When I was a child, the terms "global warming" and "climate change" did not exist. I was blessed — as all children before me — with the notion that the planet was bigger than me; bigger than anyone. But in my lifetime, the knowledge that our Earth is sick and getting sicker has come into sharp focus. The children born today are born without the magical innocence of an Earth untamed. And for them, the future is grim.

Environmental trends are progressing exponentially downwards. Globally we see the degradation of air, water and land based ecosystems, unsustainable development, and a rate of pollution far beyond what the planet can absorb. From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the collapse of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, human living is harming every corner of the Earth. And while economics dominates the news, it is the story of Earth’s mismanagement that is most in need of telling. If Earth were a financial institution, its resources were a currency, and the productivity of its ecosystems the interest rate, we would quickly see that we are in big trouble and that under the current Board of Directors, this institution is doomed to fail. Forget the US Housing Market; Earth’s bankruptcy will bring the end of life as we know it, and if current trends continue, this tragedy is inevitable.

We simply can not continue to live as we are living today. Lifestyles must change, which in turn means that values must change.

"A New We" presents an in-depth overview of several communities which exercise values and lifestyles harmonious with nature.

As governments the world over announce their intention to create low-carbon communities, “A New We” is an important resource which explores the positive aspects of its subjects and the challenges which are revealed, resulting in a comprehensive overview.

“A New We” presents what is perhaps the most important topic in the world today as we consider the future of our communities, the planet as a whole, and of generations to come.

Matthew Lien, international environmental singer-songwriter