The word sustainability has become one of the most popular eco-related issues in the past few decades. There are many prevailing ideas about what sustainability should encompass or achieve, but the search for a proper definition has hindered the advancement of the paradigm. As an example, when performing a Google search for the term “definition of sustainability”, the popular Internet search engine returns 6,200,000 results (excluding scholarly articles and book references). To further complicate the search for a concise definition of sustainability, Google returns 25,000,000 results for a search of the term “definition of sustainable development”.
While the number of people concerned with sustainability is quite encouraging, the search for a definition may be hindering the implementation of sustainable design ideals. Many of the definitions that have been circulating among the different scientific and design-related communities are undergoing constant revision on the detail level that further complicates the issue.
The definition of sustainability (within the context of sustainable development) presented by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) provides the basis for a discussion of hyper-capitalism. The definition of sustainability that the Commission presented in the report, Our Common Future, describes sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland, 1987) The Brundtland definition goes on to highlight the importance of reducing and even eradicating poverty, and proposes that through sustainability, the needs of the poorest members of our society can be met.
It is the ideals behind the Brundtland definition that make the use of their definition within the context of this discussion so appropriate. What is arguably the simplest definition of sustainability, ensuring that our present needs are met in a responsible and sustainable manner will help to demonstrate how hyper-capitalism is preventing our society from achieving these simple goals, especially with regards to the eradication of poverty and environmental health.
The Brundtland definition provides a base for all other permutations of the definition of sustainability, while addressing the core issues regarding the environmental and social future of not only our species but also our planet as a whole.
"Think simple" as my old master used to say - meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles." -Frank Lloyd Wright
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