Point One. Sustainability
is listed under Caradon Council's Key Principles:'The
Council will seek to ensure that decisions are to the
long-term benefit of the community and provide a sound
legacy for future generations'
However we feel that there need for a supplementary
definition that will provide guidance for our staff,
Councillors and the wider community in mainstreaming
sustainability into our every-day
actions
- Sustainable Development is a dynamic
process which enables all people to realise their
potential, and to improve thier quality of life,
in ways which simultaneously protect and enhance
the Earth's life support systems. (Forum
for the Future: Annual Report
2002)
- True,
sustainable development has to be dynamic
(continually improved) but it
does not 'enable people'. On the contrary
it's the people's care for the
environment that hopefuly leads each of
them to discover a sustainable lifestyle
that enhances their wellbeing whilst
simultaneously enhancing that of the
whole of nature.
The problem with the original statement
is that Sustainable development is seen
as an authority which 'enables' people;
very govermental like: and
- the
wording 'Earth's life support systems' is
more than ambiguous.
- It can easily
means the life support systems
that humans want and or envisage,
rather than the life support
system for all life, human or
otherwise.
- It can also be
interpreted as though the Earth
is a single concious entity that
has it's own life support system
and it is our job as humans to
work towards this end. Effecting
a qausi new-age super-being
amounting to a religious godhead
with all the dogma and oppression
that would follow. Headed by
those claiming to be more intouch
with reality, namely those that
already see the acquision of
power over the external
environment as a sign of being in
'god's' favour.
- A similar
argument, is to talk of external
life support systems that are all
important to our survival. Thence
it goes, that anyone having
power, i.e. the existing
auhtorities with their expert
scientists, dictate to the people
how to downgrade thier
consumption: whilst themselves
indulging in Rio and Johanasburgh
style summits with all the
security needed of leaders that
are out of touch with the people.
Clearly such 'leaders' are not
peopele that individually or
collectively act in any way that
indicates any dynamic care for
the environment, only a care to
support their postion of
authority.
The ongoing obstacle is
that 'authorities' always think they are right
and hence do not step back and allow individuals
the opportuinty to develop a degree of autonomy
whereby they can take personal responsibilty for
thier consumption and environmental impact in
such a way as to counter the negative and
debilitating effect on all other forms of life.
Sustainable development is not a process which
enables people to do anyhting. It is the dynamic
concern of individuals that may create a
lifestyle that enhances the 'Earth's support
systems' which will only work when enough people
have the determination to sacrifice their own
luxuries to allow basic comforts to be enjoyed by
all. This will not happen whilst authorites
dictate the why's, when's and how's it's to be
acceived and the who's that should make the
sacrificies and who's who that should be exempt -
namely themselves and collegues.
Generally 'Definition 1'
is too grandiose and vague and promotes
'Authorites' as the judge of sustainability, the
very people who care the least.
- Caradon Council is
committed to turning sustainability into action
in South East Cornwall. We will seek innovative
and imaginative partnerships which aim to improve
and protect the quality of life and the quality
of the environment now and it the future.
Seeing the 'Authority' as local
does present a more acceptable format as in
theory the electors could question the council's
integrity more easily than a National, European
or UN Authority. However my concern is that the
council has not, does not nor will not listen to
people in South East Cornwall but to the
'Greater' authorities.
This is born out by
- the fact that
Caradon Council would have done nothing
if they had not been directed to do so by
the National Government and
- That were
individuals have tried to deveop more
sustainable lifestyles, over the last
decades, Caradon has not only been inept
at listening or understanding the
philosophy required to dynamically
produce such a venuture but had gone out
of it's way to obstruct people trying to
create organic smallholdings with
autonomous services.
The wording of the
action 'We will seek innovative
and imaginative partnerships which aim to improve
....' provides
an escape from serious commitment in that
- Caradon
only needs to seek not find and then
- the only
thing to find would be a partnership that
aims to
The council are
not taking the bull by the horns. The prefered
wording could be:
Caradon
Council
will
turn
sustainability
into action in South East Cornwall
by
finding innovative and
imaginative ways, and partnerships,
that improve and protect
the quality of life and environment.
This commits the Council
to doing something themselves (ways) and
co-operating with electors, both individuals and
groups to further environmentally enhancing
businesses or trades.
I do like the 'innovative
and imaginative' bit. I'd like
to see that in action!
- Sustainable Development brings together
five sets of values:
- Environmental
Protection
- Provision for the
Future
- Quality of Life
- Fairness
- Greater\Community
Participation
Our vision as a Council is to
faciliate the creation of a sustainable community
which recognises the importance of balancing
environment, social and economic aspects so that
none are neglected and the impact of any
conflicts are minimised.
Whereas the main issues
are covered in five values, they are a bit of a
mouthfull and I wonder if they are defined enough
in the authors mind and if the plethora of
readers(electors) with interpret the values in a
cohesive manner or if they will promote divisions
along 'value' lines.
The format could be
altered to simplify it's presentation
Sustainable
Development includes:
- Environmental
Protection
- Securing
Quality of Life and Provision for the
Future
- Ensuring
Fairness and Community Participation
There are a number of
weak point in the statement
'Our vision as a Council is to facilitate the
creation of a sustainable community which
recognises the importance of balancing
environment, social and economic aspects so that
none are neglected and the impact of any
conflicts are minimised'.
