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Challenges Of Sustainability

"A system of development that meets the basic needs of all people without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own life-sustaining needs." "Brundtland" Definition Of Sustainable Development, Our Common Future, 1987, Un World Commission On Environment And Development, Gro Brundtland, Chair.

At LWVC Convention, 1997, when the state Board recommended Sustainable Communities as an Issue for Emphasis, it was in recognition of the fact that League positions closely adhere to broadly stated principles of sustainability. League has long understood that issues of natural resources protection, economic policy, and conditions of social equity are interdependent, and that decisions taken in any of these areas have far-reaching impact, now and into the future.

But, with customary concern for having legitimate bases for action, Convention delegates voted to have existing positions analyzed to determine just how, and to what extent they currently relate to the concept of sustainability, and to have a position statement prepared. The task force assigned to do the job will present a draft position statement to Presidents Council in April of this year. Following that, local Leagues will have the opportunity to do their own review of positions using prepared background materials, and to report on their observations of where and how principles of sustainability are currently embodied in existing positions. These responses will be incorporated into a final position statement to be adopted at Convention, '99 and then inserted in Action on Issues, the state handbook that fully describes and explains state positions.

The importance and timeliness of LWV California's review of positions is underlined when we face the large scope of the sustainability issue and its challenges in interdisciplinary thinking. We may feel that we are already awash in information on "sustainability". "Sustainable" has become a buzz word, heard in virtually all planning and public policy discussions and seen in daily headlines. And, with the topic heading the list of program recommendations for national convention, lobbying literature for the program item has been circulating among Leagues throughout the nation, much of it substantial and thought-provoking.

The dilemma of sustainability is that while the concept is intriguingly simple, it is open to wide interpretation in its implementation. For example, when it comes to selecting goals and objectives of sustainable programs, every community's will be different, and yet, as political boundaries widen, the programs will have to be brought within compatible parameters. Differing social and economic characteristics of communities will determine the nature and extent of their ambitions which sometimes (often?) will conflict or adversely impact their neighbors'. The implications for structural changes in government are abundant; confirming, among others, the accuracy of long-standing League positions on regional and comprehensive planning. Since government is where League acts, we have interesting and challenging times ahead.

What can League bring to the debate that arises specifically from the strengths and unique qualities of the organization? Among League's strong points are an early awareness of the interrelatedness of natural systems, and a long history of advocacy for political and social equity. As a multi-issue organization, the League has always felt the responsibility to consider the impacts of policy decisions upon one another and upon the peoples affected and to work for mitigation of inequalities. Bringing the broad view to public discourse will continue to be an important role for the League.

For purposes of action we must look for clear bases in existing positions. Government, and much of the Social Policy position (including vertical) are clearly applicable to many sustainability goals. Not surprisingly, however, Natural Resources positions speak most specifically and directly to the issues, to be expected, since the sustainability concept arose through international concern for protection of the global environment. Even here, because of the way we adopt and scope study items, the interrelatedness of issues is often implicit rather than explicit. The position statement for which we are working will attempt to put those connections in relief. With this exercise of position review, we find a challenge and an opportunity to relearn established positions and to look for new meanings and applications.

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