Generational conflicts, political conflicts, environmental regulations, stakeholders in big oil companies, and many other obstacles influence the push for fully sustainable economies around the world and even here in America. In a world where coal, oil and natural gas are limited, countries are gobbling up everything as fast as they can before other, poorer countries join the grid. Even as America and other countries devour these resources, people's lives are still a struggle to meet basic needs. Sustainability is an intertwining of the use of resources and the protection of "quality of life", it is achieved by using resources sparingly and by recycling or reducing the use of other non-renewable resources to provide for our immediate needs, but also to conserve and protect the needs of the next generation and improve the quality of all future lives. Nations focus on growth as progress for the country. However, it must be sustainable as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a: capable of being used without being completely depleted or destroyed [or] b: involving methods that do not use or completely destroy natural resources [or] c: capable to last or continue for a long time, also indicates constant progress. Still sustainable nations are few and far between. Sustainability does not meet the definition of growth desired by nations. Instead, many nations see it as a limit to their economies and a damage to their pockets. The measurement of growth is wrong, the way countries see their growth is based on the consumption of their population. Many countries use GDP (gross domestic product) as an indicator of growth, as defined in It's All Connected, "(GDP) is a calculation of the total monetary value of goods and services produced annually in a country" (Wheeler 11). The... medium of paper... the monetary value or resources to meet the basic needs of the family. Jobs are decreasing. Klotz points out that these jobs are difficult to find for many people, especially the younger generation he talks about, namely the 20-24 age group (Klotz 3). Asher Miller, executive director of the Post Carbon Institute, writes in his foreword, “an estimated 16.5 percent of the population is officially classified as “underemployed,” the highest level since the 1930s” (Heinberg and Lerch xiv). There is no way to provide for a family; shelter, food, water, clothing, education and healthcare without work unless you rely on full government support. This is also limited in what it provides. The lack of jobs is a negative indicator of progress and growth. Even worse is the tragic combination of lack of work and dwindling resources to provide work, food and energy to all nations.