Six Things You Need to Know about Sustainability

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. --John Muir

If you read any green blogs or listen to traditional media's take on the green economy, you have no doubt heard the term "sustainability." If you are like most, you have a general sense of what the word means, but you may not be able to come up with a clear definition of the concept.

You are not alone! As it turns out there are many, many definitions of sustainability. In fact a brief web search gave me at least 48 different definitions!

Although this multi-faceted term is difficult to grasp, it's a critical concept to understand if you want to have a green career.

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First and Foremost—What is Sustainability?

Let's begin our conversation with the definition that is cited most frequently. In 1987, a UN report by the World Commission on Environment and Development made the following statement:

"Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable— to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In other words, we must not just look at the immediate impact of a project but at how that project will impact future generations.

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Second—Sustainability Requires Us to Shift Our Perspective

No longer can we believe our personal and professional actions impact a limited number of people in a limited geographic area.

We must see that our actions and decisions impact the entire world, from what we purchase to what we discard, from how we travel to how we eat. We are part of a much larger system than we realize.

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Third—Sustainability Demands that We Understand How the Earth Works

The Earth is made up of complex interlocking systems. A change in one system can have a ripple effect across other systems and times.

To become sustainable we must become aware of how our actions impact the Earth, its natural resources, its flora and fauna, its climate, its chemical balance, etc. The cause and effect relationships aren't always clear and obvious at first glance. One must understand, observe, and study the interlocking systems involved to determine how one action impacts nature's delicate balance.

Scientists recently discovered that the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone resulted in an unexpected comeback for the endangered willow tree. Turns out having the top predator back in play meant the elk didn't linger on the river banks nibbling on the willow shoots. With a healthy supply of willow trees, the beaver population is rebounding. With the dams and ponds created by eight additional beaver colonies, the stream ecosystem is also rebounding with increases in songbird and fish populations. Just one change has led to a cascade of recovery in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

This is a great research opportunity for scientists who usually research what happens when a species disappears from an area. Read more (http://www.yellowstonepark.com/MoreToKnow/ShowNewsDetails.aspx?newsid=179)

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Fourth—Sustainability Asks Us to Make More Informed Decisions

By examining the true costs and benefits of our actions in more detail, we make more informed decisions as individuals and as organizations.

-- Economic - how does the action look from a financial perspective? Are the decisions likely to lead to financial success over the long term?

-- Social - how does the action impact the entire community from employees to suppliers, investors to customers, local communities to global communities? Are the actions being considered likely to improve their situation or harm them?

-- Environmental - how does the action impact the environment? How are the materials for the project obtained? How is the waste from the project handled? What decisions can be made to minimize the negative impact on the planet?

For those of you who are familiar with the term "triple bottom line," you'll see a distinct parallel with Profits, People, and Planet.

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Fifth—Sustainability Takes a Special Kind of Leadership

Traditional leadership models, centered on the notion that wise leaders use their charismatic ability and vision to lead followers to create change, will not produce the needed results around sustainability.

The Sustainability Leadership Institute (http://www.sustainabilityleadershipinstitute.org/) says "Traditional leadership models, centered on the notion that wise leaders use their charismatic ability and vision to lead followers to create change, will not produce the needed results around sustainability."

Instead they see a new leadership model developing in which leaders nurture a collaborative effort of those within a community or organization. Together the group generates solutions that work within the context of their organization. There are no set answers in this form of leadership. The leader's role is to stay attuned to changes and to figure out each next step in a way that honors the entire community effort. For a full description of the Sustainability Leadership Model, please visit their site.

This dichotomy between traditional leadership and sustainability leadership may explain why much of the work in this arena is happening at a grassroots level in individual organizations, cities, and non-profits.

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Sixth—Sustainability Invites Us All to Learn More and Get Involved

Playing your part in a sustainable world means stepping into new roles and responsibilities. Don't expect yourself to figure it out on your own. Reach out to others who are involved in this work. Learn from them and apply what you learn.

Here are some valuable resources to get you started

-- Sustainable Measures(http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/) website is full of information about sustainability.

-- Wikipedia also has a good article on sustainability. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability) Be sure to scroll down to the See Also heading for links to additional articles related to this topic. Don't feel you need to read every single article. Choose the ones that interest you most.

-- Explore local communities who are working on sustainability. Check out the list (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Resources/SustainableCommunities.php ) to see if there's a project going on near you! -- Take a course, get a degree, green your MBA, or get a green MBA. A number of schools now offer sustainability programs. Taking courses is a great way to learn the basics, meet other people who share your values, and green your resume. As a starting point, check out Arizona State University (http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/degrees/index.php) and the Green MBA (http://greenmba.com/). If you aren't ready for a full degree, search for online courses and short term certification programs. These aren't the only schools offering programs in sustainability. Check your local schools to discover what they offer.

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