Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
concept, rooting it in a theory and set of principles, enabling development to be
separated from 'the current exploitative economic paradigm' of economic growth.
All that is required, suggests Johnston, is to articulate sustainability in terms of a
robust set of principles and a practical operational framework relevant to both
personal and organizations' actions.
Perhaps it is the sociologist, Blake Ratner's notion of sustainability as a 'dialogue
of values' which constitutes the most fruitful way of engaging with, and understanding,
the theories, values, perspectives and practices of sustainable development. He
identifies three basic tendencies in sustainable development practice - namely, the
technical, ethical and dialogic. He writes:
The sustainability concept is meaningful, therefore, not because it provides an
encompassing solution to different notions of what is good, but for the way it
brings such differences into a common field of dispute, dialogue, and potential
agreement as the basis of collective action.
(2004: 62)
Sustainable development and sustainability are dynamic concepts and processes.
Meanings and practices change as the world changes, as our skills, knowledge and
capabilities develop, and as communication and dialogue improves. At every spatial
scale, from the neighbourhood to the global level, different interests will come together
and sometimes collide, but it is only through discussion, debate, critical reflection,
learning and dialogue that agreement and action can and will emerge. The achievement
of Rio and Johannesburg summits, and particularly the composition of the genuinely
remarkable document known as
The Earth Charter
(Gorbachev, 2006), could only
have been reached by people listening, talking and learning from one another, and
being willing to do so. Thus, for Baker (2006) it is probably better to talk about
'promoting' rather than achieving sustainable development, for this enables us to
attune ourselves to differing and emerging understandings, timescales and pathways
across the world. The concept, then, is multifaceted because the issues, challenges
and problems we confront are complex, complicated and various. Different countries
exhibit different levels of development, have different values, cultures and traditions
(as do people), are endowed with differing amounts of natural resources and so
have, certainly according to Brundtland, differentiating responsibilities in promoting
and realizing sustainable development goals. Thus, despite all the criticisms of global
summits and partnership projects as being muddled compromises or lost opportunities,
this very heterogeneity has allowed a coming together, and an identification of some
common ground on which to build further action and agreement. In this way,
sustainable development is similar to 'democracy' and 'justice' in being concepts that
can be easily contested or dismissed as being rather woolly. But who would really
want to throw these out?
Summary
Sustainable development is not always easy to grasp. It has a long history that relates
to the care and stewardship of our Earth in the face of its continuing exploitation
by human beings to make their lives materially better. This chapter has attempted to
explore the evolution of the concept and practice of sustainable development by
