Fantasy of the day: the phrase “save the planet” will disappear from all communications urging adoption of clean technologies and sustainability initiatives. Not just because it’s a cliché, but mostly because it misrepresents the problem we face and in doing so fails to motivate action.

The planet doesn’t need us to save it. The planet will be fine without us, in whatever form we leave it; some species may even thrive in our detritus. “Without us” is the point—the problem isn’t that we are destroying the planet, but that we are destroying our ability to live well on it.

“Save the planet” is an abstraction that fails to communicate that fundamental issue. It appeals to people who would want to preserve the natural world whether we remain in it or not, and those who like to see themselves as saviors (of anything—and what’s bigger than the planet?). But these groups, and their actions, are too small to make a real difference (sorry fellow treehuggers, but it’s true).

We need communications that make the problem concrete and personal. We need to deliver the message that if we continue on our current path, we’ll be struggling to survive in a Blade Runner world.

Save the planet? Better save ourselves.