Sustainable Development

A philosophy and set of behaviors that strive to find methods of maintaining current quality of life while simultaneously minimizing the degradation of environmental and social systems to perpetuate these systems for future generations. The term “sustainable development” is sometimes generally associated with the stewardship of natural resources and preservation of wildlife habitats. Certainly wise and judicious use of energy and other products, and maintaining a balanced approach to the exploitation of ecosystems, is one of the core goals of the philosophy, but the concept is considerably broader than just these objectives and extends beyond just environmental concerns. Indeed sustainable development is a holistic notion designed to achieve a state of equilibrium between development and conservation across the spectrum of human experience. Advocates of sustainability seek to avoid the pitfalls and degradational consequences of the tragedy of the commons, a situation in which a resource is mismanaged and potentially lost because of a lack of communal oversight and concern. Both raising awareness and implementing practice are vital to achieving sustainability, and the United Nations has been a strong proponent of the concept, especially through the vehicle of the UN Earth Summit meetings held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and Johannesburg in 2002. The meeting in Rio generated Agenda 21, a detailed set of objectives meant to promote and highlight the potential benefits of sustainability, as well as to articulate mechanisms for reaching an equilibrium of production and consumption economically, ecologically, and socially.