What is sustainable development?

The most well known definition of sustainable development comes from the Brundtland definition which was formed in 1987.  It states that sustainable development is “Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Chris Ling, Lecture Notes, 2011).   I think that this is a good starting point definition for sustainable development, but I also believe that in order to properly define exactly what sustainable development is, all parts of sustainability must be equally represented.



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The term sustainable development makes me think of such things as solar panels on homes, and electric cars.  In this sense it could also be explained as the act of taking an older version of something and improving it to make it more environmentally friendly.  I also find the concept of sustainable development to be slightly contradictory.  How is it possible to develop something, such as a new home or business, without destroying the land and ecosystems that it is going to occupy? 

I know that this does not exactly match the definition, but it is my personal belief of sustainability, and every person in the world is going to have a different view on sustainable development.  This makes it incredibly hard to define exactly what sustainable development is, but it is possible to give a general definition of the terms, which is exactly what the Brundtland definition succeeded at doing. 

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There are three main aspects of sustainability that we must be aware of in order to properly define sustainable development.  These three aspects of sustainability include: society, economy, and of course the environment (Chris Ling, Lecture Notes, 2011).  When all three of these aspects are working together sustainability can be achieved.  A model of sustainability known as the “bulls-eye” model works on the basis that all three aspects of sustainable development work together with the environment as the basis of the system.  There is also another model that has gained popularity and this is known as the “Mickey Mouse” model, where the environment and society depend largely on the economy.  Personally, I think that the “bulls-eye” model is the best representation of sustainable development, since the environment is what has been sustaining the world’s population since the beginning of creation.

Many people may agree with the “Mickey Mouse” model of sustainability since it seems as if the government is what sustains and keeps the world running today, but I disagree with this model.  While economy is an important piece of sustainable development, we would be nowhere without the environment and nature.  I think that society as a whole needs to take a step back and realize how important sustainability is to our future, as well as for the future of generations to come.  As childish as it may seem, the Disney movie known as Pocahontas, expresses some very important points on sustainability and development.  The plot of the movie itself does not deal with sustainability, but there are a number of underlying points that show how the environment is the basis of sustainability.  One song in the movie is titled as, “Listen With Your Heart”, and the first line of the song is sung in Latin as “Que, Que Natura?" and followed by “you will understand”.  When translated in whole with the song, this lyric means something along the lines of, listen to nature and you will understand.  Although this movie was based on a true story, it is still somewhat fictional, but it does succeed in capturing the value that the aboriginal people placed on the environment.   

With the environment as the basis of sustainable development it may be possible to preserve the earth and some of its resources for our future generations.  We must realize that without the trees we would be lacking oxygen, and without clean water sources we would be lacking drinking water.  Both oxygen and clean water seem to be taken for granted in the western world, and we need to consider what would happen to the world without both of these resources.  By being aware of such aspects of our needs, sustainable development may begin to grow and provide a better world for future generations.

Seeing as sustainable development is an idea that will continue to grow over time, it is important to focus on the long term workings of sustainable development in order achieve sustainability.  This will involve focusing on the three aspects of sustainability that were addressed earlier in order to reach a more realistic definition of sustainable development, such as the one John Robinson and Ann Dale came up with.   Their definition deals with; the ecological position that will work towards maintaining diversity, the social portion that will guarantee development of democratic systems to maintain the values of the population, and the economic essential to make certain that everyone’s basic needs are being met(Chris Ling, Lecture Notes, 2011).  I think that this definition has the most appropriate view of sustainable development since it meets all of the aspects of sustainability.   

References

Ling, C. (2011). What does the word “sustainability” mean?. Lecture proceedings from Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC.