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ESD

ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) arguably represents the greatest challenge facing Australia's governments, industry, business and community. The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSED) provides both strategy and a framework for governments to direct policy and decision making towards long-term benefits (as opposed to short-term gain) in order to ensure inter-generational equity. While there is no universally accepted definition of ESD, in 1990 the Australian Commonwealth Government proposed the following definition:

“using, conserving and enhancing the communities resources so that ecological processes on which life depends are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased”

Put simply, ESD is development which aims to meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. To do this, our society needs to develop ways of using those environmental resources which form the basis of our economy in a way which maintains, and where possible, improves their range, variety and quality.

Core objectives of the NSED are:

· to enhance individual and community well-being and welfare by following a path of economic development that safeguards the welfare of future generations.

· to provide for equity within and between generations.

· to protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems.

Prepared by the Ecologically Sustainable Development Steering Committee
Endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments
December, 1992

Sound good? However, there is a big difference between "talking the talk" and "walking the walk". Despite the fact that nearly 17 years have passed since the NSED was endorsed, there is little evidence that our society is actually practicing what it preaches. Indeed, we would like to hear from you if you know of a working example of ESD that we could refer to. That aside, it is also important to realise that solutions to the many problems that modern society faces are unlikely to come from those we have elected to lead us; rather they will come from the bottom up. From this perspective, how softly are you treading on the earth right now; how big is your ecological footprint? Something to think about perhaps?

"But we fool ourselves. We can land men on the moon and we can send probes into deep space to look for extraterrestrial life while our growth economies and flawed agricultural systems increasingly devastate the earth. Sooner or later we will learn, as some are learning now, that we are living a great paradox. We will learn that planet earth is where we will find our salvation, that planet earth is where we will find heaven, if we show wisdom.

So long as we work with Earth's living processes, enhancing and assisting them within the light of our fundamental biological and molecular research, we may have a slim chance to make our woodlands whole again, renew our depleted forests, clean our rivers and restrain global warming, ultra-violet radiation and rising sea levels.

But these things won't happen until there is far wider respect for the integrity of the earth, forests, seas and all their natural processes. It won't happen until we learn that the best legacy we can leave our children and their children are diverse, healthy, natural ecosystems."

Graham Pizzey - Journey of a Lifetime