Demotech, design for self reliance


Search for

Publications

Here you can find information about Demotech publications and of publications of others that are interesting to our approach.

Translate
Copyright & Open Source

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Please refer to our work and provide us with usefull feedback and comments on our design initiatives.

Liability clause

We cannot be held accountable for injuries incurred during construction or usage of our designs and construction manuals.


...64...

Sustainability Now!: Sustainable Development
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next >


Sustainable Development

By Joel Roszmann
The concept of sustainability as a scientific field of inquiry did not emerge until the mid to late 1980s. Though similar ideas were raised before, they were generally seen as fiction or radical, and did not receive widespread attention. In the proceeding years, "sustainable development", and "sustainability science" have grown strong within academic circles, and have gained widespread political acknowledgment.

Though many definitions attempt to mention related issues of poverty, environmental degradation, economic stability and social cohesion the most accurate definition is arguably that coined at the Bruntland Conference, stating: "that which meets the needs of present generations without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs". Sustainability is often viewed as an interdisciplinary concern, rather than a discipline itself; sustainable development is concerned with all things which the society lives from which are not lasting or renewable. Thus, while a finite oil source may seem the most obvious concern, sustainability is also concerned elsewhere with environmental degradation and degenerative social circumstances like extreme poverty.

Through the discussion of sustainability, a triangle of interest has developed. Sustainability problems tend to be economic, environmental, or social in nature. Often specific problems emerge as a conflict between two or all three of these dimensions (Think of carbon emissions: the world economy depends upon the consumption of oil, personal and political relations are contingent on petroleum use and sale, and it has serious environmental ramifications). Thus, sustainable development is often said to require ballance in each of these broad categories: a stable economic system, lasting social order, and a healthy (or at least resilient) environment. This change of focus sets sustainable development apart from earlier attempts to overcome similar obstacles, as it forces the practitioner to consider the ramifications of actions across sectors as well as across time.

Sustainability science is a brand of "neo-science" which emerged in the late 1990s aimed at addressing the interdisciplinary concerns of sustainability. It advocates a strong cooperation between theorists and practitioners, as well as complex modeling in order to understand global problems. Though sustainability remains low on must political agendas, it has risen to world recognition in a very short time, and continues to show merit as a policy driver in future years. Sustainable development reached a peak of recognition during the founding of the Kyoto protocols, which are heralded as the first multilateral cooperation specifically aimed at questions of sustainability. Few can deny the upcoming importance of sustainability in light of population figures and consumption trends, as finite resources gradually run out for an ever growing group of consumers; however, the form such sustainability will take is very much in question.

What does Demotech Think? To be continued ....


Sustainability Now!: Sustainable Development
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next >