АЛТЕРНАТИВА ЗА УСТОЙЧИВОТО РАЗВИТИЕ
AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Summary/Abstract: An important starting point in any discussion of sustainable development is to clarify the basic assumptions each brings to the table. While the views on sustainable development cover a broad spectrum, the contrast of the conventional wisdom and the emergent alternative wisdom on this subject is expanding. While most agree that sustainable development is about achieving the sustained economic growth needed to meet human needs, improve living standards, and provide the financial resources that make environmental protection possible, in fact little of the growth of the past twenty years has improved the quality of human life. Most of the benefit has been offset by the costs of resource depletion, social stress, and environmental health and other problems caused by growth. The idea in this article is that sustainable development is about creating: a ) sustainable economies that equitably meet human needs without extracting resource inputs or expelling wastes in excess of the environment's regenerative capacity, and b) sustainable human institutions that assure both security and opportunity for social, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Given the current trend toward declining rates of population growth, any apparent limits to growth will be eliminated by continuing technological advance and the operation of market mechanisms. Responding to ill advised calls to end growth is not necessary and would be a tragic error condemning billions of people to perpetual poverty. The market is an essential institution in any workable economic allocation system. However, government must intervene to set a framework that assures full costs are internalized, competition is maintained, benefits are justly distributed, and necessary public goods are provided. A vigilant and vigorous civil society is required to assure the accountability of both government and market to the public interest and to provide leadership in advancing social innovation processes.

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