Sustainability--An Important Concept

[S.Annadana]

An important concept that we as Urban Planners often discuss and work to apply in the planning process is that of "sustainability". What exactly is meant by the term "sustainability"? The United Nations broadly defines it as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. " Let's think about that for a minute. Development in this case refers to how we are using land and resources on this planet both on the macro and micro scales. So we must continually ask our selves on both levels, "Are the things we (I'm) doing to meet our (my) needs compromising the ability of future generations to support themselves (in terms of food production, air quality, water availability, etc)?

For example, on the macro scale, lets talk about food production. In the United States and around the world, farmland is disappearing do to sprawling human development and desertification (resulting from poor farming practices). Also, many farmers use synthetic chemicals and pesticides which not only damage the soil over time, but create what are called "dead zones" in river delta's. These "dead zone's are so nutrient rich that oxygen literally is sucked out of the water, making it impossible for most aquatic life to live. But the point is, our current world-wide farming practices are not "sustainable" because they jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Fifty years down the road, will be able to produce enough food to feed the world's population? There are sustainable farming techniques that are slowly being employed. One way, is through organic farming. Organic farming doesn't use synthetic, man-made chemicals or fertilizers but rather uses things that are "natural" in food production.

So what about on the micro/individual scale? (1) Buy organic. When you buy organic, you are supporting farming techniques that are "sustainable". Increasing market demand for organic foods will help farmers make the switch to organic farming. Plus, you are eating something that wasn't sprayed with pesticides or grown with man-made chemicals! (2) Grow your own fruits and vegetables. This helps make the land you own productive and helps make you more self-reliant (which is excellent emergency preparedness). (3) Buy local. Supporting local farmers will help them keep their farms profitable, thus reducing the temptation to sell out to developers. (It also reduces the amount of oil used to bring the product to the market).

Food production is just ONE issue regarding the concept of sustainability and I hope it helped make the idea clear. The fact of the matter is, though, we all need to think about the resources we use (or waste). How can I reduce my demand and minimize waste? How can I maximize the resources I am using? How am I using resources that are finite (like oil)? What effects are my consumer habits having the environment? How can change my habits to habits that are more sustainable? There's A LOT to think about in those regards.

Living in the Last Days, we are constantly witnessing the devastation brought on by non-sustainable human development practices (including natural disasters). Mormon prophets from the beginning have encouraged the wise use of the earth's resources and I think we as Latter-day saints are greatly failing in this regard. The modern prophets have also encouraged us to be prepared for emergencies. When our lifestyle habits are truly sustainable, we are not only helping ourselves, but the communities in which we live become greater prepared for emergencies.

The Urban Planner: Sustainability--An Important Concept