Ecological sustainability
| Ecological sustainability |
|---|
| See also |
Ecological sustainability is an approach to decrease our influence on the environment and people's health to a level that the natural ecosystem and humankind can manage. One way we can achieve it, is as proposed in the Crisis or opportunity?(...) article and it reads as follows : "Sustainable degrowth may be interpreted as an equitable downscaling of production and consumption that increases human wellbeing and ecological conditions at the local and global level, in the short and long term (Schneider F., Kallis G., Martinez-Alier J., 2010)."
The adjective sustainable does not imply that degrowth should be supported endlessly (which would be impossible) but rather that the method of change/conversion and the end-state should be sustainable in the thought of living environmentally and socially beneficial. The paradigmatic suggestion of degrowth is consequently that individual progress without economic increase is achievable (Schneider F., Kallis G., Martinez-Alier J., 2010).
Forums discussing ecological sustainability
The World Conservation Strategy from 1980, displaying one of the most promising improvements that utilise a goal-oriented plan for political change regarding ecological sustainability (Allen R., 1980). The paper marked a fundamental strategy shift for the global preservation movement. The traditional focus became restorative rather than Prevention, strengthening the increasing leaning on the assimilation of conservation and evolution aims that are key to an ecologically sustainable culture. Specifically, the attention on wildlife preservation drifted into a matter for wider forces corrupting the natural ecosystem. It supports the strategies of sustainable growth and discusses the environmental interests introduced by economic development choices with a format that targets a broad audience. There are three main protection aims:
- Sustaining essential biogeochemical cycles and life-support methods
- Protecting genetic diversity
- Practising sustainable management of species and ecosystems (Smith S., 1995)
References
- Allen R. P., (1980), How to Save the World: Strategy for World Conservation, Barnes and Noble Books,
- Chen A. J. W.,Boudreau M.,Watson R.T., (2008), Information systems and ecological sustainability, Emerald Group Publishing Limited,
- Dasgupta P., Levin S., Lubchenco S., (2000), Economic Pathways to Ecological Sustainability:Challenges for the New Millennium, "BioScience", 50,
- Dunphy D. C., Griffiths A., Benn S., (2003), Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability: A Guide for Leaders and Change Agents of the Future, Psychology Press,
- Lawn P. A., (2000), Toward Sustainable Development: An Ecological Economics Approach, CRC Press, USA
- Lemons J., Westra L., Goodland R., (2013), Ecological Sustainability and Integrity: Concepts and Approaches, Springer Science & Business Media,
- Northrop R. B., Connor A. N., (2016), Ecological Sustainability: Understanding Complex Issues, CRC Press,
- Schneider F., Kallis G., Martinez-Alier J., (2010), Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability. Introduction to this special issue, "Journal of cleaner production", 18,
- Smith S., (1995),Ecologically Sustainable Development: Integrating Economics, Ecology, and Law, "Willamette Law Review", 31.
Author: Gabriela Zabawa
