Please can you respond to this one in the next week.
Over the years 'Sustainable Development' has remained quite difficult to define. Milne (1998 p35), for instance, described sustainable development as a '...rather slippery concept'.
The classic definition from 1988 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) is,
'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'
Redclift (1989) pointed out the contradictions in this definition. There are those who consider ecological criteria as the most important element in sustainable thinking and those who view 'human progress' as of paramount performance- with the latter group concentrating on the continuity of development and the maximisation of economic benefits on a sustainable basis.
There are others that merely say that sustainability is 'making things last' and what is being made durable is an ecosystem, an economy, a culture, an industry, an ethnic grouping and so on.
As we have discovered on this module the concept of 'sustainability' underpins a significant amount of decision-making by both private organizations, public institutions and government. We have looked at the UK Government Sustainability Strategy and we have seen the indicators that demonstrate to what extent sustainable growth is being achieved.
We have discussed issues related to 'sustainability' on a fortnightly basis on this blog.
Well this is the last one.
What do you think are the main threats to securing sustainability in the future in this country?
Suggest 'half a dozen' (a loose quantitative term) reasons as to why we might not achieve our goals. Try to steer clear of the ecological definitions and think about the broader definitions of SD.
Good (last) blogging
Over the years 'Sustainable Development' has remained quite difficult to define. Milne (1998 p35), for instance, described sustainable development as a '...rather slippery concept'.
The classic definition from 1988 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) is,
'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'
Redclift (1989) pointed out the contradictions in this definition. There are those who consider ecological criteria as the most important element in sustainable thinking and those who view 'human progress' as of paramount performance- with the latter group concentrating on the continuity of development and the maximisation of economic benefits on a sustainable basis.
There are others that merely say that sustainability is 'making things last' and what is being made durable is an ecosystem, an economy, a culture, an industry, an ethnic grouping and so on.
As we have discovered on this module the concept of 'sustainability' underpins a significant amount of decision-making by both private organizations, public institutions and government. We have looked at the UK Government Sustainability Strategy and we have seen the indicators that demonstrate to what extent sustainable growth is being achieved.
We have discussed issues related to 'sustainability' on a fortnightly basis on this blog.
Well this is the last one.
What do you think are the main threats to securing sustainability in the future in this country?
Suggest 'half a dozen' (a loose quantitative term) reasons as to why we might not achieve our goals. Try to steer clear of the ecological definitions and think about the broader definitions of SD.
Good (last) blogging
