Restoration of the planet, our home

An evaluation of sustainable development consists of ranking risks relative to each other and finding which practice is better than another.

A scale of good practices emphasizes the quantifiable aspects of all impacts, compares them to each other, and makes a judgment as to which impacts must be our priorities now in The Global Community. Assigning values to impacts is part of the combined social, environmental, resources and economic accounting system that covers not only the conventional economic indicators (GDP, GNP, etc.) but also such matters as the costs of restoring a damaged environment and effects of economic activities on health.

A scale of good pratices is based on and would have to satisfy what it means to fulfill the requirements of sustainable development.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by implementing economic activity that can advance sustainability by:

a) reducing per capita consumption of energy and resources;
b) reducing energy and resource content per unit of output;
c) reducing waste discharges per unit of output and in total;
d) decreasing wastage of natural resources during harvesting and processing, thus increasing the amount put to productive use.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by implementing various conservation strategies such as:

a) the maintenance of ecological succession, soil regeneration and protection, the recycling of nutrients and the cleansing of air and water;
b) the preservation of biological diversity, which forms the basis of life on Earth and assures our foods, many medicines and industrial products;
c) the sustainable use of ecosystems and species such as fish, wildlife, forests, agricultural soils and grazing lands so that harvests do not exceed rates of regeneration required to meet future needs;
d) the use of non-renewable resources in a manner that will lead to an economy that is sustainable in the long term. This will require the development of renewable substitutes;
e) the reduction in soil erosion by changing farming practices.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by developing a combined social and economic accounting system that covers not only the conventional economic indicators (GDP, GNP, etc.) but also such matters as soil depletion, forest degeneration, the costs of restoring a damaged environment and the effects of economic activity on health.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by creating tests for sustainability:

a) the amount of arable land and forest that is being lost;
b) the amount of silt in rivers coming from eroded farm fields;
c) the loss of large numbers and even whole species of wildlife;
d) the positive and negative impact of process and products on health;
e) the impact of development on the stock of non-renewable resources such as oil, gas, metals and minerals;
f) the impact of waste products;
g) the ability of new proposals to implement cleaner and more resource-efficient techniques and technologies.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by being committed to make forest management to include getting more value out of the wood. This means wasting less of the trees that are cut and making better use of what are now considered non-commercial tree speices.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by requiring formal Impact Assessment for all major projects so as to predict the sustainability of these developments and determine whether impacts can be mitigated.

We will fulfill the requirements for a sustainable development by using essential elements of an adequate urban and rural development:

a) suitable community facilities and services;
b) decent housing and health care;
c) personal security from crime;
d) educational and cultural opportunities;
e) family stability;
f) efficient and safe transportation;
g) land planning;
h) an atmosphere of social justice;
i) aesthetic satisfaction;
j) responsive government subject to community participation in decision-making;
k) energy conservation and energy efficiency are part of the decision-making process and made part of the community design;
l) the application of the 4 Rs is integrated in the community design;
m) community businesses, working areas, play areas, social and cultural areas, education areas, and training areas;
n) the use of renewable energy sources, central heating where possible, and cogeneration of electricity are made part of the community design when possible;
o) the form of community development integrates concepts such as cooperation, trust, interdependence, stewardship, and mutual responsibility;
p) promote self-sufficiency in all areas such as energy, garbage, food and sewage disposal;
q) rely on locally-produced goods.

At the end, a Scale of Good Practices is developed not only from what it means to fulfill the requirements of a sustainable development but also from the perspective of keeping us all healthy and sustaining Earth to make it happen.

Health is created and lived by people within a community: where they work, learn, play, and love. Health is a complex state involving mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, economical and social well-being. Each community can develop its own ideas of what a healthy community is by looking at its own situation, and finding its own solutions. Health promotion generates living and working conditions that are safe, stimulating, satisfying and enjoyable. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, a community must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change with the environment. The overall guiding principle for the community is the need to encourage reciprocal maintenance, to take care of each other and the environment. The important part of the thinking in both community health and ecological sustainability is the need to find a sense of community as a crucial aspect of healthy individual development.