SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCESSES

Sustainable development can be reasonably defined as meeting current needs without adversely affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The first principle of sustainable development must therefore be careful use of environmental resources. And we must make wise use of human and capital resources. We must put to rest the myth that it is necessary to choose between jobs and the environment, or between development and untouched nature. This requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary process - one that draws from diverse talents and perspectives to achieve an integrated solution. As the great American naturalist, Aldo Leopold, said, "We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see the land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." Two recent projects are attempts to put this philosophy into practice: Dewees Island Master Plan and the Greening of the Grand Canyon.