enviroment

"How do we partner the Earth in this - the most dangerous, the most potent, the most marvellous time in human history? Other times thought they were it - they were wrong, this is it." - Dr Jean Houston

"Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life's evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust." - Earth, Our Home: The Earth Charter
Environmental Sustainability is defined by the United Nations in 2005 as: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." This encompasses, for example, "keeping population densities below the carrying capacity of a region, facilitating the renewal of renewable resources, conserving and establishing priorities for the use of non-renewable resources, and keeping environmental impact below the level required to allow affected systems to recover and continue to evolve”. Environmental sustainability can be viewed as balancing the 'three pillars' of economic and social development with environmental protection.