ABSTRACT
The concept of sustainable development focuses on the concept of limiting resource use to levels that can be sustained over the long term. The Brundtland Commission (1987), known formerly as the World Commission on Environment and Development, defined sustainable development as that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Implicit in this definition is a conservation ethic that states our generation should not use the resources of the planet, in the broadest context, in a manner that leaves our children and grandchildren (future generations) with problems of degraded, or impossibly depleted resources. The idea introduces a whole host of value judgments to be made by both individuals, and society collectively. History tells us that society’s values with respect to the use of the planet’s resources change with time. Society’s judgment of what is sustainable today is different from that of older generations, and in turn, our children’s and our grandchildren’s societal values are likely to be different than ours.
