Showing papers on "Social sustainability published in 1997"

Sustainability and Intergenerational Justice

Abstract: As temporary custodians of the planet, those who are alive at any given time can do a better or worse job of handing it on to their successors. I take that simple thought to animate concerns about what we ought to be doing to preserve conditions that will make life worth living (or indeed liveable at all) in the future, and especially in the time after those currently alive will have died (‘future generations’). There are widespread suspicions that we are not doing enough for future generations, but how do we determine what is enough? Putting the question in that way leads us, I suggest, towards a formulation of it in terms of intergenerational justice.

A model of urban forest sustainability

Abstract: We present a model for the development of sustainable urban forests. The model applies general principles of sustainabilit y to urban trees and forests. The central tenet of the model is that sustainable urban forests require a healthy tree and forest resource, community-wide support and a comprehensive management approach. For each of these components, we present criteria and indicators for assessing their status at a given point in time. The most significant outcome of a sustainable urban forest is to maintain a maximum level of net environmental, ecological, social, and economic benefits over time. Creation and management of urban forests to achieve sustainability is the long-term goal of urban foresters. The notion of sustainabilit y in urban forests is poorly defined in both scope and application. Indeed, the question of how to define sustainability, and even whether it can be defined, is an open one (9, 12). At a simple level, "a sustainable system is one which survives or persists" (5). In the context of urban forests, such a system would have continuity over time in a way that provides maximum benefits from the functioning of that forest. Since there is no defined end point for sustainability, we assess sustainability by looking backwards, in a comparative manner (5). In urban forests, we measure the number of trees removed against those replanted or regenerated naturally. In so doing, we assess progress towards a system that "survives or persists." Therefore, our ideas of sustainability are "really predictions about the future or about systems ... (5)." This paper presents a working model of sustainability for urban forests. We describe specific criteria that can be used to evaluate sustainability, as well as measurable indicators that allow assessment of those criteria. In so doing, we accept sustainability as a process rather than a goal. As suggested by Kaufmann and Cleveland (12) and Goodland (5), we consider social and economic factors as well as natural science. Goodland believed that "general sustainability will come to be based on all three aspects" (social, economic and environmental). Maser (14) described sustainability as the "overlap between what is ecologically possible and what is societally desired by the current generation", recognizing that both will change over time. Therefore, our approach integrates the resource (forests and their component trees) with the people who benefit from them. In so doing, we acknowledge the complexity of both the resource itself and the management programs that influence it. We also recognize that communities will vary in both the ecological possibilities and societal desires.

The Capital Theory Approach to Sustainability: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract: (1997). The Capital Theory Approach to Sustainability: A Critical Appraisal. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 145-174.

Sustainable community development : principles and concepts

Abstract: Sustainable development is an ongoing, locally directed community process, not a fixed end point. Sustainable community development integrates human values based on the intellect and the intuitive, the material and the spiritual. As a shared vision of social/environmental sustainability within a fluid system devoid of quick fixes, sustainable community development is integrated learning, communication, and work for the benefit of both the present and the future, because today's choices become tomorrow's consequences. Sustainable Community Development is written for those concerned with social/environmental sustainability and the restoration of local communities, including community and government leaders and policy makers, conservationists, business leaders, developers, economists, and academicians.

