otherwise react more immediately.
Peak oil has emerged as a recognized phenomenon, freshwater sources are dwindling and being privatized, and the flow of genetically modified materials is contaminating the very life support system of the planet in ways we neither understand nor control.
As with many giant leaps in science or technology, the actual cost and ramifications of our actions are not truly known for years, sometimes generations. Quick fixes often result in bigger problems over the long term and rarely offer the kind of thoughtful process a legacy deserves.
Sustainability is a concept that has been thrown around for so long and become so popular as to be almost meaningless. But as Paul Hawken has said, sustainability is merely the midpoint - the fulcrum if you will - between destruction and restoration. It is not enough to be merely sustainable considering the legacy of destruction and depletion initiated by the industrial revolution. We must create sufficient regenerative approaches to counterbalance current impacts before even thinking about scaling back to "mere sustainability." Nova Fuels seeks to help right this balance with solutions that serve multiple benefits over both the short and the long term.
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