Imagine that you ran into someone you know on the street and they asked you to tell them what sustainable development or sustainability was about.  You could answer it this way:

"Ecologically sustainable development can be thought of as changes in economic structure, organization and activity of an economic ecological system that are directed towards maximum welfare and which can be sustained by available resources." (From Braat, L.C., and Steetskamp, I. (1991). "Ecological-Economic Analysis for Regional Sustainable Development," in Ecological Economics, R. Costanza, ed. Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 269-288.)

If you’re lucky, you’ll receive a blank stare.  If you’re talking to someone less patient, they’d probably be halfway down the block by the time you’ve finished.  If the objective is to make sustainability understandable and approachable, neither option is desirable.  A lot of folks that are passionate about sustainability – whether in their professional or personal life – tend to think of it only in the lengthy, academic terms exemplified in the definition above. 

In our work on the Cochrane Sustainability Plan, we developed three key phrases to capture how we were approaching this sustainability thing: 

• Think long term.
• Look at the whole.
• See the connections.

Now imagine again that you’ve been asked the same question on the street.  Which of the two options do you think would help people immediately understand sustainability and potentially get your conversation partner interested or even excited about it?

The issues that we face today require widespread understanding and collective action.  Sustainability provides an approach and mindset that can address these issues in a holistic manner.  We need as many hands on deck as possible.  If you’re a “sustainability nerd” (which I would consider myself), then think about how you make sustainability approachable.  It’s something we need to constantly think about and work on. 

In an earlier blog entry I talked about the importance of feedback.  The next time you’re explaining sustainability to someone, look for the feedback.  If you see someone’s backside walking down the street as you’re doing this explanation, you know you need to try again.

This is a bad sign if you're trying to explain sustainability to someone.

- John, April 6, 2009

Labels: communication, sustainability

¶ 6:30 PM