Sustainability History Project

[This post was written by Sara Scott, Sarah Griswold, and Jamie Price, and complements previous students’ analysis of the question What is Sustainability?]

In covering the first three readings, our group decided to combine all three articles and brainstorm on what the general themes they share that pertain to sustainability.[1]

Many people think of sustainability as strictly an environmental issue. After reading the three articles, we came to the conclusion that sustainability is multi-faceted on a global level. Sustainability is not only limited to issues of the environment, but of society and economics as well. Our current working definition of sustainability is to leave resources for future generations with a minimal impact on the environment. According to Kates, et al., the Board on Sustainable Development’s goal of sustainability is to “provide energy, materials and information to feed, nurture, house, educate and employ the people in 2050 … and to reduce hunger, poverty … and preserve the basic life support systems of the planet.”[2]

All the authors in our readings discussed the common theme of “trade-offs.” When mentioning “trade-offs” in terms of sustainability, it comes down to choosing a method to obtain resources in a manner that has the least impact socially, economically, and environmentally. As mentioned in Langhelle’s article, every action that we take, as a society has an impact on our environment.[3] A current example of this would be our society’s quest for a sustainable energy source. We, as a people, have looked into wind power, solar power, and even nuclear power. In the eyes of many, nuclear power seemed like a very feasible option. Until a major catastrophe, like the recent earthquake in Japan, revealed, once again, the damaging effects nuclear power can have on people and the environment. Events such as this make nuclear energy less attractive, equating to having a very negative trade-off.

Another common theme of the three articles was the three pillars of sustainability. The three pillars are economic, social, and environmental. An economic aspect of sustainability would be the ability for a people as a whole to prosper and invest in the future generations. Also, economic sustainability is in the hands of corporations, as well as consumers, as both having a responsibility to preserve the environment.

A social aspect of sustainability is to feed the hungry and take care of those who are less fortunate. Ensuring freedom would be another social aspect of sustainability. Guaranteeing freedom of independent thought, freedom of information, and freedom of choice, so we as a society can make responsible decisions and move forward. Freedom could also be considered a negative trade-off, or rather the lack of freedom, because with sustainability, we, as a people of this society, will have to give up some of our personal freedoms or luxuries to enable a sustainable future.

The third pillar—Environment—coincides with the other two pillars to create a balance of sustainability. Many people’s perception of sustainability is exclusive to the environment, but it is only possible to keep our environment in good condition with the balance of economics and social standards. This may never be a perfect balance, but it is a responsibility of humankind to strive for it.

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[1] Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris, and Anthony A. Leiserowitz. “What is Sustainable Development?” Environment 47: 3 (Apr. 2005), 8-21; Oluf Langhelle. “Sustainable Development: Exploring the Ethics of Our Common Future.” International Political Science Review 20: 2 (April 1999), 129-149; Gibson, Robert B. “Sustainability Assessment: Basic Components of a Practical Approach.” Impact Assessment and Appraisal 24: 3 (Sept. 2006), 170-182.

[2] Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris, and Anthony A. Leiserowitz. “What is Sustainable Development?” Environment 47: 3 (Apr. 2005), 8-21.

[3] Oluf Langhelle. “Sustainable Development: Exploring the Ethics of Our Common Future.” International Political Science Review 20: 2 (April 1999), 129-149.

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