a) just another word for environmentalism or development (depending on your audience)
b) it means too many different things to too many different people and thus means nothing
c) it has been captured by corporations and governments to such an extent as to have lost all meaning, among other arguments.
Sustainability has emerged and must continue to grow as its own scientific discipline, professional practice and organizing approach to life and society. Sustainability is not a static objective which may one day be checked off like smallpox was eradicated but an ongoing process through which we are continually striving to achieve sustainability. For myself I define Sustainability most simply as:
“Achieving the highest quality of life possible for the most people at the most times and places within the biophysical limits of planet Earth.”
This blog will examine Sustainability from many angles and foment discussions about these very issues and in particular I intend to focus on how we can actually Achieve Sustainability. So follow along for what is sure to be a grand adventure.
Footnotes
1. | ↑ | This, the most widely used definition of Sustainability (by several miles), comes from what is typically referred to as the Brundtland Comission and was officially the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) chaired by said Mr. Brundtland. In 1987 they released a document titled Our Common Future which contains the famous definition. |