Some concepts cannot be defined in absolute terms, they can however be characterized: Sustainability is one of them, ethics too. Much of my academic, co-curricular, and career endeavors are/were vested in understanding, exploring, and enacting concepts of sustainability. My senior capstone project focused on sustainability as a "fuzzy concept" and "wicked problem" (more accurately to me, a wicked process since satisfying solutions beyond prevention don't always exist) and how we can influence higher education institutions to lead the notion of sustainability to tangible and significant outcomes as individuals and organizations. Beyond understanding its implications from academic literature, theoretical and applied science for sustainability, I interpret sustainability as an existential ethos of three characteristics:
1. Continuity
Realize, create, and maintain conditions under which humans and everything we live with can exist in productive harmony.
2. Comprehensiveness
Strive to comprehensively fulfill needs with consideration for social, economic, and environmental dimensions of life.
3. Creativity
Life, our choices for living it, and the legacy of their consequences are dynamic; foster the integrity, stability, and beauty of the human, biotic, and abiotic community.
The above synthesizes articulations between the US EPA , 1987 WCED Brundtland Commission definitions, the "Sustainability Triad"/"Three Pillars"/"Triple Bottom Line", the "Quadruple Bottom Line", Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic [also read the full essay], and life.
Please know that there's an element of discovery and dialogue to understanding a fuzzy concept like sustainability [1]. Also note that theoretical research suggests that the "triple bottom line" concept is misleading in its label and use for Corporate Sustainability Reporting, but has valid and useful origins in what several scholars call "the sustainability triad"--the interconnecting domains of environment, society, and economy remain important and useful nonetheless. The sources I've listed are a good place to start, but you're welcome to reach me too!
[1] scholars/anyone with access to academic journals, read: Ratner, B. 2004. “’Sustainability’ as a Dialogue of Values: Challenges to the Sociology of Development” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 74, No. 1 50-69
The first and last characteristics of sustainability (Comprehensive, Creative) brought me to suspect that when most people say "we want a more sustainable future" with hope in their voice, they actually seek a different word: Viability.
1. Continuity
Realize, create, and maintain conditions under which humans and everything we live with can exist in productive harmony.
2. Comprehensiveness
Strive to comprehensively fulfill needs with consideration for social, economic, and environmental dimensions of life.
3. Creativity
Life, our choices for living it, and the legacy of their consequences are dynamic; foster the integrity, stability, and beauty of the human, biotic, and abiotic community.
The above synthesizes articulations between the US EPA , 1987 WCED Brundtland Commission definitions, the "Sustainability Triad"/"Three Pillars"/"Triple Bottom Line", the "Quadruple Bottom Line", Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic [also read the full essay], and life.
Please know that there's an element of discovery and dialogue to understanding a fuzzy concept like sustainability [1]. Also note that theoretical research suggests that the "triple bottom line" concept is misleading in its label and use for Corporate Sustainability Reporting, but has valid and useful origins in what several scholars call "the sustainability triad"--the interconnecting domains of environment, society, and economy remain important and useful nonetheless. The sources I've listed are a good place to start, but you're welcome to reach me too!
[1] scholars/anyone with access to academic journals, read: Ratner, B. 2004. “’Sustainability’ as a Dialogue of Values: Challenges to the Sociology of Development” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 74, No. 1 50-69
The first and last characteristics of sustainability (Comprehensive, Creative) brought me to suspect that when most people say "we want a more sustainable future" with hope in their voice, they actually seek a different word: Viability.
No comments:
Post a Comment