

Sustainable Development: More Than Just Green

Defining And Dissecting Sustainable Development

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One of the new buzzwords in the eco-friendly community is “sustainable development.”  While previous generations of concerned environmentalists were focused on “going green,” today’s eco-friendly citizens are working at building the planet’s sustainability. For instance, recycling cans is green thinking; finding a fully renewable resource from which to make the cans is sustainability. Taking the sustainability idea one step further are those concerned with the future development of the planet. Should developing countries be allowed to construct infrastructure and commercial enterprises that pollute the planet? If not, what steps should other countries take to help improve living conditions around the world? Should you be concerned about sustainability at home? The following guide will provide answers to these important questions as well as the basics of sustainable development in local communities and around the world.

What is Sustainable Development?
Unlike green initiatives, which are focused on environmental protections, sustainable development focuses on three areas: environmental, social and economic. For growth to be considered sustainable, it must benefit all three areas to some degree. Using recycled wood for flooring and support beams is a green development policy. Making sure that the economics of wood growing do not conflict with the social requirements of living wages for wood harvesters leads to sustainable development.

One example of sustainable development is an energy plant in the Sahara that utilizes biofuels for power, which is then transmitted to the villagers at no cost so they can run small manufacturing businesses and power their homes, providing jobs to other villagers and making day-to-day life easier on everyone. Another example is an inner-city cooperative garden that utilizes public lands, community labor and donated irrigation water to provide food for the poor and an income for those without other means of remaining economically stable.
Human needs are equally important as environmental and economic needs in terms of sustainability. The United Nations views the three components of sustainable development as so intrinsic to the progress of human development that it has established the Division for Sustainable Development as part of its Department for Economic and Social Affairs. This division of the United Nations has established national guidelines for countries around the world to use in creating sustainable development policies.

Global Sustainable Development
The purpose of the U.N. Division for Sustainable Development is to help emerging nations address economic development issues in terms of social and environmental impacts. Some of the topics covered by the United Nations in their national guidance documents include energy, atmosphere, land, agriculture, air quality, poverty, technology, sustainable tourism, freshwater and forest protection. In their quest for economic stability, developing countries might be tempted to create industries and practices that are harmful to the environment, such as allowing the dumping of toxic waste into their rivers and water supplies. These types of policies may attract businesses seeking to improve profits by eliminating environmental constraints, but do nothing to promote the long-term sustainability of the affected region.

Sustainable development advocates work with these emerging nations to point out the benefit of protecting the environment, while at the same time improving their economic position.
Additionally, social policies requiring living wages contribute to sustainability because not only do they ensure the health of the workforce, they also ensure a continued market for the product. The interconnectivity of society, environment and economics is the hallmark of a successful sustainable development initiative, whether across the globe or right here at home.

Local Sustainable Development Issues
Although some environmentalists view their concerns as the most relevant in sustainable development, removing the human link from the equation will quickly result in nonsustainability overall. For example, there is currently a discussion in California over the use of northern California river water for southern California drinking supplies. There is an endangered species of mussel that has entered the aqueduct system and, to protect the animal life, water to the southern half of the state has been greatly reduced until the situation can be studied and the environmental issue resolved. While environmentally friendly, the practice of wholesale reduction in water to millions of people because of one endangered species is not sustainable. If enough time elapses and no solution is found, it will be both economically and socially devastating to over half the population of California. Water suppliers will not be able to sell their water, water consumers will not be able to live, and the overall economy will fail.
Land-use planning is one of the most critical local issues for sustainable development. Local governments survive on effective economic development, i.e. bringing in plenty of businesses that generate rich supplies of sales and property tax. But choosing businesses that can provide economic stimulus without too great a trade-off in the environmental sector is the challenge to local planners. Steps to ensure sustainable land-use development include replacing the habitat of endangered species that might be threatened by the new development, avoiding development during the mating periods of threatened species, installing erosion-control measures for projects under construction to protect the water supply from unfavorable runoff, and making sure that any new development meets the critical three-prong test for sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Is the new business something the community needs? Is it providing an important service? Will it provide jobs for local residents, keeping them closer to home and reducing long commutes? Finally, is the development going to improve the social fabric of the community to the point that any potential environmental factors can be either mitigated or overlooked?

Sustainable Energy Development
The overconsumption of nonrenewable energy sources such as oil and coal is leading to an energy crisis that, unless addressed quickly, has the potential to turn the global economy to shambles;  commerce will eventually revert to the time before the industrial revolution.
Without gasoline to fuel transport trucks and electricity to power manufacturing plants, businesses will find it impossible to operate on a global scale. They will be reduced to local transactions, leaving the less-developed countries of the world to starve, remaining in the economic dark ages.

The development of sustainable energy is occurring, however. Hydro-electric plants have been in place for decades, hybrid fuel vehicles are becoming more and more sophisticated, and the development of biofuels from renewable food crops such as ethanol and biodiesel are advancing every day. From the local standpoint, residents should encourage the building of biofuel stations, now common only in the Midwestern part of the United States. They should also support biofuel agriculture as economic development. Instead of another shopping mall, encourage the local Planning Commission to plan a biofuel farm consisting of switchgrass, algae or soybeans. Buy flex-fuel vehicles that operate on standard gasoline as well as ethanol, and make a point to use the biofuel at least 50 percent of the time.

Making sure that not only the environmental needs of a community are met, but the social and economic needs as well, is crucial to maintaining a healthy community over time. You can do your part by understanding that eco-friendly initiatives are important, while sustainable development initiatives are imperative.

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