Sustainability in context LO10635

Tony Meppem (ameppem@metz.une.edu.au)
Tue, 22 Oct 1996 11:00:32 +1000

I am a member of the New England (Australia) Ecological Economics Group
and I am researching sustainable regional development. This research has
led me to at least try and get the concept of sustainability clear for
myself. The Brundtland definition is the most widly accepted ' meet the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.' The general acceptance of this
definition is largely due to its vaugeness; get acceptance largely because
it means different things to different people. Will depend on your point
of view of the potential of technological progress and the regenerative
capacity of the environment in addition to views on equity and welfare and
other things.

Sustainability is used over a wide range of contexts from sustainable
growth (?) to pristine environments; rather than in the context of a
process which would seem to offer some hope for moving forward in the
debate. The following describes my attempt at articulation:

Sustainability describes a state that is in transition constantly.

* the activity or objective of sustainability is not to win or
lose and the intention is not to arrive at a particular point.

* the approach can be said to have been applied to any activity in
which explicit account is taken of perspective (worldview, mindset), this
implicitely requires participation (dialogue).

* success is determined retrospectively, so the emphasis is no
longer on forward looking sights or mindsets, things are viewed more from
a systems perspective.

I have found quantum and complexity to create much the same problems of
definition as sustainability. Collectively these appear to be more concept
words with necessarily vague boundaries that relate to a systems
worldview. The sustainability debate has grown in the socio-economics
literature with little attention being given to defining context. This is
in contrast to much of the new science literature on quantum and
complexity which places strong effort on context to articulate a new world
view. It has been suggested that information in context is the comparative
advantage of the future; so that perhaps it is time for the sustainability
debate to focus on the context of use of sustainability to avoid the
current confusion regarding its application.

I a postgraduate student and would welcome feedback on these thoughts.

Regards

Tony Meppem

CWPR (EE)
University of New England
Armidale 2351
Australia
ameppem@metz.une.edu.au

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ameppem@metz.une.edu.au (Tony Meppem)
 


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