describe what is sustainablity

1. 1
What is sustainability?
In 1987, the Brundtland Commisions of the United Nation defined sustainability as "meeting
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs." To become a sustainable, we must find a balance between the three aspects.
The three ring design breaks up sustainability into three distinct but overlapping aspects. Let's
look at each individually first.
Environmental
The environmental aspect of sustainability involves taking care of our surroundings. This
includes everything from picking up litter and reducing pollution to wildlife and rainforest
conservation. This is the only planet we have, so we'd better take care of it.
Social
We should all aspire to treat ourselves and each other with fairness and respect. This is as
simple as letting someone merge into your lane during heavy traffic to respecting the views
and opinions of people who disagree with you to working towards social justice in far away
countries. We don't have to like everyone we meet, but we all have to share the planet.

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Economic
In today's world, it's very difficult to get by without money. We need to live responsibly and
within our means so that we aren't a burden on others. This is as true for you and me as it is
for cities, states and countries around the world. No one can prepare for every situation, but
we can still do our best to make sure we can support ourselves.
Overlap
As stated above, each of these aspects overlap with each other. We don't live in a vacuum;
everything we do has an impact on the world and the people who live on it. The same can be
said for sustainability. Often, a single aspect, say environmental, can interact in various ways.
Let's look at some of these interactions.
Environmental-Social
This blending of environmental and social aspects of sustainability deals with how we interact
with our environment. This can include how we plan and design our homes and cities, how
we take care of the resources we have available to us, and the ways we interact with the
environment. We also have to contend with the natural patterns of nature and how they can
affect us. Drought, wildfires and threats of hurricanes and flooding need to be considered
when planning new construction projects.
Environmental-Economic
When it comes to looking at how environmental and economic aspects interact, we need to
look at both how economics affects the environment and how the environment affects
economics. Environmentally friendly products are becoming more common, making it easier
to purchase goods with less packaging, cleaners that are less hazardous to us and our
environment and foods that are grown in ways that are better for the environment. However,
fossil fuels are becoming harder to come by, and the cost to purchase refined fuels will
become more expensive as time goes on. Companies are looking for ways of harnessing
renewable sources of energy and in time, these will become more common and less
expensive. We need to develop ways to maintain positive economic development that can
support itself without negatively impacting the environment.
Social-Economic
The overlap between social and economic aspects deals with fair and equitable treatment of
people everywhere. Purchasing fair trade goods, where the growers receive a livable wage for
selling their crops, is a way to give people in developing areas of the world a chance to earn a
better life. Boycotting companies who have an unfavorable environmental track record can
send a strong message that can result in positive change. Supporting local businesses helps
your friends and neighbors and can keep money in your local economy. Likewise, some large
companies work to protect the environment and support communities around the world with
donations and social betterment programs while providing employment for people all over the
country or even around the globe.

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Where the Three Meet
Sustainabilityismade upof all three aspects,environmental,socialandeconomic,meet.Strivingto
buynothingbutorganically grownfairtrade goodsis laudable,butif youcan't affordtodo so, it'snot
economicallysustainable.Likewise,spendingmillionsof dollarsonwetlandandwildlife conservation
will benefitthe speciesthatlive intheseprotectedareas,butif we don'thave anyresourcestofeed
our ownpeople thenwe're notbeingsociallysustainable.
Brundtland,G.H.,ed.(1987). Our Common Future:TheReportof the World Commission on
Environmentand Development.Oxford,U.K.:OxfordUniversityPress
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