Sustainable development - the key to survival

Sustainable development is a goal, to which we should all aspire, if mankind is to survive for another millennium. Most of the world has sought to emulate the standard of living that appears to be produced by the economic system that was first described in Britain in the Eighteenth Century. This system has encouraged people to regard the world's resources as consumable goods. Unfortunately, this behaviour can only last until the first resource that is crucial to human survival reaches a critical level of either depletion or toxicity, which we may not discover until the effect is irreversible! Thus what we are doing is unsustainable.

Probably the most widely quoted definition of sustainable development is 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. This comes from 'Our Common Future', a Report given to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, which was chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland. Precisely how we stop unsustainable development and achieve sustainability within the environment of the planet is the great challenge that faces mankind in the twenty first century.

The documents listed below cover some of the issues that should be considered and ideas that may lead to possible solutions to some of the problems. Please judge for yourself. It is vital that you take part in the debate and the action that must follow.