- The
wording 'facilitate the creation' does
not show real comitment to actually doing
anything but provides a safe distance for
the Authority to initialy direct and
ultimately control the community. A real
sustainable community will only develop
when the people want it so much that as
individuals they are able and willing to
put substantial and materail effort into
dynamically assessing their needs and
wnats with regard to the finite resources
that are available for all humanity not
just their 'local' community. The council
could helpco-ordinate on a ward basic
which initailly could include projects on
recycling but the greater part of
sustainability is a change in lifestyle,
something the council cannot facilitate.
The council may be able to help in
planning and financial matters but they
have no record of being able to provide
an understanding of local needs other
than that directed by the governmnet.
Probably all policies currently under
opperation are those that are obligations
of statue.
- The
idea of 'the
creation of a sustainable community' is worrying. I haven't
seen any proposals from any authority,
let alone Caradon, that would lead me to
think that there is any ideawhatsoever of
the rela changes and commitment that will
be necessary to acheive any materially
significant environmental sustainabilty.
Who will decide what is sustainable and
what criteria will they use to judge 'the
community'?
- Who will decide
what is sustainable, local parish
or district councillors? Ideally
yes, but I have no faith in any
of them and they are unlikey to
be replaced by suitable locals.
- Will it be the
Council officers?
To be in the position of having
to develop 'sustainability' only
after being directed by national
government shows where the
officers concern really is:
definetely not to serving South
east Cornwall, but to their
masters in government; definetley
not to the 'rate payers'.
- As for object
under judgement for
sustainability, I imagine the
council will again show almost
total bias to national governamne
tdirections and to big businesses
that bring more money and
consumerism to the are with a
token gesture of 'green' lip
service.
- 'balancing environment,
social and economic aspects so that none
are neglected and the impact of any
conflicts are minimised'
- This goes further
to turn sustainability into a
business which minimises
conflict. Something only the rich
and powerfull can profit from and
affoprd to lose a little in the
conflict.
- Does the author
of this document really consider
that when the economic head
arises it will not be the
yardstick to decide whether
something is sustainable or not.
For instance:
I have been trying to create an
organic agricultural small
holding to include temporary or a
self-built dwelling of onsite
materials and the council has
decided that the venture is not
profitable enough. They then
issued an enforcement notice to
order the removal of a wooden
boat adjacent the land, which was
used as a shelter for my family
and doubled up as a workshop and
office for the combination of
agriculture, forestry and
conservation projects underway.
Before this we did not need to
claim housing benefit etc. or to
have our waste treated by South
West Water, or connecte to mains
electricity etc. but the
disruption to our dynamic
sustainable development has menat
me living casually from an old
caravan and the rest of my family
in a house, purely due to the
planning department considering
that there was not enough
'profit' made to be
'sustainable'.
- Sustainability can be described as forms
of development and activity which seek to improve
the quality of life without undermining the
quality of our natural environment.
This statement is by far the best
overall as:
- It does
not try to set the council as an
authority on sustainability
- nor
does the council try to take a
controlling position in the development
and
- It is
consice and uses less paper and ink,
unlike this reply - but there is only one
copy of this??
The weak parts being:
- that it does not
define any role the council could play in
the development of 'sustainable'
ventures, and
- the clause 'seek to improve' shows no realisation of
the commitment needed to acheive a
biologically rich and varied environment
which does not put human comforts as the
prime objective.
A guideline for the
council, 'Councillors and the wider community' needs to
include a few major points.
- A commitment to supporting
individuals that are clearly in the process of
adjusting thier lifestyle and/or business to have
a subsatantially lower environmental impact and
clearly address the issue of sustainability on a
material day to day and personal level.
Such peoples experiences can be valuable to other
endeavours irrespective of thier level of
achevement.
- Clarification that any
analysis of development impact has to be dynamic
to discover any meaningful, materail and
substansive way of living and working in an
ecologically enhancing manner.
- Definitions of
sustainability to include, bio-habitat
improvement for other lifeforms, zero emmision
feul usage, autonomy in water and electricity and
where possible some degree of self-sufficiency in
food production.
- Acknowledgement that the
council does not lead in the ways, means or
visions of sustainability and that those methods
concepts have existed in the 'alternative'
community for many deacades and that the council
will listen to individuals in the community that
have interesting and innovation ideas and not
mearly give a knee jerk reaction to the threats
posed by not applying the national governments
notions on what and what is not 'sustainable' or
profitably acceptable.
Alternative Definitions
Sustainable Development
is any form of activity or operation which, in seeking to
improve the quality of human comfort and enjoyment,
includes provisions to enhance the natural environment
for all life.
Given that,
animal life is presently depended upon
plants for 'food' and some life forms present a threat to
human health and existance e.g. smallpox, in a closed
system, unanmious agreements can be made regarding the
presence of certain lifeforms. Some will be destroyed for
food and shelter, others regularly or permanently for
protection.
sustainable development may be measured via the following
critereia,
- Autonmy in supply
services such as water, gas and electricity
- Degree of
self-sufficiency in food production
- Maintenance and/or
improvement of biological environment
- Waste management to
be by reducing demand, reuse and on site
recyling.
- Zero carbon
emmisions, without recourse to other toxicities
as in radiation dumping from nuclear power.
|