I've had my students in Environmental Policy and Environmental Economics
discuss 'sustainable development' for some time. While my students tend to
be a rather conservative lot, they more or less agree that while
'sustainable development' may have some political value, as either a policy
or economic concept it lacks rigor. This has not detered my department from
offering courses in 'Sustainability' however.
I can't find it now, but a recent reference to sustainable development
mentioned 'sustainable growth?' Now there is a concept with real problems.
sb
"It would have been surreal,
but I think surrealism is illegal
in Iowa."
Jerry Shriver
http://portfolio.du.edu/sbissell
>From: Duncan East <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "Discussion forum for environmental ethics."
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Sustainable Development?
>Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:31:39 +0100
>
>Hi All,
>
>In my corner of the word 'sustainable development' went out of favour a few
>years ago for much the same reasons as you sight in that it had been
>adopted
>by economists, politicians and business to mean that growth could continue
>at current rates but in some way without impacting on the 'environment'.
>'Factor four' doubling production while halving consumption and all that.
>It was replaced with plain 'sustainability' and sustainable communities to
>try and get away from that 'growth' element but it's word that can mean
>almost anything you want it to so doesn't help to much.
>
>What's really depressing is that local government in the South East of
>England have now abandoned 'sustainability' and are jumping on the climate
>change bandwagon. The terminology of choice is now 'low carbon' which
>ignores a huge range of impacts like social justice, biodiversity,
>environmental degradation etc etc.
>
>I'm finding the whole focus on carbon management and carbon footprinting a
>significant step backward and oversimplification but if anyone has an
>alternative view I'd be interested in hearing it.
>
>Duncan
>
>Duncan East
>Senior Environmental Business Advisor
>The Business Division of the Environment Centre (tEC)
>Registered Office: 14-15 Brunswick Place, Southampton, SO15 2AQ
>Tel: 023 80336199
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>Website: http://www.environmentcentre.com
>Registered Charity in England & Wales No. 1031482
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