Sustainability 101
From Ecologic
more to come soon Aquamarine19 14:17, 27 October 2007 (EDT)
(a work in progress...)
Contents |
[edit] All This Talk About "Sustainability"... What is it Anyway?
Sustainability is a buzzword of sorts that appeared about 20-25 years ago and has been floating around in green and related circles ever since. Due to the fact that it is a relatively new term, its formal definition lies in a fog of ambiguity. There are several definitions that have been proposed by various sources, including Newsweek, various nonprofit organizations, state and local municipalities, universities, and thinktanks. At times, it almost seems as though the definition depends on who is speaking. In general, however, one of the more widely accepted definitions states that the concept of sustainability is defined as:
- "the ability of the present generation to meet the current need without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
[edit] Sustainability 101
For a more comprehensive connotation and the various schools of thought on the matter, see Sustainability 101.
[edit] Why Sustainability?
In today's world, global development, unbounded population growth, exponentially growth and demand, environmental contamination and degradation, and other global climate change have brought many concerns to the ability of the human race to endure in a finite globe. The concept of sustainability essentially embodies the idea that if the human race intends to continue in its existence, some very fundamental considerations must be taken to reach an equilibrium "carrying capacity" on the earth. Without a sustainable model for growth within a finite environment, species experience unbounded exponential growth followed by a population crash - sometimes to their own demise and extinction. Up to this point in history, the human population has grown exponentially, and the earth is rapidly approaching it's perceived maximum carrying capacity; some have even argued that it has already been exceeded. Others have estimated that it will be reached within a decade or two at a maximum value of 9.3 billion. Regardless of the maximum value and whenever it is reached - when it happens if the human race is not prepared for an instantaneous global switch to sustainability, many people will die. It our responsibility to act now and start thinking about how our actions affect the world we live and how we can continue to make that interaction a sustainable one.
- Many other colleges and universities in the US, Europe and Japan have made significant strides to promote sustainability - and RPI is not among them - yet.
[edit] OK - How do we become 'Sustainable' ?
For a significant migration toward sustainability to take place, it is necessary to integrate sustainable concepts into the engineering design process across the board. Sustainability affects every industry in the world today and if a move toward it is sought, engineers need to be at the forefront of this migration. As the ESW chapter at RPI, we're dedicated to incorporating sustainable concepts into the engineering education program as well as the internal and external operations of Rensselaer as an institution committed to making a sustainable difference in the world.
