I noted also that you have highlighted the part that I believe ties these
definitions together with Bob Rodale's comment recently quoted by Janet
Bachman. That is, "... sustainability is not basically a method; rather it
is a question about permanence." Your comment referenced Allen, "...
However, creating a decision making process that can fairly resolve
disputes over equity is one of the most profound challenges facing
agriculture (Allen et al., 1991)". These both are the thrust of my class,
namely, conservation of biodiversity is impossible unless it relates to
sustainable agriculture, and vice versa.
Homo sapiens IS part of the ecosystem -- ANY ecosystem, at least
indirectly. Therefore, sustainability in agriculture depends upon our
ability to successfully deal with the very, very, difficult point of your
opening comment, "... We also need to figure out in qualitative and
quantitative terms, the human carrying capacity of ecological systems on
local and global scales."
I'll forward your original discussion to the on-going electronic conference
on Indicators of Sustainability. Many of these ideas have been discussed
there, but I believe that your comments add significantly, even where they
may be repetitious of other participant's similar thoughts.
=========================================================================
R. H. (Dick) Richardson * (512) 471-4128 (w)
Zoology Department * (512) 471-9651 (FAX)
University of Texas * (512) 476-5131 (h)
Austin, TX 78712 * dickr@utxvm.cc.utexas.edu