Suatainability

What is meant by the term ‘sustainability’?
Sustainability is a term used to describe something which is not hunted within near extinction – for example chopping down 3000 trees in South America is not sustainability, whereas if you planted 5000 after you would not only be replacing the ones chopped down, but allowing more to regenerate and thrive. South American tribes use ‘Slash n Burn’ techniques to provide temporary residences, the ground is then fertilised with the ash burned from the chopped trees. After the minerals are washed out the soil, due to lack of foliage, they move on to another location and the forest re-grows back.
Sustainability is also about the people on earth, people are extorted in many ways – poor pay and working conditions. Sustainability aims to provide a better quality of life for people by paying them the correct wage for their work.
Sustainability is the perfect utopia: for the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants, present and in the future.
Design Council Website, Sustainability
What is meant by ‘design for sustainability’?
Design for sustainability is an emphasis that we, as designers, have to think about the planet that we live in, rather than extorting it for all its resources. It shows that design also has a criteria to be socially and environmentally responsible for its actions. There is a strong emphasis on taking what we need rather than mass-obliteration of natural resources – also the idea of replacing and regenerating the resource which we have taken.
We have the responsibility to protect the plant, its resources and the people that live here. Sustainable design is something which tackles these issues head on globally.