Principles and Concepts of Sustainability - Literature review Example

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability Insert Insert grade Insert April 13, Outline 0 Introduction 2.0 Anoverview of sustainability 2.1 Definition 2.2 Enhancement of sustainability 2.3 Rationale for sustainability in distinct realms 3.0 Fundamental principles and concepts of sustainability 4.0 Measurement of sustainability 5.0 Sustainability dimensions 6.0 Conclusion Sustainability 1.0 Introduction Sustainability acts as an instrument that aids in the maintenance of all systems in existence in an ecological setup. The capacity for systems to endure for a long time denotes sustainability; for instance, the biological systems like forests and wetlands continued productivity and diversity is a rationale for well-sustained systems. The maintenance potential in the surrounding situations and circumstances denotes human sustainability. Far beyond the maintenance of systems on earth and humans, sustainability entails also the prevalence of situations and conditions that govern the existence of systems. Generally, sustainability is a measurable entity in terms of biodiversity change due to human globalization and population in addition to the concept of carrying capacity. Social, economic, and environmental dimensions are also studied in the sustainability context due to the role that they play in human life, as well as the existing natural systems. A lot of empirical research has been conducted by researchers and scholars, but no research has exhausted sustainability realms (Liebert 11). 2.0 An overview of sustainability The recent decades have seen rampant entities desire to partake from sustainability, owing to the transformation of natural and artificial systems into volatile entities. 2.1 Definition The period ranging from the 1980 is marked by the relationship of sustainability to the Earth and its sustenance of humans; however, recent proofs have brought about its relationship with all other natural and artificial systems. This has led to the interlude with the sustainable development in the recent developments, which entails the fulfillment of present requirements alongside eradication of future generation compromise. The history of sustainability dates back to the period when human civilizations started to dominate the ecology, believing that transitions must have a way in the same. Thus, the developing societies have perceived the aspect as that which entails progress in a particular society, mainly marked by the occurrence of conflicts, which some were solved and acted as a rationale for sustainability and others remain unsolved, thus declining sustainability (Ott Konrad 59). 2.2 Enhancement of sustainability Effective Planning is a long-term strategy that would enhance the sustainability of all systems. Vibrant mixed-utilization of high-density national centers and societies development should be duly enabled. Additionally, the mobility realms improvement would act as a rationale to the enhancement of sustainability. Investments directed towards a quality establishment of infrastructure of public transit, which is easily accessible should be emphasized on. In addition, excellent quality bicycle and pedestrian passage should be considerably improved. Phone cell notifications from signage should be utilized in the improvement of mutual connectivity and enhancing rich sources of information. Moreover, the overall economy should be intervened in every state in the world, as a prerequisite to the development of sustainability in addition to unlimited support of businesses both local and international as artificial sustainability systems should be a key step (Ott Konrad 67). 2.3 Rationale for sustainability in distinct realms Sustainability is a major step towards ensuring the efficiency of resources in regard to its integration with options of mobility. Sustainability planning processes impact by creating room for ample choices of transportation, sense of belonging and places and foster public automobiles in place of private entities. Protection of regional agriculture and projects as well as wildlife ecology and cut-off points is promoted. The overall benefit of sustainability is the unlimited endurance of natural and artificial systems, a factor that makes them productive entities over a long time (Ott Konrad 63). 3.0 Fundamental principles and concepts of sustainability Sustainability frameworks and philosophies are built upon distinct fields as well as disciplines. The concepts are the basic models that are utilized in the sustainability realms, while principles are duly applied in the development of ample sustenance strategies. The most crucial principle and concept entails the management of sustainability via rampant scales and contexts. Time is a long-term factor that measures the level of endurance of a system or an individual. Sustainability clauses are monitored in terms of what has taken place and at which time, for effectiveness in measurement of the ideal impacts. Space scales are also fundamental, since all biological and human systems occupy space on earth. In addition, even the developing systems as a result of sustainable development occupy more space, leading to systems overcrowding that has major rationales on the global realms. Nevertheless, the environmentalist author, Daniel Botkin states, “we see a landscape that is always in flux, changing over many scales of time and space” (Ott Konrad 59). On the other hand, sustainability is linked to the principle of consumption. Ranging from human, systems and sustainable developments are major areas of consumption. The rapidly growing population is a major consumer of natural resources, leading to the destruction and change of the existing natural systems. The human consumers have recently embarked on exploiting every type of a natural resource due to globalization requirements. The resources sometimes get exhausted and can no longer hold an ample carrying capacity. Technological advancements have taken a large platform in the recent globalization trends. These great consumers are a rationale to a large context of study of sustainability (Beddoe, et al 2359). 