What sustainability means

This video illustrates man's ever increasing dependence on non renewable resources. It shows, to our cost, how a lack of concern for sustainability as a guiding part of the everyday lives of everyone on the planet will ultimately have ramifications for us all.

Definitions of sustainability

Anna Hughes has compiled a comprehensive slide show Definitions of sustainability

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What is sustainability and why should knowledge of sustainable practice be the cornerstone of every Otago Polytechnic course?

(Brutland, 1987) defines sustainability as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

This blog will develop over time as I explore notions of sustainable practice and how this impacts on humanity. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1977, 1979) Social Ecological Model, divides factors into four levels: macro-, exo-, meso-, and micro-, and describes influences as intercultural, community, organizational, and interpersonal or individual. It is clear from this model that since we all live within highly interconnected groups (rather like the Russian nesting dolls) it is vital all people consider the ramifications of their behaviour, not only on how it might affect their own life ( a private good) but also the lives of every creature on the planet ( a public good).