5
munities) may eliminate each other is a speciality
of the human society.
In the second case, the external conditions of
the operation of the system change so that they
are not capable of maintaining the system any
more: e.g. severe lack of raw material and
energy, lack of potable water, extreme changes
in the climate, etc.
As a result of the above, in the opinion of the
authors the following elements of sustainable
development have to be taken into account.
The term development has to be understood,
disturbances in the operation of the global society as a system have to be discussed together with
the ways of avoiding such disturbances. The
effects and drawbacks of the human society on
the natural environment have to be studied as
well. Accordingly, sustainable development is
interpreted in the present book as follows.
Most frequently in natural sciences the essence
of development is identified in the increase of the
complexity of material systems. In the opinion of
the authors, this view is not enough regarding
society. Moreover, in certain cases, completely
different factors have to be considered when the
development of communities is compared. Such
factors are the following:
• Members and leaders of the more developed
society are able to think and decide their fate
in the long-term. (In the definition of WCED
the term “future generations” suggests at least
a century.)
• Reducing and completely eliminating poverty,
starvation, defencelessness make a society
more developed than those still characterised
by the above. In simple: a more balanced distribution of properties is typical of higher
ranked societies. Of course, for every member
of the society to live an acceptable lifestyle
developed economies are required.
• A society providing a healthier environment
for its citizens is more developed than those
that cannot provide such healthy environment
for its members.
• Providing “ecosystem services” (including the
maintenance of biodiversity) in the long-term
is also a fundamental condition of development for the society. (The term “ecological
services” is an evidence of human conceit.
Living systems exist not to “serve” people. We
humans may exist because the biosphere stabilises the operation of the Earth system and
we can utilise living beings as raw material,
food or energy resources for maintaining the
operation of the society. Despite the above
critics the term is also used in this book as it is
widely used in the literature (De Groot et al.
2009; Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2010;
Kontogianni et al. 2010; Haines-Young and
Potschin 2013; Scholte et al. 2015; European
Commission 2016).
• Policy aiming to avoid wars and other forms
of violence, providing safety for the members
of the society including legal safety are specifics of developed societies.
• Increasing the potentials of adjusting to the
dangers of the natural environment (earthquakes, volcanism, etc.) is also typical of
more developed societies.
• Minimising the effects of the society on nature
by environmentally sound energy production,
economical raw material utilisation and waste
recycling in order to avoid disturbances in the
operation of natural systems and the drawbacks of such disturbances on the society are
also involved among the criteria of developed
societies.
Development—in the opinion of the authors—
in the case of communities can be described not
only using the quantity parameter of complexity
but also or rather using the quality parameters
discussed above.
The above list of development and developed
state criteria also indicates the steps to be made in
order to eliminate disturbances in the operation
of the society: eliminating poverty, starvation and
defencelessness; more balanced distribution of
goods; avoiding violence, providing safety,
ensuring the adequate operation of the natural
environment, preventing natural hazards.
All this also mean that the development of the
society has to involve fundamental changes:
modified structure and operation, improved
human relations and improved relationship
among the natural environment and the society
and its members.
1.2 Sustainable Development
munities) may eliminate each other is a speciality
of the human society.
In the second case, the external conditions of
the operation of the system change so that they
are not capable of maintaining the system any
more: e.g. severe lack of raw material and
energy, lack of potable water, extreme changes
in the climate, etc.
As a result of the above, in the opinion of the
authors the following elements of sustainable
development have to be taken into account.
The term development has to be understood,
disturbances in the operation of the global society as a system have to be discussed together with
the ways of avoiding such disturbances. The
effects and drawbacks of the human society on
the natural environment have to be studied as
well. Accordingly, sustainable development is
interpreted in the present book as follows.
Most frequently in natural sciences the essence
of development is identified in the increase of the
complexity of material systems. In the opinion of
the authors, this view is not enough regarding
society. Moreover, in certain cases, completely
different factors have to be considered when the
development of communities is compared. Such
factors are the following:
• Members and leaders of the more developed
society are able to think and decide their fate
in the long-term. (In the definition of WCED
the term “future generations” suggests at least
a century.)
• Reducing and completely eliminating poverty,
starvation, defencelessness make a society
more developed than those still characterised
by the above. In simple: a more balanced distribution of properties is typical of higher
ranked societies. Of course, for every member
of the society to live an acceptable lifestyle
developed economies are required.
• A society providing a healthier environment
for its citizens is more developed than those
that cannot provide such healthy environment
for its members.
• Providing “ecosystem services” (including the
maintenance of biodiversity) in the long-term
is also a fundamental condition of development for the society. (The term “ecological
services” is an evidence of human conceit.
Living systems exist not to “serve” people. We
humans may exist because the biosphere stabilises the operation of the Earth system and
we can utilise living beings as raw material,
food or energy resources for maintaining the
operation of the society. Despite the above
critics the term is also used in this book as it is
widely used in the literature (De Groot et al.
2009; Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2010;
Kontogianni et al. 2010; Haines-Young and
Potschin 2013; Scholte et al. 2015; European
Commission 2016).
• Policy aiming to avoid wars and other forms
of violence, providing safety for the members
of the society including legal safety are specifics of developed societies.
• Increasing the potentials of adjusting to the
dangers of the natural environment (earthquakes, volcanism, etc.) is also typical of
more developed societies.
• Minimising the effects of the society on nature
by environmentally sound energy production,
economical raw material utilisation and waste
recycling in order to avoid disturbances in the
operation of natural systems and the drawbacks of such disturbances on the society are
also involved among the criteria of developed
societies.
Development—in the opinion of the authors—
in the case of communities can be described not
only using the quantity parameter of complexity
but also or rather using the quality parameters
discussed above.
The above list of development and developed
state criteria also indicates the steps to be made in
order to eliminate disturbances in the operation
of the society: eliminating poverty, starvation and
defencelessness; more balanced distribution of
goods; avoiding violence, providing safety,
ensuring the adequate operation of the natural
environment, preventing natural hazards.
All this also mean that the development of the
society has to involve fundamental changes:
modified structure and operation, improved
human relations and improved relationship
among the natural environment and the society
and its members.
1.2 Sustainable Development