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The Future of Sustainability: Have Your Say! Week Two - “Human Wellbeing and Sustainability”
Thank you for your comments on Dr. Ashok Khosla’s statement: “Human Well-being and Sustainability” in Week Two. Ashok helped deepen the debate on poverty and environment, problems of ‘affluenza’ and unsustainable consumption in industrialized economies and the need to redefine the ‘good life’ for a sustainable future. Many significant and innovative ideas emerged from the week’s discussion.
Environment for Development There was strong agreement with Ashok that the natural environment is foundation of human wellbeing, and endorsement of the idea of integrating environment into mainstream development planning. Some participants were concerned that environmental sustainability should not be sacrificed in the challenge to create livelihoods, while others were skeptical about whether conservation organizations could play a meaningful role in promoting conservation for poverty alleviation. But to many the environment is not just an item to be ticked on the “do-not-forget-list”: it is the cornerstone to sustainable poverty eradication. Interesting examples were given of linkages between environmental health, livelihoods, wellbeing and security particularly at community levels from Africa, Asia and Latin America
Political Ecology Perspectives The week sharply profiled political-ecology perspectives on poverty-environment linkages. Participants referred to the influence of power relationships, the underlying political and economic barriers, and the processes by which the ‘rich haves’ marginalize the ‘poor have-nots’ from land and resources – from village to global levels. Some mentioned how the language of sustainability itself has also been co opted by those with vested interests – at the expense of both the environment and the poor. There was support for Ashok’s call for fundamental systemic and structural changes in society for a sustainable future, and suggestions that such change is brought about through democratic political movement rather than technical intervention per se. The comments reflect the significance of social justice issues in the wider sustainability debate.
Redefining the Good Life Participants challenged the simplistic connections between GDP and wellbeing, pointing to the problems of affluenza and social poverty in industrialized economies. Measurements of consumption and profits are not always good indicators of happiness and fulfillment. Moreover the unsustainable consumption patterns of the richest 20% of the world’s population that are responsible for most of world’s pollution and threaten a sustainable future.
And yet society remains largely uncritical of the prevailing definitions of development and the way we measure it. Propped-up by TV culture, and the billions spent by corporations on advertising which uses psychological and sociological research to understand how to tempt consumers with the latest gadgets, the growth fetish remains a neglected and ignored issue in the wider sustainability debate.
People agree upon the basic elements of a good life – food , shelter, clean water, jobs, health, physical security, but beyond that emphasised numerous non-material goals – freedom, peace, justice, the role of families and communities, the love of sharing, belonging, mutual respect, solidarity, connectivity with other living beings, simplicity, self-actualization, sacrifice. Can ‘sustainability’ be made the basis of a new understanding of human aspiration and achievement as suggested by Professor William Adams? Does creating a sustainable future mean moving beyond simply promoting the role of ‘environment in development’, to redefining development itself?
To some contributors a sustainable future requires the developed world to de-develop, for others there is a need for greater environmental regulation, more green power, and the need to transform the way we produce and consume. Yet others call for a spiritual re-awakening and remembrance of the ‘wisdom traditions’ of the world which call for moderation in all things. In a sustainable future is there a role for the market, the private sector, and trade? How can we ensure that these become forces for sustainability? These are the subjects of Week Three’s debate. Resources mentioned during Week Two include:
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