There are many definitions for "sustainability" with some canted towards the user's interests. Most imply that we can keep doing a lot of things that are really not sustainable over the long term, e.g., eternally producing tilled crops on the eroding soils that are characteristic of almost all of our farmland.
Even the 1987 Brundtland definition (the most widely used definition) is so general that it has serious limitations and insufficiencies: Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs can be interpreted as including an unstated assumption that future generations' technology will be able to make up for our generation's diminishment of irreplaceable resources. To me, this is, as Wayne says, unsustainable sustainability. So I tried to write a definition that addresses these weaknesses: "To maintain forever the current productivity of renewable resource systems including soils, waters, forests, wildlands and the atmosphere; and to deplete nonrenewable resources only at the rate that cost-equivalent substitutes can be developed, with costs measured on economic, social and ecological scales." This is part of the sample of sustainability definitions that I've collected over the last few years (pasted below). I would be interested in hearing of other definitions, particularly any that are substantially different or better from an ecological perspective. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist Tigard, Oregon ******* Sustainability some definitions Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 1987 Brundtland Report, Our Common Future. The ability to provide for the needs of the world's current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves. When a process is sustainable, it can be carried out over and over without negative environmental effects or impossibly high costs to anyone involved. Maintaining your consumption without eroding your capital. Johannesburg Summit Secretary-General Nitin Desai. Ecological conservation and equitable resource distribution. Free market capitalism plus technology will let us keep consuming without limits. Stabilizing resource exploitation while allowing the less privileged an equitable share of our earth's bounty without compromising its livability. Providing the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. Bearing in mind the effects of our actions on our descendants for seven generations. Iroquois Confederacy Hargroves & Smith 2005: · Deal cautiously with risk, uncertainty and irreversibility. · Ensure appropriate valuation, appreciation and restoration of nature. · Integrate environmental, social and economic goals in policies and activities. · Provide equal opportunity and community participation/Sustainable community. · Conserve biodiversity and ecological integrity. · Ensure inter-generational equity. · Recognize the global dimension. · Commit to best practice. · Allow no net loss of human capital or natural capital. · Abide by the principle of continuous improvement. · Meet the need for good governance. Achieving human and ecosystem well-being together. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing: 1. concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth's crust; 2. concentrations of substances produced by society; 3. degradation by physical means and, in that society. . . 4. the ability for humans to meet their needs is not systematically undermined. The Natural Step Framework >From the State of Oregons Sustainability Act "Sustainability means using, developing and protecting resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs and also provides that future generations can meet their own needs. Sustainability requires simultaneously meeting environmental, economic and community needs." "To maintain forever the current productivity of renewable resource systems including soils, waters, forests, wildlands and the atmosphere; and to deplete nonrenewable resources only at the rate that cost-equivalent substitutes can be developed, with costs measured on economic, social and ecological scales." -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 08:42 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Education vs Indoctrination Can sustainability be sustained? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Managing the social aspects of ecosystem management - LfS portal update Ecolog Forum: I am using this post as a springboard to ask you all whether or not you consider this an important matter, much less a crucial subject for consideration. To maintain a bias-free mental posture, I have not visited any of the sites. Therefore, these comments are not about the content of those sites, nor are they about the email itself; it merely reminded me of the issue. I would like your opinions about whether or not you have had similar thoughts or whether or not you find the subject disagreeable to think about or discuss, or otherwise unworthy of your time. In asking, "Is sustainability sustainable?" I have a multi-faceted concern--that while "sustainability" is a valid term in some sense, it, like "ecology" and many other perfectly good terms, has lost its discriminatory value in communication, technology, and science through overuse, misuse, and overgeneralization. Do you believe this to be the case? In any case, would you please define the term as precisely as possible? If there are alternative definitions, would you please define them too? If you believe that there is no question about the definition, that the definition is so well understood that there can be no dispute about how the terms is defined and used that asking those questions is unnecessary, would you please so indicate? Respectfully submitted, WT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Will Allen" <w...@learningforsustainability.net> To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 12:44 AM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Managing the social aspects of ecosystem management - LfS portal update > The Learning for Sustainability site - > http://learningforsustainability.net > - brings together resources to help us address and manage the social and > capacity building aspects of ecosystem management and other sustainability > issues. This resource has been substantially revised and updated over > recent > months. It is a guide to on-line resources for researchers and > practitioners > interested in managing multi-stakeholder processes that support social > learning and collective action. The site highlights the wide range of > social > skills and processes that are needed. It shows how these can be linked > together, and structures these in a practical way. This brings links to > several hundred annotated on-line resources together in one easy to access > site. > > Most pages have been expanded with new resource links added. Particular > attention has been paid to expanding the sections on undertaking > interdisiplinary and integrated projects and adaptation. Featured links to > specific papers in these areas can be found from the July newletter page > at > - http://learningforsustainability.net/newsletters/jul09.php > > Other updated resource sections link to resources to support thinking and > practice around managing complex systems, community resilience, and > participation. A central guides, tools and checklists section provides > practical guidance to help readers address issues involved in managing > multi-stakeholder participation and engagement initiatives. Other site > sections provide links to best and emerging practice in specific areas > including social learning, adaptive management, integration, network > building and mapping, dialogue, knowledge management, and evaluation. > > The LearningForSustainability.net site also manages additional sections on > finding volunteering and job opportunities. These can be found from the > main > site index at http://learningforsustainability.net As with the rest of the > site these sections bring links to lot of on-line resources together in > one > easy to access site, each link is annotated to provide a guide to its > contents. > > Regards > Will > > -------------------------------------- > Dr. Will Allen > LearningForSustainability.net - http://learningforsustainability.net - > Supporting dialogue, collective action and reflection > E-mail: w...@learningforsustainability.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.13.20/2248 - Release Date: 07/19/09 05:57:00
