Sustainability: from concept to practice

Nature is reacting to the activities of industrial societies in unanticipated and surprising ways. The prospect of global climate change, the thinning of stratospheric ozone, the increasing acidification of rain, snow, and even large bodies of water, and the steady decline in biodiversity have all been linked to the spread of industrial development. Yet the predominant view until recently has been that human activity had little, if any, determinative role in the natural order. Now scientists are increasingly persuaded of the critical impact of human activities on the natural order. This paper takes up the challenge of articulating an alternative technological pathway that can improve society´s relationship with the natural environment. The new pathway draws upon one of the most important ideas of the late twentieth century: sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development has become the standard bearer for efforts to redefine technology and society in more environmentally thoughtful, conserving, and equitable ways