Summary on sustainability
Topic: Sustainability
by Max, 2018 Cohort
Note: This entry was created in 2018, when the task was to “summarise a key reading”, and so may not represent a good example to model current primer entries on.
“How can we love all the children of all the species, for all of the time?” This question, posed by William McDonough (2005), has been echoed by countless scholars, humanitarians, and even the UN. The answer through sustainability. Preserving all the natural resources of the world, for the use and admiration of future generations; without destroying the global commons (resources like the atmosphere and high-seas fisheries), our economies, or societies is something that will require further understanding and change within our current lifestyles.
Sustainability is an object’s, environment’s, or other system’s capability to maintain its current way of existence for an infinite amount of time. It is system that functions in such a way it will not cause its own demise the system is a closed loop. Mathematically speaking, it often means that the consumption and depletion of resources never overtake their regeneration rate- simply put, inflow vs outflow. The diagram included allows for better understanding through visualisation. Sustainability is most commonly referred to in three areas of present life: the economy, environment, and society- what is often referred to as the Triple Bottom
Sustainability is when the system has stabilised the key elements affecting them, and created an equilibrium. If sustainable, a system could- hypothetically- live in its current state for eternity, without internal collapse and being very resilient to external factors of collapse. Jared Diamonds Collapse lists five key contributors for collapse (all to some extent caused by a lack of sustainability), simplified by Briana Grame (2018) as
- human inflicted damage on the
- climate change
- hostile neighbouring
- decreased support from neighbouring
- different ways of reacting to problems
These contributors are far less likely to arise if the key systems (particularly the Triple Bottom Line) are sustainable.
A sustainable environment requires resources to not be taken at a faster rate than they reform; and to be removed, used, and disposed of in a manner that will not damage or alter any ecosystems or natural orders.
A sustainable economy could theoretically never collapse due to its circular nature, focusing on renewable materials or services, rather than exploiting people or exhaustible resources (e.g. fossil fuels).
A sustainable society would be one where the people are content with their leaders and way of life, where poverty, crime, corruption, social justice, and war do not exist.
The largest contributor to unsustainable systems is the lack of foresight, and not using systems thinking. This is often because the knowledge is not known at the time or the connections are not made. Vested interests (e.g. politicians owning large shares in destructive industries) and Dragons of Inaction (the gap between attitude/knowledge and behaviour) are also key factors to preventing a group or system being sustainable.
Sustainability is key for the human population to continue to move into the future without any form of collapse we must think further than simply tomorrow. As McDonough sums up there is no end game, just infinite game.
References:
- Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York City: Viking Press, Pg.1-43.
- Gifford, R. (2011). The Dragons of Inaction: Psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaption. American Psychologist. 66:290-302. attached
- Grame, B. (2018). Collapse. ANU.
- Harris, G. (2007). Seeking Sustainability in an Age of Complexity. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pg. 1-27.
- McDonough, W. (2005). Cradle to Cradle. TED. Available at https://www.ted.com/talks/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design
Disclaimer#
This content has been contributed by a student as part of a learning activity.
If there are inaccuracies, or opportunities for significant improvement on this topic, feedback is welcome on how to improve the resource.
You can improve articles on this topic as a student in "Unravelling Complexity", or by including the amendments in an email to: Chris.Browne@anu.edu.au