Sustainable development principle

There is a diversity of views on the most appropriate set of principles for the balanced management of "Sustainable Development". Sustainable development enhances current community "wellbeing" and safeguards the "welfare of future generations. Most central to the concept is the principle of "intergenerational equity", which may be achieved by the "constant Capital" rule. A "strong" version of this requirement is that of "constant natural capital" (i.e. not allowing the substitution of natural capital for built or human capital). "Critical natural capital" must never be substituted because it is essential to the functioning of ecosystem life-support series. This leads to the principles of man "maintaining biological diversity" (i.e. loss of species/genetic diversity is justifiable reason to restrain development) and "maintaining essential ecological processes". The term "ecologically sustainable development" emphasizes these objectives. Ecosystem and habitat levels are the appropriate scales to address the biodiversity issue (in addition to the species level). The "precautionary principle" must be implemented to deal cautiously with any risks of irreversible environmental damage. Recognition must be made of "the global dimension", since many sustainability issues such as global warming and biodiversity are international in scope. "Integrated", "strategic", and "adaptive" management techniques are essential here. "Limits to growth" means that development must not exceed the carrying capacity of the environment to support it (or carrying capacity of the globe to support us). "Limits of acceptable change" imply something similar with emphasis on human preferences. "Sustainable resource use" means that renewable resources are not used at a rate faster than they can replenish themselves, that non-renewable use generates development of replacement technologies, and that wastes are not produced faster than they can be assimilated by the environment. "Environmental valuation", or the internalization of environmental costs, implies that prices for goods and services should reflect the social and ecological costs of their production and consumption. The "integration of economic and environmental goals" helps minimize any previous incompatibility. The field of "ecological economics" helps address these issues. The above objectives and principles must be carried out with "full community participation" and "respect for human rights". Environmental groups often disagree with governments in their interpretation of sustainable development; environmentalists emphasizing the "sustainable" half of the term (fragility/irreversibility), and the official line emphasizing "development" (economic flexibility). Various further principles included by the former are "intra-generational equity" (fairness in wealth distribution),"qualitative development" (socio-cultural/ethical values primary to economic ones) "sustainable income" (only income able to be maintained indefinitely should be taken), and concepts of "sufficiency", "non-consumerism", "cultural diversity", "ecocentrism" and "ethics".