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Environmental Sustainability Journal of Environmental Sustainability Volume 1 | Issue 1 Article 2 2011 Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals John Morelli Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/jes Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Environmental Design Commons Recommended Citation Morelli, John (2011) "Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals," Journal of Environmental Sustainability: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2. DOI: 10.14448/jes.01.0002 Available at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/jes/vol1/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Environmental Sustainability by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals John Morelli Rochester Institute of Technology [email protected] ABSTRACT: While acknowledging the need for “sustainability,” this paper summarizes the problems that have been encountered in our understanding and use of this concept. It explores the efforts of others to define the concept within the context of specific disciplinary areas and sets forth a proposal for a basic understanding of the term “environmental sustainability” as an expansion of our common perception of the nature of human activity so as to more clearly connect it with the ecological concept of interdependence and to serve as a goal for environmental managers. KEYWORDS sustainability. In “The Concept of Environmental Defining Sustainability, Ecological Services, Sustainability,” Robert Goodland substantiates Environmental Sustainability, Goals of the a history documenting this need, presenting Environmental Professional, Principles of proponents ranging from Mill and Malthus to Environmental Sustainability Meadows and Brundtland et al., and puts forth a definition of “environmental sustainability I. INTRODUCTION as the maintenance of natural capital” and as a concept apart from, but connected to, both social In the middle of the 20th century, we saw our planet sustainability and economic sustainability. These from space for the first time… From space, we see arguments are not repeated here but rather accepted a small and fragile ball dominated not by human as valid, supported, and used as a basis from which activity and edifice but by a pattern of clouds, to proceed to further develop this concept. oceans, greenery, and soils. Humanity’s inability to fit its activities into that pattern is changing planetary The problems with “sustainability” systems, fundamentally. Many such changes are accompanied by life-threatening hazards. This new On October 6, 2010, the US Federal Trade reality, from which there is no escape, must be Commission (FTC) proposed significant revisions to recognized - and managed (From One Earth). its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims also known as its “Green Guides,” which The need for sustainability exists to help marketers avoid making deceptive claims under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The There is no question regarding the need for proposal lists five terms that will not be addressed 1 by the Guides. Number one on that list is the II. DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY term “sustainable.” The reasons provided for this IN THE CONTEXT OF A interesting decision include claims that there is no PROFESSION clear understanding of the term among experts, the term cannot be defined, and there are no accepted While the concept of sustainability is increasingly criteria with supporting test methods to measure it discredited as a useful concept by itself, it appears (Morelli et al., “Sustainable Consumption”). to be serving some purpose when preceded There has been more than a decade of by a delineating modifier like “ecological” or struggle with the definition and relevance of the “agricultural” or “economic.” Efforts have been term among individuals in various professions (see made by members of various professions to give Toman, Costanza, Mebratu, Vos). A debate exists meaning to the term within the context of those between those who support a three-legged approach respective professions. Callicott and Mumford, for (i.e., simultaneously benefitting economy-society- example, develop the meaning of the term “ecological environment), and those who view it as a relationship sustainability” as a useful concept for conservation between human society and nature (Robinson). biologists; In “Ecological Sustainability as a The result is that the concept is now more open to Conservation Concept,” these authors advance an individual political and philosophical interpretations ecological definition of sustainability that connects than to scientific definition (Robinson). human needs and ecosystem services: “meeting Even less progress in defining this concept human needs without compromising the health appears to have been made by the organizations of ecosystems.” They propose this concept as a that employ “sustainability” professionals. guiding principle for areas where human activities “Sustainability” was recently identified in an annual take place. guide to corporate newspeak as one of the most In “Economic Sustainability and the abused terms in the corporate vernacular (“Urban Preservation of Environmental Assets,” Foy Intelligence Network”). The term has become a explains that from an economic standpoint, corporate buzzword, applied so commonly and sustainability requires that current economic activity ubiquitously that it has become simply “a synonym for not disproportionately burden future generations. everything that is positive,” (Kiss). This is strongly Economists will allocate environmental assets evidenced in recent employment advertisements as only part of the value of natural and manmade for sustainability managers and directors. In their capital, and their preservation becomes a function analysis of posted job descriptions associated of an overall financial analysis. In contrast, the with employment opportunities for sustainability ecologist will seek to preserve minimum levels managers in US corporations, Greenwood and Bliss of environmental assets in physical terms. He reported great diversity in expectations regarding the suggests that since an ecological approach will associated scope of duties (Greenwood and Bliss). better characterize the present situation, it should The descriptions varied in emphasis from not much serve to limit conventional economic reasoning more than straightforward accounting to an almost to ensure sustainability. Economic sustainability evangelistic extreme of sustainability championing, should involve analysis to minimize the social costs (Morelli et al., “Sustainable Consumption”). of meeting standards for protecting environmental assets but not for determining what those standards should be. 2 Journal of Environmental Sustainability – Volume 1 In “Social Sustainability: towards some the professional goal of the environmental manager definitions,” McKenzie identifies several attempts to as an independent and commonly held meaning of define social sustainability and concludes it generally the profession itself. to be, “a positive condition within communities, and In 2009 Butler concluded that a common a process within communities that can achieve that professional goal for environmental managers condition.” This definition is supplemented with a does exist separate from, though related to, that of list of corresponding principles, including: the industries that employ them, and he tentatively • equity of access to key services identified that goal as “ecological balance.” His • equity between generations efforts were unique in that they were supported • a system of relations valuing disparate by a collaborative international research program, cultures established at Rochester Institute of Technology, • political participation of citizens, called the Environmental Management Leadership particularly at a local level Initiative (EMLI), which was created specifically • a sense of community ownership “to define and develop the evolving role of the • a system for transmitting awareness professional environmental manager in moving our of social sustainability from one social economic systems toward a more sustainable _______________ future,” (“Statement of Purpose”). • mechanisms for a community to fulfill its The author supported and has continued own needs where possible this work during the past four years toward further • political advocacy to meet needs that refining this goal and vetting the evolving results cannot be met by community action through presentations and corresponding workshops at a series of EMLI symposia hosted by Corvinus Others attempt to capture its use for those University in Budapest, Hungary; American working in agriculture (Harwood) or in the College of Management and Technology in various functional units of business organizations Dubrovnik, Croatia; Bocconi University in Milan, (Morelli et al., “Sustainable Consumption”) Italy; Leuphana University in Luneburg, Germany; Not surprisingly, environmental managers have and Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, identified “environmental sustainability” as a New York in the US. The outcome of this process concept that has a professional meaning for them,” was a determination of strong support by members (Morelli and Lockwood). of the profession for establishing “environmental
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