sustainability

Sundre Residents > Sustainability

What is sustainability?

You hear that word thrown around all of the time and it seems to be related to a number of different topics, from development to the oil sands to recycling your tin cans.

Sustainability is "meeting the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs".

While the word "sustainability" is associated with a variety of topics, they are in fact, all part of the same story, much of which is about supply and demand.

In Alberta, we can see this story unfolding in our increasing:

  • Water consumption
  • Population growth
  • Demand for housing

And in our decreasing:

  • Available freshwater
  • Air quality
  • Affordable housing

While we're experiencing great economic wealth and growth in Alberta, this is also increasing our demand on natural resources and the services that natural systems provide (such as water filtration, flood control, climate regulation and soil stabilization). Alberta's astounding economic growth is also leading to a reduction of pure water, farmland, air, forests and natural diversity.

So, we need to look at the demands we make on nature and natural systems and ensure that people's needs — both this generation and future ones — can still be met.

Thinking about the long term means we have to consider how our actions affect not just ourselves, but our children and grandchildren, our neighbours, our economy and our environment.

But it doesn't have to be difficult. We can start this process right here at home with a thoughtful approach to how and why we make our household decisions. To look at how our household decisions can promote sustainability, first we have to take a look at the big picture.

If we want to be sustainable, we have to ensure that future generations can meet their needs, A group of international scientists have determined the four root causes of how we negatively impact the earth's ability to sustain human society and the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Hundreds of leading corporations and organizations around the world are using these same four root causes to help them make strategic decisions toward sustainability — decisions that reduce financial risk and support innovation.

Four Root Causes

Based on scientific consensus, these are the four root causes of the ways in the which we compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. These are the basic ways in which we are unsustainable:

(1) We dig stuff up (like heavy metals and fossil fuels) out of the Earth's crust and allow it to build up faster than nature can cope with it.

(2) We create man-made compounds and chemicals (like pesticides and plastics etc.) and allow them to build up faster than nature can cope with them.

(3) We continuously damage natural systems and the free services they provide (including climate regulation and water filtration) by physical means (for example over harvesting and paving wetlands).

and

(4) We live in and create societies in which many people cannot meet their basic needs (for example, to find affordable housing).

Five Dimensions

We also have to keep in mind five dimensions when we are talking about sustainability. These five dimensions include all aspects of a sustainable community. They are:

(1) A healthy environment

(2) A strong economy

(3) A vibrant cultural scene

(4) Good governance

(5) A strong social network