Agricultural restructuring and sustainability : a geographical perspective

Abstract: SECTION I: Conceptualizing Agricultural Restructuring and Sustainability 11: Sustainable Development: A Critical Review of Rural Land-use Policy in the UK, R Munton 12: Sustainability, Spatial Hierarchies and Land-based Production, C Cocklin, G Blunden and W Moran 13: Greening and Globalizing: Agriculture in 'the New Times', G Robinson SECTION II: Family Farming and Farming Culture 21: Sustainable Technologies, Sustainable Farms: Farms, Households and Structural Change, R Roberts and G Hollander 22: Environmental Change and Farm Restructuring in Britain: The Impact of the Farm Family Life Cycle, C Potter 23: The Construction of Environmental Meanings Within 'Farming Culture' in the UK: The Implications for Agri- environmental Research, C Morris and C Andrews 24: Community-level Worldviews and the Sustainability of Agriculture, J M Curry-Roper SECTION III: Diversification and Alternative Agriculture 31: Rural Re-regulation and Institutional Sustainability: A Case Study of Alternative Farming Systems in England, G Clark, I Bowler, A Crockett, B Ilbery and A Shaw 32: On and Off-farm Business Diversification by Farm Households in England, B Ilbery, M Healey and J Higginbottom 33: Great Plains Agroecologies: The Continuum from Conventional to Alternative Agriculture in Colorado, L A Duram SECTION IV: Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Change 41: Agricultural System Response to Environmental Stress, J Smithers and B Smit 42: Adaptability of Agriculture Systems to Global Climate Change: A Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada Pilot Study, M Brklacich, D McNabb, C Bryant and J Dumanski 43: Agricultural Response to Climate Change: A Preliminary Investigation of Farm-level Adaptation in Southern Alberta, Q Chiotti, T Johnston, B Smit and B Ebel SECTION V: Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Policy 51: Policy, Sustainability and Scale: The US Conservation Reserve Programme, D Nellis, L Harrington and J Sheeley 52: Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue: The Marriage of Agriculture and Conservation in England, N Evans 53: Farmer Reaction to Agrienvironmental Schemes: A Study of Participants in South-West England and the Implications for Research and Policy Development, A W Gilg and M R J Battershill 54: Achieving Sustainability in Rural Land Management Through Landowner Involvement in Stewardship Programmes, S Hilts SECTION VI: Sustainability and Restructuring the Agricultural System 61: Scale Change, Discontinuity and Polarization in Canadian Farm-based Rural Systems, M Troughton 62: Sustainability Issues in the Industrialization of Hog Production in the United States, O J Furuseth 63: Sustainable Agriculture and Its Social Geographic Context in Ontario, G Walker 64: Restructuring for Rural Sustainability: Overcoming Scale Conflicts and Cultural Biases, D Napton

Agriculture, environment, and society : contemporary issues for Australia

Abstract: Part 1 Agriculture and environment in Australia - a critical overview: the history of natural resource use in rural Australia - practicalities and ideologies, S. Dovers an ecological unsustainable agriculture, C. Watson agriculture production and environmental degradation in the Murray-Darling Basin, G. Lawrence and F. Vanclay the semantics of forest cover - how green was Australia?, J. Cary and N. Barr environmental management and capitalist agriculture, B. Furze. Part 2 Social and political aspects of Australian agriculture: the social context of farmers' adoption of environmentally-sound farming practices, F. Vanclay effectiveness of extension strategies, B. Frank and S. Chamala power relations in rural communities - implications for environmental management, I. Gray social aspects of the farm financial crisis, L. Bryant land degradation and rural communities in Victoria - experience and response, S. Stone participatory environmental management in NSW - policy and practice, P. Martin et al. Part 3 Current and future developments - pathways to sustainability?: sustainable agriculture - problems, prospects and policies, I. Reeve farm and catchment planning - tools for sustainability?, A. Campbell the dilemma of conservation farming - to use or not use chemicals, N. Barr and J. Cary the growth of agribusiness - environmental and social implications of contract, D. Burch et al agricultural biotechnologies - ecosocial concerns for a sustainable agriculture, R. Hindmarsh co-operative land management for ecological and social sustainability, P. Cock.

The Crisis of the Earth: Marx's Theory of Ecological Sustainability as a Nature-Imposed Necessity for Human Production

Abstract: Any systematic, forward-looking ecological vision must include three elements: (a) a theory of ecological crisis and its relation to human production; (b) a concept of sustainability as a nature-im...

Sustainability and peasant farming systems: Observations from Zimbabwe

Abstract: Many authors suggest the need to define ‘sustainable development’in operational terms. This paper looks at the problems ofattempting to ask whether peasant farming systems are sustainable.Any attempt at sustainability assessment needs to consider issuesrelated to the selected indicators or performance criteria, spatialscale or boundaries, and temporal scale. While there is certainlya need for more rigorous analysis of sustainability issues, thereis limited outlook for an approach based on indicators. Even if themany purely technical problems associated with specific indicatorscan be surmounted, will accurate bio-physical data advance ourknowledge about sustainability? Peasant systems arepolitically-guided management systems, whose boundaries are the state,not the field or the farm. Given the dynamic nature of peasant farmingsystems, where do we draw the line in assessing sustainability?Attempts at sustainability assessment 100 years ago or even 20–30years ago would have been completely superseded by events. We drawattention to the system as a whole, to a web of interconnections,causes and effects – of varying significance over both time andspace.

