We chose a moebius strip to symbolize sustainability because it conveys a sense of continuity and wholeness in a complex, but elemental form. It is a paradoxical form that is difficult to comprehend.

For a system to be sustained it must demonstrate continuity and wholeness. In this sense we might have selected a ring which commonly symbolizes such attributes, but sustainable systems are complex ones that a simple ring fails to emulate. A moebius strip has dimension and complexity that surpasses a ring while simultaneously being a more elemental form. While a ring has two sides and edges, a moebius strip has but one side and one edge.

This paradox of a complex shape derived from just two elements is as difficult to comprehend as sustainability – superficially easy to define, but devilishly difficult to institute. Perhaps when the moebius strip is as readily recognized as a symbol for a sustainable system, there will be broad public awareness and acceptance of the necessity of sustainable systems.