About this paper: On Friday, August 14 2009, from 9:30am-noon, the ABS conference hosted a panel titled "Collective Consciousness, Human Maturity, and the Challenge of Sustainability." The format consisted of two presentations — Peter Adriance's "The Essential Role of Religion in Fostering a Sustainable World" and Peter Brown's "Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy" — followed by a "Dialogue and Response" by Dahl, moderated by Tahirih Naylor. This document is just Dahl's response, and the following question-and-answer session with responses from all three speakers. See the conference program. [-J.W.]

Abstract: The upsurge in environmental, social and economic challenges confronting humanity in the 21 century — climate change, species extinctions, deforestation, food security, inequality, growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and an unstable world financial system, to name but a few — are forcing the collective consciousness of humankind to evolve. These challenges are ever‐present reminders of humanity’s essential oneness and the interconnectedness of all life systems. Learning to successfully grapple with them will require new levels of human maturity and narrow self interest will have to give way to a wider concern for the well‐being of the planet. [Abstract taken from conference program.]