Ecological economics of sustainable development

Abstract: Although sustainability became a watchword in recent years, the idea is by no means new. It has a long tradition in various domains ranging from a basic forestry principle, to economic growth and nature conservation objectives, and the present challenge of sustainable development. The latter does not only involve an extremely important transformation of the ecologically based concept of physical sustainability to the context of social and economic development. It implies the necessity for a holistic approach to integrate some basic principles of sustainability that have been developed in economics as well as in ecology. Since none of these traditional concepts is sufficient for sustainable development, which means conservation and change is balanced through an adaptive process, new approaches are required that extend the scope of analysis towards an ecological-economic synthesis. Such an integrated approach must particularly overcome the gap between the schools of weak and strong sustainability, and integrate principles from bio-economics and the economics of environmental conservation, along with comprehensive concepts of needs and wants, social equity, and ecosystem integrity. These are suitably represented in a socio-economic value principle, and usefully formalized in an intertemporal allocation framework with social and ecological sustainability constraints that allow the benchmarking of feasible and viable sustainable development paths. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

A systems approach for assessing sustainability in livestock farms

Abstract: The concept of sustainability is widely used in agriculture. There i, however, a large variability in the interpretation of the meaning of sustainability. The broad understanding in conjunction with the complexity of livestock farming calls for a systems approach. In this paper different interpretation of sustainable agriculture id described and discussed. It is concluded that sustainable agriculture has a major normative dimension and obviously has different meanings for different groups in society. Using sustainability in a system describing concept, one has to be very aware of the normative dimension. With a starting point in farm models previously described in this journal a model is introduced where the farm is shown in the centre and put into perspective with other groups in the whole society. The other group represents different perceptions of sustainable agriculture. These perceptions might be in conflict with each other and/or with the observed farm. The idea is then to analyse and forecast in which direction the dominant perception of sustainability will be moving. It is suggested that this can be analysed be means of the discourse concept, which come from social science. A key point in the model is that the farm is considered as a learning human activity system where the farmer reconsiders or reflects his current management in the light of the change in society. In Denmark the dominant perception of agricultural sustainability has changed towards the environmental issues during the last 20 years. As a consequence of this change different indicators have been developed for the purpose of describing and stimulating self reflection concerning environmental issues at farm level. These environmental indicators are presented and discussed through examples. Finally, an approach including a variety of productions systems (i.e. both conventional and organic farming systems) in conjunction with researchers from a variety of disciplines is described.

Environmental sustainability in the delivery of affordable housing in South Africa

Abstract: Housing delivery systems have been classified as developmentally‐orientated or conventionally‐orientated. It has been claimed that a developmentally‐orientated approach to building procurement would encompass the parameters of community empowerment and participation in design, job creation via the development process, and economically and environmentally‐sustainable procurement (Taylor & Norval 1995). New building procurement systems display an increasing awareness of sustainability, but concentrate on economic and social sustainability, as opposed to environmental sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to document and evaluate the extent to which issues of environmental sustainability have been incorporated in the delivery of affordable housing in South Africa. The paper elaborates on a range of relevant principles for sustainable construction, which incorporate: minimisation of resource use; maximisation of reuse of resources; maximisation of use of renewable and recycled resources; use of non‐toxic materials; protection of nature; achievement of quality criteria; and promotion of labour intensive methods, skills training and capacity enhancement of local people. The authors examine the extent to which the principles of environmental sustainability have been applied, both in practice and in the formulation of South African housing policy. Finally, recommendations are made for the application of criteria for environmental sustainability in the delivery process of affordable housing in South Africa.

Valuing our future : cost-benefit analysis and sustainability

Abstract: This paper takes a first step in formulating approaches to cost-benefit analysis consistent with sustainable development. It reviews the foundations of the customary approach to cost-benefit analysis, with emphasis on its discounted utilitarian roots, and proposes alternative foundations which are more satisfactory in two respects: they place more weight on the future, and they incorporate in a more central manner the services provided by stocks of environmental assets. In some cases, projects will not be ranked by their present values, but by a new concept of sustainable netbene...t. These alternative foundations imply that the calculation of shadow prices may be quite different from the customary approach, which has implications for the conduct of cost-benefit analysis. In particular, shadow prices may reflect in part contributions in the far future which are not discounted. These alternative foundations also imply a distinct approach to a closely-related topic, the measurement of national income. Moving to these alternate foundations is likely to be to increase greatly the calculated economic return on conserving long-lived environmental assets, making a fundamental difference to the economic analysis of issues such as global warming, habitat fragmentation and ecosystem preservation.

Environmental sustainability and information systems: The similarity

Abstract: Application of information technology and environmental planning share two very important characteristics: they are both concerned with planning, evaluating, and directing human activity in a wider context, and this activity is multiaspectual, multimodal, and multidisciplinary in scope. Further, the ideal in both cases is sustainable, long-term activity that brings overall good rather than harm. This paper discusses the multiaspectual nature of environmental sustainability and shows briefly how this understanding can be translated to the field of information systems.

Quality Management and Sustainability

Abstract: In this article, an attempt is made to explain the relationship between sustainability and quality management The authors contend that quality management is an important part of the concept of sustainability; but that sustainability is a broader concep