Sustainability: Overview

Sustainability is about the quality of life in a community - and whether the natural environment, the manmade environment, the economy and the social systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all residents, now and in the future. There are deep connections and relationships between all the parts of a community.

When problems arise, sustainable communities look for solutions that take into account all the parts of the community instead of applying a quick fix in one area that causes problems or unintended consequences in another.

Sustainability, sustainable community, sustainable development. There are many interpretations of these words but there is a common thread that links them all together.

When we talk about sustainability, 'sustain’ doesn't mean that nothing ever changes, and it also doesn't mean utopia - that nothing bad ever happens. It doesn't mean businesses never fail or people never go hungry or pollution never happens.

Sustainability is not about maintaining the status quo or trying to be perfect. A sustainable community tries to maintain and improve the nature and man-made environments, as well as the economy and the social elements of an area so those who live there don’t just survive, but thrive.

When we talk about sustainable development, the word 'develop' doesn't mean you keep getting bigger. For example, people start out as infants and grow until they become adults. They don't continually get larger, but they do continue to develop: they make new friends, learn new skills, go back to school, or travel to new places.  They evolve and hopefully improve as individuals. 

In the same way, a sustainable community doesn't grow larger indefinitely. Sustainability does not mean sustained growth. At some point, a sustainable community stops getting larger but continues to change and improve, to develop in ways that enhance the quality of life for all its inhabitants.

When we talk about sustainable communities, the word 'community' can be defined as a small town, a large city, a nation, or the entire planet. What makes an area a community is shared interactions among the people there. These interactions include: economic transactions, social relationships, and environmental interdependence. We consider Martin County to be one community.

Note: Sustainable Martin is not affiliated in any way with the United NationsAgenda 21 or any government agenda. 

THE FOUR “LEGS OF THE TABLE”

When we talk about sustainability, we discuss it in terms of a whole systems approach to our community. To understand what a sustainable community is, it helps to look at the community as four “systems” that are interconnected and interdependent.  The natural environment, the manmade (or built) environment, the economy, and the social systems.