Sustainability Defined

The Sustainable Development model for human development, presents a new set of principles under which we can better balance our resources (Natural, Social and Economic) to support healthy productive lives for all people groups and leave a legacy of a healthy world for our children.  The rapid growth of the world population combined with unsustainable  consumption patterns is placing severe stress on the Life Support Systems** of our planet.

These Life Support Systems are divided in to two main categories:

1. Natural Life Support Systems that ensure sustainable supplies of: Energy, Food, Water, Air, Biodiversity** and Minerals
2. Man-Made Life Support Systems: Government, Economic Systems, Technology, Waste Management, and Restoration

*Life-Support Systems

The fundamental attribute of life support systems is that, together they provide all of the sustainable needs required for continuance of life. These needs go far beyond natural/biological requirements. Thus life support systems encompass natural environmental systems as well as the social systems required to foster societal harmony, equity, safety, nutrition, medical care, economic standards, and the implementation of appropriate technology.

**Biodiversity

Includes the millions of living organisms that are needed to sustain functional ecosystems and that produce a sustainable yield of essential natural resources. Conservation and sound stewardship practices can reduce extinction of species and therefore ensure that these essential “life giving” functions of the world’s ecosystems are maintained (ex. extinction of certain water microbes can reduce the ability of nature to clean our water supplies.