If this region is going to grow and prosper then sustainability needs to be a part of all decisions.  What will draw people and investment to this region... pollution, decay, narrow mindedness, stagnation?  Can we afford to allow this area to stagnate?  This isn't about saving the planet; it's about saving ourselves and saving this region.  Sustainability isn't about everyone coming together, holding hands and singing folk songs.  This is a fight, a fight to make our tiny little corner of the world better.  Better today and better for tomorrow.
Ask yourself, "Do I want jobs, investment, and growth in NW Ohio?"  If you answered yes, then you want a sustainability movement.  You may not realize it yet, but you do.  Don't worry, if we don't do this, other cities will...and are.  In today's world change is happening faster than ever before.  We can not afford to sit back and do nothing.
History is full of individuals who were ridiculed for believing in the impossible.  Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were two such individuals.  They were laughed at and told they were crazy.  Yet they persisted and this country would not be where it is today if they had not kept fighting.  Each had a vision and never relented.  But Northwest Ohio is a community, not one individual.  
This is why we need a sustainability movement.  Movement is defined as "a series of actions or activities intended or tending toward a particular end."  We need to move government, businesses and individuals away from unawareness and disinterest towards behaviors that are safer, healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more inclusive.  We need to think creatively and act quickly to capitalize on unexpected opportunities.  
How do we as a community come together and create a vibrant, local economy that always focuses on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits?  The easiest way is to get involved.  There are several organizations in the area that you can join.  Two organizations that I am actively involved with are EPIC Toledo (www.epictoledo.com) and LEWAS (www.lewas.org).  Both of these organizations have a future vision of Northwest Ohio and are actively working toward that vision.  Are you?