-- a university of arizona
course on methods and approaches for studying the future
| Sustainability Definition and Examples |
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-- a university of arizona
course on methods and approaches for studying the future |
Sustainability is an increasingly
important term. It may be the next major era (following the technology era). It may be a way of achieving efficiency and
effectiveness in all sectors of society and be the best economic investment
in the future at the same time. The links below give a range of sources on the
diverse terms that might be incorporated in the term "sustainability."
To emphasize the diverse ways of considering sustainability, the links below
are categorized under a few headings.
Sustainability is a big deal – it will affect all of us, it probably will end up being the defining term for the era we are entering. Our current era (technology) will continue to be important, but the developing era always begins slowly. Sustainability will change how we do everyday life as well as how we use our resources and deal with our economy. Thus we need to take it seriously and learn about it.
Sustainability is not just about the environment (for example: climate change, energy, water, and species). It is also about economics, security, food production, development, jobs, communities, institutions, health, debt, global trade and political interactions, security, transportation, and infrastructure – almost everything. The examples below give an idea of how broadly sustainability principles and activities are becoming integrated in our societies. Concepts of sustainability apply to both consumption and development.
An early definition that has wide acceptance is the one developed by the U.N. World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) in 1987. This was defined in the context of "development" but it applies to any term -- "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
General Sustainability
Sustainability for Arizona: The Issue of Our Age (2007 publication - very comprehensive)
Encyclopedia for Sustainable Development
Wikipedia description of sustainability
Sustainability Principles
European Sustainability Network
Sustainability: A South Asian Perspective
Google search results - provides excerpts of many definitions with links to sources