A Conceptual Understanding for Sustainability Philosophy
(Section Summary)

Uncertainties about the world around us, as well as the contradictions many of them pose, suggest why debates about sustainable development often are reduced so quickly into disputes about whether or not continued material growth and consumption are feasible in what some perceive as a world with limited resources (Flint and Houser, 2001). Moving towards sustainability demands better understanding of complex, intertwined, and dynamic conditions. These perspectives are easy to talk about but as Gibson (2006) notes, it is extremely difficult to comprehend the complexity of the topic and take action. Therefore, it becomes important for us to take advantage of the power of conceptualizing (being able to visualize via diagrammatic illustrations) the theoretical underpinnings of sustainability as a foundation for supporting cross-cutting actions that will best serve beneficiaries. An ethic of sustainability can be promoted more confidently from visualizing and understanding the interconnections that affect the concept. A conceptual diagram of three overlapping circles is used to help visualize the interconnectedness of modern humanity's economics within the dictates of its ecological and societal (human) bases of support, emphasizing that material gains alone are not adequate measure of human well-being (Gibson, 2002). By this model we are guided to operate under the rubric of sustainable action in which any project that focuses its efforts with an intended sustainable outcome, means it strives to link economic, social, and environmental parts of the community to strengthen its overall fabric. Once the overlap and integration of elements are identified, accepted, and used as a mode of operation in problem-solving design and implementation, people can begin working collectively, extending the area of overlap and integration demonstrated in the Sustainability Model.

Although it is true that all life depends on natural resources (Wackernagel and Rees, 1996) and that society is unavoidably dependent upon environmental conditions friendly to human life (Gibson, 2002), economy and society are no less important to humanity than ecology. This overall relationship however, is most accurately depicted as a "directionality" of dependence (Flint, 2004), where economic and cultural activities are integrated into natural processes in a cyclic fashion so as not to degrade the environment upon which economic prosperity and social stability rest. The totality of the human economy is measured by the total number of people multiplied by their resource consumption and waste. Thus, there is consistently a dependence of economic activity on human and natural resources (Daly, 1996).

The brilliance of sustainable development is its demand for seeing things as interconnected and interdependent. The greatest power of the sustainability concept lies in its emphasis on integration – its ability to provide a bridge between disciplines and interests, between the pieces of the whole and the whole itself (Hodge, 2004). Traditional problem-solving has always fallen short in this regard. For societies to act sustainably, they must first be aware of what sustainability is and theoretically understand its intentions with regards to “looking for links and seeking mutually reinforcing gains” in all sectors (Gibson, 2006). Being able to visualize the concepts can promote this public understanding. .......... read more!

This is just a summary. If you wish to purchase the COMPLETE narrative of this section of the Manifesto, or the entire Sustainability Manifesto publication, go to GET THE MANIFESTO.

Return to the Sustainability Manifesto main page.