This weeks’ reading mention that the term sustainability has multiple meanings so it is hard to generalize its concept. Lack of generalization and the ambiguities of meanings of sustainability make scholars measure it in terms of empirical and quantitative-based methodologies. So, how do we reduce the ambiguities of the meaning of sustainability and create a more valid (or reliable) concept of sustainability and its-related issues? One of the key works is related to the effort to measure sustainability, I think.
Through a Web search, I found that several scholars have intended to measure sustainability and related topics. Some of them use complicated mathematics and equations while others focus on several key sub-areas of sustainability, like environmental, cultural, economic, and equity dimensions, by creating measurable indicators. Here is a journal article written by Thomas Parris and Robert Kate. They attempt to test whether or not several quantitative indicators concerning sustainability that have been developed by existing studies are valid, focusing on the definition of sustainable development, motivation, process, and technical methods. They conclude that “there are no indicator sets that are universally accepted, backed by compelling theory, rigorous data collection and analysis, and influential in policy.” They assume that this result is due to “the ambiguity of sustainable development, the plurality of purpose in characterizing and measuring sustainable development, and the confusion of terminology, data, and methods of measurement.” If you are interested in measuring sustainability and its relevancy and validity, please see this article:
http://www.isciences.com/assets/pdfs/AR198-EG28-13%5B001-028%5D.pdf
Moreover, I also link another article discussing sustainable development in terms of its defintion, goals, indicators for measuring, and values. It is helpful for us in increasing the understanding of sustainabilty and related concepts:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/sustsci/ists/docs/whatisSD_env_kates_0504.pdf
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I agree that it is difficult to measure sustainability. It is such a broad term and the defenition of it varies depending on who you talk to. Personally, I am really excited to see future research on "green building designs". It's difficult because "sustainability" encorporates so many different areas,such as greenhouse effects and water conservation. I think it is really important for authors and persons who are talking about sustainability to define and pinpoint what exactly they are talking about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the articles!
I have heard the term sustainability often but have never known exactly what was meant by it. After this week’s readings, I now know why that is. The meaning of sustainability varies depending on who is speaking. As Roxie stated, it is imperative that each author define the term so their readers fully understand their point.
ReplyDeleteSince I had a very vague idea of sustainability, I found the definition Wheeler used very helpful. “Sustainable development is development that improves the long-term health of human and ecological systems” (Wheeler, 24). In other words, sustainability focuses on future development that works for the betterment of humans and the environment as a whole.
While I agree that we should develop comprehensive sustainability measurements, I am not convinced that it will lead us to a concise agreement on the meaning of sustainability as a concept. I view that as a cart before the horse situation and before we decide to measure the outcome we should agree about what that outcome should be. I would like to see some council or group come together to do for sustainability what the USGBC has done for green building. I would like to see some outcome that results in a trusted and reputable group of individuals capable of making definitive judgments of sustainable activities.
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