TASED May 1, 2003 What is sustainability?

What does sustainability mean? There are many definitions and disagreements… A commonly cited definition is the Brundtland Commission one: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. ” Farrell & Hart suggest: “improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems.” Seattle, WA: “long-term health and vitality in terms of the cultural, economic, environmental, and social.”

How do we know that something is sustainable? It is very difficult to gauge whether what humans are doing is sustainable. Most data and decision-making focuses on variables such as revenue, energy output, the work that is done with technology, manufacturing yields… variables that reflect the priorities of the organizations, not the real-world effects. By using sustainability indicators, attention can be re-focused on environmental, ecological, or development problems and trends.

What are sustainability indicators? Indicators = a quantitative or qualitative signal that provides information about a physical, social, economic, or ecological reality. Examples: - carbon emissions per capita per year -Toxics Release Inventory chemical release levels -Income disparity between population segments -Numbers of households that have access to safe drinking water Indicators can differ greatly according to who develops them: scientists, engineers, policy-makers, social scientists.

How do we design indicators? The Bellagio Principles of A vision of sustainability appropriate to the place and people. 2.The linkages between economic, social, and environmental development. 3.A process of developing indicators that is open, transparent, and inclusive. 4.Ongoing re-appraisals of the quality of indicators.

What is the place of indicators in sustainable technology? In designing technology for sustainability, it is important to have some measure of how it contributes to sustainable outcomes; how its manufacture and design are themselves sustainable… Farrell & Hart do not mention the role of designers in developing technology for sustainability: they focus on governments and communities. Yet, industry has already developed a variety of indicators. Poor countries have a great lack of data that can be used as sustainability indicators. What does this mean for sustainable technology design? How can you design if you don’t know what sustainability is, or have the data needed?