Hey y’all. Given that this is a blog about sustainability-promoting travel, I believe it would be appropriate to designate my first real post to defining sustainability and sustainable development (there is a difference, I promise!) But before I start, I want to say that there is no universally accepted definition of sustainable development. Although the definition I use later is frequently quoted, there are many other interpretations. There are also those out there that feel “sustainability” is a feel-good catchphrase, void of substance while others feel “sustainable development” is an oxymoron because development unavoidably diminishes and degrades the environment. I strongly encourage you to do research outside of this blog and form your own opinions.
With that in mind, let us begin.
There are numerous sustainability terms, and they are often interchanged or misused. I even sometimes find myself using the wrong version of a word. In fact, I had to go back to my first post and make some corrections. You may have noticed I changed the title from “Lauren D'Silva's Guide to Sustainable Travel: The Chicago Edition” to “Lauren D'Silva's Guide to Sustainability-Promoting Travel: The Chicago Edition” because as it turns out, my use of ‘sustainable’ was incorrect. Below is a list of common sustainability terms and their definitions. Please feel free to refer back to it, as it is easy to confuse their meanings.
Sustain (verb)- to maintain something through time; to keep it going; to extend its duration
Sustaining (adjective)- having the propensity or tendency to sustain or maintain something else
Sustainability (noun)- the ability or capability to sustain something
(adjective)- related to or having to do with sustainability
Sustainability-promoting (adjectival phrase)- something that will work actively to encourage or make it possible to sustain something
Sustainability-oriented/related/focused (adjectival phrase)- related to or having to do with sustainability
Sustainable (adjective)- able to be sustained; durable or able to be maintained
Sustainable development (noun)- development that does not undermined the environment, society, or the economy, locally or globally, now or in the future, and that delivers genuine progress socially, environmentally, and economically.
I want to further distinguish between sustainability and sustainable development. As previously mentioned, sustainability refers to the state at which something is able to be continued, or sustained, undiminished overtime. Essentially, it is the ultimate goal or destination. Sustainable development is the framework or process needed to achieve sustainability. United Nations Brundtland Commission report, “Our Common Future”, defines sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (“Our Common Future”, 1987).
Although many people automatically think of the degradation of natural resources when the topic of sustainable development arises, the environment is just one facet of this complex concept. In fact, there are three “pillars” underneath the “tabletop” of sustainable development: economic development, societal development, and environmental protection, or what many businesses and organizations are referring to as the “triple bottom line”(Please note that when I refer to ‘society’, I am also including ‘culture’ in the same category).
A sustainable economy is one in which long-term jobs provided by locally owned businesses in high-growth industries are created and maintained within the carrying capacity of the environment and improve the quality of human life. In the second half of the 20th century, the world’s population doubled, food production tripled, energy used quadrupled, and overall economic activity quintupled (Board on Sustainable Development and National Research Council, 1999). Historically, there has been a trend that as communities prosper and businesses succeed, the health of the environment suffers. Currently, the environment is being treated as an economic externality. It is essential to find a way to decouple economic growth and environmental devastation. Generally, this can be achieved through enhanced economic management, production, design, new technology, etc.
A sustainable society is one that is virtuous and provides opportunities for every member of the community. A sustainable society provides access to basic human needs such as education, healthcare, work, play, etc. It also recognizes and values the diversity of its citizens. Lastly, a sustainable society thrives within the carrying capacity of the environment. The United States uses 26% of the world’s energy even though we only account for 5% of the world’s population (Donnelly, 2006). To add, even though some may argue that the consumption of people in developing countries is more likely to be sustainable, population numbers are increasing and more individuals are striving to live western lifestyles. It is imperative to educate communities about using and consuming only what is necessary on a global level.
