What Is it? How do you do it? SUSTAINABILITY What Is it? How do you do it?

Precursors Preservation: which is basically to keep everything the same

Conservation “Planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect” One problem is that people use Preservation and Conservation interchangeably. But, it does involve the idea of use of the resource, but under very controlled circumstances. Wise Use

Sustainability The term really came into common use following the publication of “Our Common Future,” by the UN.

Sustainability A Commission, headed by the Prime Minister of Norway, reported to the UN in 1988: "Over the course of the 20th century the relationship between the human world and the planet that sustains it has undergone a profound change ....... major, unintended changes are occurring in the atmosphere, in soils, in waters, among plants and animals, and in the relationships among all of these.  The rate of change is outstripping the ability of scientific disciplines and our current capabilities to assess and advise. It is frustrating the attempts of political and economic institutions, which evolved in a different, more fragmented world, to adapt and cope ........ To keep options open for future generations, the present generation must begin now, and begin together, nationally and internationally.

Sustainability They came up with a definition that has been used endlessly since then: It implies that What we do today should not limit the options of those who come after us. At its most basic level, sustainable means  "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs ." But it does require that we think about the future consequences of our daily actions. It is a form of the concept of “Stewardship,” in which things are held by us in trust, not simply for our own indulgent use.

Sustainability Unfortunately, we don’t. Sustainability is a “long-term” concept, and politics, economics, and simple human selfishness do not work that way. Study after study have shown that people do not consider future generations It seems they have a hard time considering their own children much of the time.

Sustainability The concept of “Posterity” is not very strong with many people. Great artists provide us with timeless treasures

What did Posterity Ever do For Me? Sustainability But most people agree with Sam Goldwyn, who said: What did Posterity Ever do For Me?

Operationalizing the idea How exactly would you apply this idea? Even with conservation and preservation, we usually do those things because they bring us pleasure now: Looks like a good place for a dam Right There.

Sometimes Sustainability Triumphs This little creature is the Snail Darter It is an endangered species, and because of this it prevented a major dam being built. Why? Enough people valued its survival.

earnings of your capital, How Do You Make It Work? You would have to assess (a) whether you are using up a non-renewable resource, and if so what happens to the folks when it runs out? (b) are you causing damage that future generations will have to cope with? Are you treating Nature as Income or Capital? Or do you live from the earnings of your capital, your "income?" Everything you have is under the bed, and you use it as you need it... Until it's gone

The Politics of Sustainability Politicians have a very short “time horizon,” i.e. the next election. Plus, they know that there are no votes in things that bring benefits years down the road using taxpayer dollars Plus, the public responds to crisis, not dreamy views of the future.

Take Energy We are using up fossil fuels. That, in itself, is undeniably unsustainable. But how can you have “sustainable use” of fossil fuels? Well, by making sure that you are developing alternatives at the same time as you are using them. It does not mean you stop using them.

Ultimately It is a way of thinking, and then everything else will follow. Right now, we do not think that way, and will change only in a crisis.