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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Outreach
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact Us
    • Disclaimer
  • Sustainability
    • What Is Sustainability?
    • Policy Proposal
  • Campaign
    • Central Mangrove Wetland
    • Important Documents
    • Podcast Series
    • Jingle Competition
    • News Archive
  • Our Projects
    • Pirate Cove Nature Park
    • Tarpon Alley Nature Trail
  • Community Pieces
    • What Do You Value?
    • Blind But Now I Sea
    • Politicians Must Step Up
    • Whatever Decision You Mak
    • Environmental Holocaust

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understanding sustainability

What Is the Nested Model?

Sustainability may be best understood through the nested model, which shows society as operating within the limits of the biosphere, and the economy operating within society. 


This model demonstrates the fact that everything we do depends on what the environment can provide us. Every action we take has an impact on the environment's ability to provide. Complex relationships and feedbacks are at work. 


For example, clearing more forests to build roads and properties can mean less rain, more noise, and worsened air pollution. Removing traditional footpaths and beach accesses to make way for hotels can cause residents to experience a disconnection to place and culture. 


Instead of allowing for trade-offs, a more holistic view is encouraged. The idea is to find ways to integrate different environmental, social, and economic objectives. 

The Three Dimensions

Environment: plants, soil, water, air, animals, minerals, natural processes


Society: people, schools, government, community


Economy: activities that create products and services

Learn more

Why Do We Need a Shared Understanding?

Pinning down just what sustainability means and how to turn its principles into practice as an individual, community, and government can be challenging.


This is because people often have their own understanding of the term (or maybe none at all). These conceptualizations have implications for decisions we make in everyday life and the plans we make for the future. This can involve things like: 

  

  • livelihoods 
  • food security
  • preserving culture 
  • renewable energy
  • resilience to climate change
  • national development plans
  • constitutional and legal rights 
  • conservation of natural resources


By using the most logical framework, we can identify if something really is sustainable and use this knowledge to push for policies that work for all of us, including future generations. 



The Classic Definition

 The most common definition of sustainability (aka "sustainable development") comes from the United Nations Brundtland Commission (1987).


Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

All sorts of ethical and practical questions follow, but the point is that we have a long timescale to think about.

Because the Earth is limited in its ability to support us, we also have to consider how population carrying cacapity and consumption patterns tie into our understanding of what is sustainable.  

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Related Concepts & Practices

These ideas are important to discussions about sustainability.

Bioregionalism

Permaculture

Nature-based Solutions


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PRESS RELEASE | EWA Optioneering Report

Sustainable Cayman issues optioneering report.  "Alternative Route 2 is cheaper, shorter, safer"

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