Eco-Centric Valuation of Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eco-Centric Valuation of Nature - Essay Example The source document of the definition of sustainable development is the Brundtland Report, which is a resource released by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. Also known as â€Å"Our Common Future†, this report was published in 1987 in order to provide environmental agencies and national governments with information on how to achieve an environmental condition that continuously supports itself (Mebratu, 1998). This report poses a number of potential conflicts, based on the principles that are governs. Firstly, the term sustainable development is largely anthropocentric, which thus focuses on the needs of the population and less on the ecosystem or natural condition. It may be possible that the requirements of the ecosystem may not be fully addressed, including that of the carrying capacity of a habitat in supporting a defined population size. Sustainable development is also focused on maximizing the potential of production of a particular produc t and thus despite the efforts of avoiding any serious perturbations to the ecosystem (Bestor, 2001). It is thus still possible that the optimal conditions for growth and maturation of an ecosystem could be hindered and ultimately not achieved by the principles supported by this concept (Farrell and Hart, 1998). Sustainable living pertains to a lifestyle that campaigns for the activities that would maintain the natural resources and the environment (Norton, 2005). One of the most visible activities associated with sustainable living is the reduction of fossil fuels and other air pollutants to the environment.