Blog 1 Reposted (accidentally was deleted)

What is Sustainable Development?

Over the past several decades, the definition of “sustainable development” has evolved and changed. However, the concept of developing the resources of our environment/habitat to extend and enhance the human life (i.e. development) has been around since the beginning of human existence. The knowledge that our dealings with the environment can affect our future abilities to extend and enhance our lives is also as old as our existence as a species. The following few paragraphs will summarize what Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris and Anthony A. Leiserowitz have to say about sustainable development, then I will conclude with my thoughts on the subject.

The following was one of the first recognized definitions of sustainable development: “...development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It was coined in 1987, by the UN’s Brundtland Report. This idea was further expanded upon by the Board on Sustainable Development of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1999. The Board defined what is to be sustained (nature, life support, community), what is to be developed (people, economy, society), as well as brought up the issue of timeline (within what timeframe do we consider our sustainability efforts?) In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development introduced the three pillars of sustainable development. The pillars approach introduces social development, and thus the need to address issues of poverty, injustice and an unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity. (insert pic)

Sustainable development can also be defined from the perspective of time-specific goal setting. For example, the United Nation’s Millennium Declaration set goals and targets, to be met by 2015, regarding environmental, social and developmental concerns.

Many initiatives have attempted to further define sustainable development through the identification of various indicators (measures one would expect to see if sustainable development was implemented). A commonly cited indicator would be the concept of Ecological Footprint (a measure of human demand on the earth).
Values are also another way of measuring sustainable development. Values often frame our attitudes toward something that we strongly believe in. A great example comes from the previously mentioned Millennium Declaration. This project was not only a list of 60 specific goals; it also stated six core values: Freedom, Equality, Solidarity, Tolerance, Respect for Nature, and Shared Responsibility.
Lastly, sustainable development can be defined in practice. This can be seen throughout the world as communities, cities and corporations are developing policies to define a sustainable future and the actions needed to attain this. Walmart is a prime example of how a massive corporation has started to do their part (as little as it is) to reduce their “footprint” on earth. Walmart has made many changes in pursuit of their goal to be supplied 100% by renewable energy and reduce their overall waste.

In review of these definitions, I see the concept of sustainable development as...confusing, mind-boggling, and ambiguous. If countries cannot agree upon a definition, it seems very unlikely that they will work together on this issue. I think the work begun by the Earth Charter Initiative, to identify the world’s values through an open public consultation process, may be very helpful. This global values identification may uncover our common goals. From here, international dialog focusing on our common values can begin to set real targets and see real solutions. I also believe that the ‘developed’ world needs to re-evaluate what we define as true development. Many of us say that money doesn’t make people happy, but our actions do not always adhere to this belief. We, and I am certainly including myself here, often feel overwhelmed by the challenges our planet faces and feel helpless to truly make much of a difference. I see the concept of sustainable development as evolving, hopeful, and valuable conversation. Defining sustainable development must involve all people, from all over the world, including you and me.