4.0 Measurement of sustainability The quantitative basis of sustainability management is a measurement found ample in the weighing of advancement levels of sustainability. There are major occurring evolutions in the development of metrics that are best in the measurement of sustainability. The metrics are crucial in monitoring the social, environmental, as well as economic dynamics. Among those still evolving are suitable benchmarks, indicators, indexes, accounting and assessments in addition to the other reporting systems and appraisals. The application of these measurements is widely on temporal and spatial scales. Triple-bottom line accounting, reporting of sustainability and the sustainable governance estimates for individuals and systems are some of the most commonly utilized measures. Their measurements are based on environmental performance or sustainability indexes (Beddoe, et al 2359). The long-term sustainability measurements are based on the population. Certainly, developed countries are known to be in possession of large populations, which require a lot of resources exploitation and utilization in order for them to be counted among enduring entities. The larger the population, the more the principle of consumption takes pre-eminence leading to high demands of sustainability. The developed countries have also acquired high technological levels, thus leading to arising needs for sustainability maintenance in terms of time and space scales. The carrying capacity is also a term of measurement for sustainability. This is utilized in denoting the number of individual entities in an ecological set up. These entities are very crucial components in determining the level of systems sustenance. Biodiversity as a result changes modelled by the human beings is also an ample measurement strategy in the sustainability of systems. Vast changes have occurred in the natural ecology due to the influence of human activity aimed at ensuring maximum resources exploitation to meet the globalization requirements (Beddoe, et al 2400). 5.0 Sustainability dimensions Sustainability success is based upon environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The development of equitable and resilience sustainability is attributed to the wellbeing of the environmental set up. The environment is interplay of the atmospheric water systems, human consumption management, use of land and the energy production and utilization. The prevailing environment is the overall determinant of the success of the social and the economic ideals. The atmospheric conditions play a pivotal role in the determination of seasons for natural resources exploitation. It is also in areas favourable environmental conditions that economic stabilization is achieved. The freshwater systems sustainability houses the animal diversity and satisfies human domestic, transport, industrial developments and ultimately leading to the wellbeing of the urban developments (Norton 304). The economic dimensions are along term determinants of the level of sustainability in both the natural and artificial systems. These encompass the agrarian boosts, industrial advancements, urban developments as well as the technological disciplines. The recent years have seen many countries hunger for globalization, resulting in the vast exploitation of natural resources meant for fostering economic boost. Technological advancement requirements have made it possible for countries in the Asian continent result in effecting negatively on the environmental set up. The transport development has made it possible transformation in the diversity of the natural ecosystem, to an extent of interfering with the natural biology of the earth. The recent agrarian boosts in the developing world have led to the sustenance of the natural systems. The wellbeing of the environment and the economic dimension paves way for successful social dimensions. Peace, security, and justice are promoted whenever sustainability is in prevalence. The human settlements in the in the social context should be carefully monitored to enhance best sustainability grounds. Human relationships to nature are a crucial area of consideration, since the recent periods have seen the market relationships, conflicts, and capitalism issues impact greatly on systems sustainability (Norton 306). 6.0 Conclusion Sustainability acts as an instrument that aids in the maintenance of all systems in existence in an ecological set up. The recent decades have seen rampant entities desire to partake from sustainability, owing to the transformation of natural and artificial systems into volatile entities. Enhancement of sustainability is today seen as a logical step, for its rationales are ample to the economic development. Triple-bottom line accounting, reporting of sustainability and the sustainable governance estimates for individuals and systems are some of the most commonly utilized measures. Sustainability success is based upon environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Nevertheless, sustainability is an ample measurement index for systems continuity in order that strategic measures are developed in the ecological set up balance. Works Cited Beddoe, Rachael et al. "Overcoming systemic roadblocks to sustainability: The evolutionary redesign of worldviews, institutions, and technologies." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. PNAS, February 24, 2009. 15 April 2011. http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/Beddoe%20et%20al%202009pnas.pdf. Liebert, Mary A. Sustainability. NY: Bib. Orton IICA / CATIE. 1992. Norton, Bryan. Sustainability: a philosophy of adaptive ecosystem management. CA: University of Chicago Press, 2005. Ott, Konrad. "The Case for Strong Sustainability. Greifswald’s Environmental Ethics. Greifswald: Steinbecker Verlag Ulrich Rose. N.d. 15 April 2011. http://umwethik.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/booklet/8_strong_sustainability.pdf. Read More