Practicing sustainabilityThis is a featured page

What does it mean to be "sustainable"? A commonly used definition is found In the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. It describes sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". In a similar definition, the U.K. government says the goal of sustainable development is "to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations."

These definitions are not operational, so how does a person or group "practice sustainability"?

In "The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practices", authors Sarah James & Torbjorn Lahti provide four guiding objectives (or principles). When used by anyone at any level to make a decision, they lead toward sustainability. They are (paraphrased):
  1. Eliminate dependence on scarce fossil fuel, metals, and minerals.
  2. Eliminate dependence on persistent chemicals and synthetic substances.
  3. Eliminate encroachment on natural resources such as land, water, wildlife, soil, forest, ecosystems.
  4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently.
Forum for the Future (or SIGMA) suggests that organizations pursue sustainability by actively managing and enhancing (1) natural capital (the environment), (2) human capital (people), (3) social capital (relationships and structure), (4) manufactured capital (fixed assets), and (5) financial capital. Sustainability is achieved by living off the income rather than by degrading the capital itself.

Referred to as the 3 P's or 3 E's, the Triple Bottom Line requires looking at the impact of decision-making on Economy/Profit, Environment/Planet, and Equity/People, says Bob Willard in The Sustainability Advantage.

This portion of the site is organized around types of practices that can be more sustainable. On each of these pages, you may ask a question about the topic, provide information to answer a question, or contribute to a threaded discussion on the topic. The pages are monitored by the Fire Souls team.



How would the world look if everyone lived like you? Play the game of

Consumer Consequences.


Practicing sustainability - Fond du Lac Fire Souls


Watch EARTH 2100 on ABC.

"If we continue on this trajectory, experts say, over the next 100 years the 'perfect storm' of population growth, resource depletion and climate change will converge with catastrophic results. Bob Woodruff hosts this program shown on June 2nd.


DianaHT
DianaHT
Latest page update: made by DianaHT , Jun 9 2009, 2:14 PM EDT (about this update About This Update DianaHT Edited by DianaHT


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Keyword tags: sustainable practice
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Anonymous Old Batteries 4 Jun 2 2009, 9:05 PM EDT by JohnMorris
 
Thread started: Apr 26 2009, 7:51 AM EDT  Watch
Where can I recycle old batteries? I know you shouldn't throw them in the garbage but they are piling up! Please help!
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earthangel111 Sustainability and New Green Earth 0 Apr 1 2009, 8:47 AM EDT by earthangel111
Thread started: Apr 1 2009, 8:47 AM EDT  Watch
To cut to the chase because that's what I do.... If you are on this site, you know what sustainability means. It does not need to be defined. Either you use the word or you choose another word that fits your vocabulary. I would like to see many things accomplished in Fond du Lac over the next few years, hopefully by 2010, worst case 2012. We know what to do folks! We know that buying organic, local or growing your own garden in your back yard is better yet. We know the use of pesitcides needs to end start with your back yard. Add a rain barrel or two for watering our gardens. Add native plants and trees for ourselves, Wisconsin, our environment and for the animals. Solar power and PV or Photovoltaic is important and our next step. We know to ride a bike or driving a more economical vehicle or a hybrid. Attend the MREA this year if you already haven't. We need to offer or recycle businesses and homes OR return the earth the way that it should be. We could add jobs to our community by inviting Solar Power and Photovolatiac or Wind Power makers into our community and say, hey we have this empty building over here and we know that it would be great to make your parts. We could find a subdivision that is in foreclosure, tear it down piece by piece, recylce the pcs and return the earth to what she once was therefore creating jobs and helping the earth. We need to start to create more local stores where we can get our needs met. We can talk and talk and talk and talk, but the minute we do something then it will change. Not until then. We could spend days, hours, weeks discussing "sustainability". In all reality it does not matter what word you use - - WE just KNOW it needs to be done. I believe this site is to help give people ideas on what they want to create for Fond du Lac, for Mother Earth, for all beings. Now let's get to it! Where do you want to start?
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DAQ1000 define "sustainability" 2 Feb 2 2009, 6:07 PM EST by DianaHT
Thread started: Feb 1 2009, 2:41 AM EST  Watch
This term----"sustainability" is not clear. Give a real definition of the term. A good definition is NOT one which uses terms like "guiding objectives" as shown on the page titled PRACTICING SUSTAINABILITY.
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Adobe Portable Document Format SustainabilityNewsletterOct07.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 92k)
posted by brachman   Sep 17 2008, 11:53 AM EDT
The UWEX sustainability team Fall 07 newsletter