Sustainability - what is it? There are numerous definitions, but one of the simplest ones is:
"Sustainable development is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" - UN World Commission on Environment & Development
The Sandy City Council has a policy stating that "Sandy will be a leader among Oregon cities in sustainability, both in the city government's own operations and projects, and in its regulatory role."
As employees and citizens of Sandy, how do we go about making this policy true? What steps should we be taking? Why should we be going this route - what are the benefits and costs? These are all questions that this blog will attempt to answer.
And who am I? I am an engineer, ecologist, wife, & average citizen who cares about the environment and my impact on it. I am trying to live my life in a sustainable way, learning something new all the time. I am no where near perfect. My husband and I consume "too much" stuff and find ourselves choosing the less sustainable options because they are less expensive. So some of what I will write are things that I am *trying* to do and some are things that have worked for me and my husband. And I will be learning while writing this blog, too.
I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions on anything that I write!