A sustainable environment is one in which the rate of consumption of natural resources is based upon the ability of a resource to be replenished, natural habitats of native species are protected and restored, and the use of toxic chemicals and products are prohibited. The process to achieving this is twofold: 1. Management of the environment, i.e. protecting the atmosphere, oceans, freshwater, land, forests, cultivated land, and preventing extinctions and biological invasions. 2. Management of human consumption, i.e. supervise energy, water, and food, increase the use of renewable resources while decreasing the use of resources altogether, recycle, avoid the use of toxic substances and emission of greenhouse gasses, and reduce waste.
It is important to point out that sustainability in one area leads to sustainability in another. Also, a healthy environment and its resources are essential to a viable economy and flourishing society.
Now that we all have a basic understanding of what sustainability and sustainable development are and how sustainable development is broken down, the next step is to integrate the travel industry. That post will be coming next week. Yahtzee!
References
Board on Sustainable Development, National Research Council, (1999). Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability.National Academic Press.
Donnelly, J . (August 31, 2006). Alarm sounds on US population boom. The Boston Globe.
United Nations General Assembly (1987). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Transmitted to the General Assembly as an Annex to document A/42/427 - Development and International Co-operation: Environment. Retrieved on: 2009-06-13.
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Nice post. I have no doubt that a small percentage of American consumers are willing to pay more for product x if it contributes to sustainable development, but how do you for-see the expansion of this segment? What will be the catalyst that really drives it home? I also find it hard to believe that large corporations have an interest in sustainable development. Our recent spurt in "green" and "eco-friendly" products has been driven by competition and image saving campaigns. If you can sell a bottle of water for $5, you can sell anything.
ReplyDeleteIano,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your question. It is a complex one. I have a theory regarding the catalyst that will expand the segment of individuals that contribute to sustainable development. I think that many people might view my theory as too simplistic but it is solely my personal opinion. I think you are correct in that there is a small percentage of individuals that are willing to pay more for products and services that are sustainable. However, especially in economic times such as these, that percentage, at least to me, seems pretty darn small.
I recently spoke to a lady that runs a sustainable travel agency with her business partner in California. I asked her which segment of the market they receive most of their business from. She answered by saying that with times being so tough, only the wealthy are seeking out their services. Others that are not as financially secure may care about issues of sustainability but not enough where they are willing to spend extra money.
I think that right now the general public is so wrapped up in issues at hand, it’s hard to think far into the future. Unfortunately, I think it will take something catastrophic, such as a long-term water shortage, for most people to really become concerned with the earth’s wellbeing. Moreover, I don’t think anything significant will change until enough people are concerned. Unfortunately, I think many people have a defeatist attitude and feel that no matter how much they individually contribute to sustainability, it won’t make a difference.
Even though I believe you can’t force people to care, there are measures that can be taken to encourage individuals to make green purchases and adopt sustainable practices. I think a great way to do this is through incentive programs. When hybrids first came on the market, those that purchased the more environmentally friendly cars received federal income tax credits. Some businesses have incentive programs for employees that ride public transportation to work or participate in other environmentally conscious behaviors.
I also agree with you in that many large corporations genuinely don’t have an interest in adopting sustainable practices. However, many corporations are responsible for participating in greenwashing, which is disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. Consumers that don’t research the businesses that produce products that are misrepresented as “eco-friendly” or “green” will become victims of the deception. I personally think that as consumers, we should be more educated about the products and services we purchase and the companies we purchase them from.
I think it is important that the government sets nationally recognized standards (much like the standards that are set for a product to be legitimately considered organic) so that it is impossible for just any corporation to claim that their product is “green”, “eco-friendly”, or “sustainable”.
Consumers can also contribute to the cause by making their desire for genuine eco-friendly products known. Smart businesses do market research to find out what kinds of needs and wants their clientele has. The products and services that succeed are the ones that meet those needs and wants. I think that people need to express that they want the products and services they purchase to be environmentally friendly.
Lastly, I believe that the government should offer incentives for businesses that do take the moral road and contribute to sustainable development.
I’d like to open up this discussion to anybody. What do you think is the catalyst that will expand the segment of individuals that contribute to sustainable development and how can we encourage corporations to have an interest in sustainable development?
What ever happened to your sustainability?
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