[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-03-26-12-Sustainability.mp3|titles=EW 03-26-12 Sustainability]
Every day, I am pitched something about sustainability: sustainable forests, sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy. Look closely, and you’ll find there is no consistent meaning for this adjective.
Sustainable forestry means forests that are harvested no more than their annual growth rate. It doesn’t matter if diesel fuel, a non-renewable resource, is used to power the logging trucks.
Sustainable agriculture, as defined by the USDA, is farming that enhances the environment on which the agricultural economy depends, and makes efficient use of nonrenewable resources. This sounds good in theory, but it does not mean food is free of pesticides, fertilizer, or GMOs. Organic farming is touted as sustainable too. But if, due to its lower crop yield, it requires more forest land to be cleared for crops, is it truly sustainable for all?
Sustainable energy generally means renewable—solar power, wind, tidal, and hydropower. None of these are based on fossil fuels that are mined from the Earth’s crust. Or are they? Solar panels contain refined silicon and a variety of metals taken from mines that use fossil power. One study estimated that it takes three years of solar power to pay back the fossil fuel debt used to manufacture the panels.
As long as Earth’s population is growing and people want a better life, it is not likely that many of these activities are truly sustainable. But some make more sense than others, and we should say that.
Photo, taken on June 20, 2008 using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, courtesy of Moosicorn Ranch via Flickr.