 In North America, as in much of the world, humans are reshaping the environment and using up many parts of it faster than nature can renew itself.
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The CEC report on the state of the environment, The North American Mosaic, assembles information so that policymakers and private citizens can decide what steps to take to move more rapidly towards sustainability. It examines the economy and our daily lives to show the risks and the damage we are causing, not just to the environment but to ourselves and to our health.
The transition will not be easy. It will require adapting policies, institutions, technologies and lifestyles. It will mean altering deep and enduring attitudes, values and behaviors that underlie our economic and social systems. | 
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