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Sustainable Development
This unit of work addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcomes:
H7.1 evaluates the impact of the focus area industry on the social and physical environment.
Extract from Stage 6 Industrial Technology Syllabus.© Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Introduction
Satisfying the material needs (food, housing, clothing, infrastructure, energy, etc.) of the world's growing population requires the continual use of the Earth's renewable and non-renewable resources.
Ensuring that these resources are utilised responsibly, now and into the future, requires governments, industries and individuals to manage development in an ecologically sustainable manner.
The most common definition of sustainable development, and the principle used to formulate most government policy is:
"....to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
Our Common Future, World Commission of Environment and Development, 1987
Thus, sustainability necessitates an interrelationship of the social, economic and environmental needs of a developing world.
Activity 1
What is the definition of Sustainable development as quoted at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development 
.
Activity 2
Use the glossary of terms related to sustainability at:
http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/modules/glossary.html
to find explanations of the following terms:
- Deforestation
- Ecosystem
- Renewable resources
- Resources
Activity 3
List the areas with which Industrial Ecology (symbosis) is concerned from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Industrial_symbiosis .
Activity 4
In developing countries where resources
and infrastructure are limited, meeting peoples needs presents some limitations.
Take the challenge at:
http://www.worldbank.org/challenge/html/innovate.html
and see how innovative your solutions can be!
Activity 5
What would your model of a sustainable world be like? Go to:
http://www.worldbank.org/challenge/html/build_it.html and try out the alternatives.
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