Definition of Sustainability

[ProudDad]

From our campaign for Arizona State Senate:

Definition of Sustainability

The first step in creating a sustainable future is building a foundation where everyone knows exactly what the groundrules are and trusts that they will be applied equally and equitably. I believe this starts with adopting an ecologically sound and legally defensible definition of sustainability. This will provide the consistency necessary for planning, a tool to analyze proposals, and a yardstick to measure progress. Here is the definition I propose, which contains three necessary clauses which inform, support and strengthen each other:

1) Integrate human social and economic lives into the environment in ways that tend to enhance or maintain rather than degrade or destroy the environment;

2) A moral imperative to pass on our natural inheritance, not necessarily unchanged, but undiminished in its ability to meet the needs of future generations;

3) Entails determining, and staying within, the balance point amongst population, consumption, and waste assimilation so that bioregions, watersheds and ecosystems can maintain their ability to recharge, replenish, and regenerate.


Sustainability provides a common goal that peace, justice, and democracy advocates can use as the "big tent" that can support effective coalitions for change. More than just a goal worth working toward, sustainability provides a new way of being in the world. More than just an environmental concern, sustainability is a community movement.

Sustainability is not an abstract concept, it is life. Perhaps sustainability can be best understood through its opposite--death to the planet--known as ecocide. After all, there will be no peace, justice or democracy on a dead planet.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. This is EXCELLENT. Thank you! K&R

:hi:

[RiverStone]

2. Great definition, I just wonder...

What we can say to get the corporate culture to buy into it in simple economic terms.

Sustainability = efficiency = profit?

Rec'd!

[ProudDad]

3. There can be NO profit motive

in a truly sustainable world...

Think more Steady State Economy as the bridging technology. Corporations and capitalism must die!

That's the mindset that we must change. It's easier than one might think since the destructive thought process that supports the current "system" is very hard to impose on the population (faux noise and the M$M 24/7) that once the programming has been rejected by a critical mass our true natures as communitarian beings will return.

Once we loosen their grip on our thoughts, and relocalize our economies, we will render them impotent.

For more information about our campaign and platform go to www.daveforarizona.org

[OneGrassRoot]

4. There are really encouraging things moving in the right direction...

Our existing structures simply don't work and/or are corrupt. Changing the foundation of our systems overnight isn't likely, so a growing mass movement in the right direction is probably the best we can hope for.

There are new legal structures being developed: L3C, which is a hybrid of for-profit and non-profit (both of which certainly have their faults as they currently exist, but the intention of this new entity is to put the social mission above profit, which is a move in the right direction, IMHO).

There are B Corporations: http://www.bcorporation.net/about

I just stumbled upon the 3/50 Project earlier today: www.the350project.net

So many local, grassroots organizations are cropping up to connect locally in myriad ways, for the benefit of The Common Good.

Granted, just as there is often "greenwashing," with companies claiming to be this or that for marketing purposes without truly good intent, there is the danger of any movement being used and manipulated by those for whom the bottom line is still all they're interested in.

But, the development recently of alternatives that seem to have integrity and communitarian ideals at the core is really encouraging. Keeping that integrity and having it spread is the challenge.

Well, one of many. ;)

It's not easy to to try to work and thrive within new systems of integrity, while still having to navigate within an old, dying system.

:hi:

[ProudDad]

5. We definitely live in interesting times...

as the old Chinese Curse goes... :hi: