With early-season hurricanes, torrential rains in Vermont tearing up the countryside and triple-digit multi-day heat throughout the nation, it’s easy to feel discouraged about the state of the planet. 

It’s easy to lose sight of the overlapping interconnection of the earth’s systems and how they impact our daily lives. Until it isn’t. Until we come full circle and connect the elements of sustainability. 

Elemental

The elements of sustainability are not new. 

The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, was the first world conference to make the environment a major issue. 

In October 1987, the United Nations report “Our Common Future”—aka the Brundtland Report—was published. It defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

In 1995, the Institute for Sustainable Communities listed the elements of a sustainable community, which were adopted by the President’s Commission on Sustainable Development in 1997. 

The elements speak of a pluralistic view that the world and its inhabitants are all important players in our sustainability challenge. 

The elements fall into four categories: Leadership and civic engagement, economic security, ecological integrity and social well being. In each of these categories, there are tenets or assumptions that are part of the solution.

Leadership, civic engagement

The elements assume:

—Political stability;

—That our actions do not compromise other communities;

—That there is an equal opportunity for all to participate in and to be a part of decisions that affect their lives, no matter their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or physical ability; 

—That everyone has adequate access to public information; and

—That we maintain an atmosphere of respect for different viewpoints, beliefs and values, and that we work together toward a shared vision.

Economic security

The elements assume:

—That a viable economic base is diverse and financially stable;

—That local ownership of businesses is encouraged and maximized; 

—That resources are reinvested in the local economy;

—That meaningful employment opportunities are available for all; and

—That job training and education are implemented to adjust for future workforce needs.

Ecological intregity

The elements assume:

—That basic human needs for clean air and water and nutritious, uncontaminated food are satisfied;

—That local and regional ecosystems and biological diversity are protected and enhanced;

—That water, land, energy and nonrenewable resources are conserved in a way that would reduce, recover, reuse and recycle; 

—That pollution emissions are minimized using appropriate technology and prevention strategies; and

—That renewable resources are used no faster than their ability to regenerate. 

Social well-being

The elements assume:

—That local production of a reliable food supply is optimized;

—That health services, safe and healthy housing, and high-quality education are available for all community members;

—That communities are safe from crime and aggression;

—That a sense of belonging, a sense of place and a sense of self-worth are cultivated;

—That creative expression through the arts is stimulated; 

—That public spaces and historic resources are protected and enhanced;

—That healthy work environments are maintained; and

—That changing circumstances and conditions require an attitude of adaptability. 

Adapted and excerpted from the Elements of Sustainabily Communities as developed by The Institute of Sustainable Communities; https://sustain.org/.