Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
clearly limited. 'Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing
his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons',
writes Hardin (1968: 354). Freedom is the recognition of necessity, complexity,
rights and responsibilities. It is also the key to understanding the importance of
social capital in the sustainable development process: it is in the long-term interest
of everyone to co-operate and work to care for 'the commons' and to share its
benefits.
Extending this insight in his discussion of the sustainability framework The Natural
Step, David Cook, in explaining the connection between human society and nature's
systems, reflects on the direct correlation and connections between the social and
the ecological, and the various consequences that may ensue:
On the one hand, social sustainability's dependence on wider ecological
sustainability is becoming more evident. As we continue to undermine nature's
capacity to provide humans with services (such as clean water and air) and
resources (such as food and raw materials), both individuals and the social
relations between them will be subjected to growing amounts of pressure. Conflict
will grow and public health, personal safety and other negative social factors
will increase in the face of ecological threats and decreased access to nature's
services and resources.
On the other hand, overall ecological sustainability has become dependent on
social sustainability. If a growing number of people are living within a social
system that systematically constrains their capacity to meet their needs, then
participation and investment in that system will break down. The end result of
such socially unsustainable development is rising violence, alienation and anger.
People will place no trust at all in nature once social trust collapses and various
modes of barbarism develop. Conflict, poverty and other forms of social stress
will result in more environmental degradation.
(D. Cook, 2004: 45)
'Social capital' is a term we can use to denote those relationships by which groups
and individuals communicate, network, build trust, enter into dialogue, resolve
conflicts, identify and solve problems, and realize collective and individual potential
as agents of sustainable development. Just as we talk about ecological carrying
capacity, perhaps there is a need, as Roseland (1998) suggests, to speak about and
nurture our 'social caring capacity'. Social networking is part of this and is a key
element in effective sustainable community development (Gilchrist, 2004). Although
locality and a sense of place remain important in fostering community identity and
belonging, social networks invariably extend well beyond one specific geographical
location. The formation of communities based on interest is a means of collectively
empowering oppressed or powerless groups, particularly those associated with gender,
disability, ethnicity, age and/or sexual orientation. Additionally, people who experience
relatively high degrees of social interaction with others often exhibit higher degrees
of contentment than those who do not. The essence of community, then, is to be
found in the nature and qualities of relationships as much as the qualities of a partic-
ular place. The nature of the built environment can, by turn, hinder or enable social
interaction according to the existence or otherwise of places for people to meet and
chat while shopping, walking, working or resting. Wide pavements, traffic-calming
 
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