Message-ID: <199610071051.LAA29104@mail.uva.nl> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 11:51:48 +0100 From: Grant Ballard-Tremeer <mailto:B.Tremeer@MAIL.UVA.NL> Subject: Re: Sustainability To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Ruth, over here in the Netherlands we say that Environmental Pressure can be indicated by the combined effects of welfare, population and technological problems/benefits. Size is an important aspect of sustainability. Do these three combined aspects (the environmental pressure) exceed the environmental carrying capacity both now and in the future.Environmental pressure = welfare x population x technology
If we look at fuelwood scarcity, for example, we can see problems with practices which have continued unchanged for thousands of years in less developed countries. These are caused purely as a result of population pressure. Population growth in these areas are not merely a result of western medicine, I think.
At 15:54 4-10-96 -0700, you wrote: >I have a question that was argued in a class I attended Wednesday. Were
>traditional societies truly sustainable or were the negative
>environmental effects negligable because of the small size of the
>societies, thus making the use of those technologies on a large scale not
>any more effective than what we currently have? With the introduction of
>"modern medicine" and other development projects increasing the life
>expectancy in Third World countries, will these cultures truly be able to
>sustain themselves with an increased population?
>
>Ruth Moench
>
------------------------------------------------------------- Grant Ballard-Tremeer fax: +31 20 525 6272 mark clearly c/o EPCEM Weesperstraat 47 k.16; 1018DN; Amsterdam; The Netherlands email: mailto:B.Tremeer@mail.uva.nl mailto: btremeer@hagar.mech.wits.ac.za