Get Informed!
The word “sustainability” is being used more frequently, but it is still not commonly understood. Sustainability has been described in many ways:
- “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (From The Brundtland Commission Report, World Commission on Environment and Development, 1983)
- “Living well within the limits of nature.” (From Mathis Wackernagel, author of Sharing Nature’s Interest)
- “Using natural, financial, and human resources in a responsible manner that meets existing needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (From the City of Corvallis Sustainability Policy, 2004)
Here’s what you can do to get informed…
- Go to the Action Teams section of this website. Find the topic area that is of greatest interest to you, go to that team’s “Resources” page, and explore!
- Check out the following list of resources that we’ve put together to help you get started. This list is just a beginning. Please let us know if you have suggestions for additional resources.
Resources
Books
Believing Cassandra: An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist’s World, Alan AtKisson
Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken
Dancing with the Tiger: Learning Sustainability Step by Natural Step, Brian Nattrass & Mary Altomare
The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones
Green Gone Wrong, Heather Rogers
The Isis Agreement, Alan AtKisson
The Limits to Growth: the 30-year Update, Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, Jorgen Randers
Natural Assets, James K. Boyce & Barry Shelley
The Natural Step for Communities, Sarah James & Torbjorn Lahti
The Natural Step Story, Karl-Henrik Robert
Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, Lester Brown, 2003
The Sustainable Planet, edited by Juliet Schor & Betsy Taylor, 2002
This Place on Earth 2001: Guide to a Sustainable Northwest, Alan Durning
Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century, edited by Alex Steffen, 2006
World on the Edge, Lester Brown
Websites
American Planning Association, “Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide,” April 2000
