Sustainability
[Also: Sustainable]
According to Merriam-Webster, sustainability is a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged; of or relating to a life style involving the use of sustainable methods.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site explains that “Sustainable development marries two important themes: that environmental protection does not preclude economic development and that economic development must be ecologically viable now and in the long run. Common use of the term 'sustainability' began with the 1987 publication of the World Commission on Environment and Development report, Our Common Future. Also known as the Brundtland Report, this document defined sustainable development as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'"
Sources:
-- “Basic Information (Sustainability),” EPA Web site. Accessed Aug. 22, 2007. http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm#what
-- “Sustainability,” Merriam-Webster dictionary online. Accessed Aug. 22, 2007. http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/sustainability
