Sustainability Basics

Simply put, sustainability is the capacity to endure. The term is used to describe many things: from business projects that can generate their own financing, to farms that protect their soil and water resources. Something sustainable does not contain the seeds of its own destruction. Therefore, economic activity is sustainable if it makes enough money without depleting natural or social capital – the physical, biological and human resources on which its functioning depends. But, because ecosystems and communities are already stressed, the goal of sustainable development is not just to withstand decay, but to renew natural resources and community strengths by intelligent design.

Reviewing the data and reflecting on options in a national consensus process in the mid-1990s, the President’s Council on Sustainable Development wrote in its vision statement:

Our vision is of a life-sustaining Earth. We are committed to the achievement of a dignified, peaceful and equitable existence. A sustainable United States will have a growing economy that provides equitable opportunities for satisfying livelihoods and a safe, healthy, high quality of life for present and future generations. Our nation will protect its environment, its natural resource base, and the functions and viability of natural systems on which all life depends.

Sustainable development is an exciting body of technical and social innovation that makes economies more resilient by integrating social and environmental goals with financial ones, enhancing quality of life while reducing costly and risky conflicts. It is commonly understood as the balancing of economy, environment, and equity using effective communication. The term “development” allows for growth but does not require it, and gives rise to a thoughtful approach of selective, well managed growth. As the President’s Council puts it:

To achieve our vision of sustainable development, some things must grow – jobs, productivity, wages, capital and savings, profits, information, knowledge and education – and others – pollution, waste and poverty – must not.

This statement is highly significant as the political consensus that could be achieved in the United States in the mid-1990s. It contains many debatable points, but also contains seeds of the idea that growth can be selective and focused on life-sustaining outcomes. This lays groundwork for a decoupling of growth and development, and an exploration of development to mean getting better, not necessarily bigger.

In every sector, creative work toward sustainability is bringing about new ways to strengthen the economy by linking it to social and environmental well being.

In business and industry, sustainable practices include replacement of toxic materials with safer ones; pollution prevention and waste minimization through efficiency and intelligent design; energy efficiency and renewable energy sources; design for re-usability and recyclability; buildings, infrastructure, and industrial processes designed based on insights from nature.

In households and neighborhoods, sustainability means healthier, more economical living through personal creativity, collaboration and social innovations such as community supported agriculture, local exchange networks, and cooperative purchasing.

In civic life, the movement toward sustainability can bring the ingenuity and talents of citizens into public dialogues, using the skills of conflict resolution and coalition building to overcome barriers, generate workable new ideas, and save resources through enhanced cooperation.

As the movement for a new kind of economy gathers momentum and begins to understand its own strength, the level of accomplishment is rising and so is the opportunity for satisfying participation -- civically, economically, technically, and in everyday life. A tiny sampling of links below will give you a taste of the scope, intelligence and power of this work.

• Ecotrust, the U.S.' first environmental bank, and the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center in Portland, Oregon www.ecotrust.org
• Sustainable South Bronx, a community development corporation rooted in the values of environmental justice www.ssbx.org
• The Chicago Wilderness Coalition, more than 170 institutions and organizations working to re-green and renew Chicago www.chiwild.org
• The Factor 10 Club, created by the Aachen Foundation, companies pursuing radical reduction of materials and energy use and design for the environment www.faktor-10.info
• The Farmer's Diner, a real diner devoted to purchasing fresh, local and organic foods and preserving the regional environment http://www.farmersdiner.com/
• The Images of Sustainability Gallery created by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association: Images of Sustainability