Sustainability is about more than just the environment. It’s about the long-term impact of the decisions we make about a whole range of things.
“Sustainability” is usually used in the context of environmental issues these days—for obvious reasons. Climate Change is the result of many previous and on-going decisions, intentional deferments of responsibility, and poor planning. It’s the cumulative effect of an energy economy that transfers carbon stored safely within the earth into the atmosphere where it traps heat and causes all kinds of problems. We’re deriving energy from sources that are both running out and causing damage as we use them. The meaning of “sustainability” is pretty clear in this context.
But sustainability is a consideration in all decision-making and planning. Regardless of the situation, a sustainable solution is one that can be maintained over time with a reasonable amount of effort while not continually diminishing the finite resources needed to keep going.
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