What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is not a new term.  In recent years, however, it has become a buzzword, popping up in a wide range of forums to convey a long-term, comprehensive approach to decision making. What does it mean to live in and be part of a sustainable community? What does it take to operate a city sustainably? What does a Sustainable Baltimore look like?

Generally speaking, we have come to define "sustainability" as “meeting the current environmental, social, and economic needs of our community without compromising the ability of future generations to meet these needs”. Basically, sustainability is a desire to pass on a world that is as good, if not better than we found it, for our children and our children's children.

The sustainable Baltimore we envision integrates all three elements of sustainability, into the decision making process. If successful, Baltimore will be a clean, healthy, efficient, green, mobile, aware, and invested community.

Baltimore Comprehensive Master Plan

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/government/planning/compplan/

The Sustainability Plan will be adopted as an element of the Comprehensive Plan, but will also function as a stand-alone document. It will expand upon and complement the recommendations contained in the Comprehensive Plan, in some cases confirming and re-emphasizing elements, while in other areas filling in the gaps. The Sustainability Plan highlights seven themes: cleanliness, pollution prevention, resource conservation, greening, transportation, environmental education and awareness, and the green economy. The Comprehensive Plan focuses on schools, culture, community design, land use and economic development issues. All of these issues are important for a successful, sustainable Baltimore.

Times are Changing

The economic, political, and cultural landscape has significantly changed even in the two years since the Comprehensive Plan was created.  The science and popular sentiment recognizing the seriousness of climate change has never been stronger.  Local governments throughout the country have stepped up to demonstrate leadership on climate policy amidst the lack of federal action.  Meanwhile, demand for natural resources such as energy, raw materials, and fresh water continues to increase exponentially with global population and affluence.  The Obama Administration will soon assume leadership in Washington with articulated priorities focused on energy independence, public infrastructure investment, and environmental stewardship.  In response to these and other factors, a new clean economy is emerging with the potential to create jobs, support entrepreneurial opportunities, and attract investment.  What do these changes mean to Baltimore and how will we as a community respond?

The shifting landscape presents both challenges to which we need to respond and opportunities on which we want to capitalize.  For instance, we have seen residential electricity rates in Baltimore rise roughly 50% over the past 2 years.  The expensive, unsustainable response to this challenge would call for building more power plants, while the affordable, sustainable response involves finding ways to use less energy.  In another example, Baltimore can look at its 30,000 currently vacant properties as 30,000 sustainable opportunities to provide housing, food-producing gardens, or community recreational space.  

http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/cities/baltimore

We must also recognize a new fiscal reality. The current economic climate has taken its toll on household, business, and municipal revenues. This can not become an excuse for inaction, but should serve as a call to look more closely and creatively at how we make decisions.  We don't need to look any further than the light-switch in front of us to find an example of environmental stewardship going hand and hand with financial savings.  Turn off the light when you leave the room – save money by saving energy.

Baltimore City Leadership

The importance of considering environmental well-being alongside social and economic health is a major driver of Mayor Dixon's commitment to a Cleaner, Greener, Safer, Healthier Baltimore.  In the summer of 2007, Councilman Jim Kraft sponsored legislation to create the Baltimore Office of Sustainability (BOS) and a Commission on Sustainability (CoS).  In early 2008, Mayor Dixon swore in the 21-member Commission representing a wide variety of stakeholders including community organizations, local non-profits, labor, private industry, local institutions, and City government and who collectively offer a wide-range of expertise in areas such as green building, environmental justice, public health, and climate change.  The Commission, together with the Office of Sustainability was tasked with developing and implementing a Sustainability Plan for the broader Baltimore community.

In May of 2008, the CoS held its first official meeting, with attendance by over 150 interested citizens. At this initial meeting, the CoS committed to three operating principles that would guide the development of the Sustainability Plan in an attempt to maximize public involvement: 

1. Engagement - To engage a wide scope of the Baltimore community, including those not traditionally involved in the existing environmental discourse, in the development and implementation of the Sustainability Plan.

2. Inclusiveness - To apply a broad definition of "environment" to include issues related to the diverse populations within the Baltimore community.  Recognize that an individuals define their "environment" differently, whether its their home, city block, or ecosystem. 

3. Translation - To use language that is meaningful to a wide range of the Baltimore community.  Instead of altogether avoiding the use of more technical language, take the time to educate new audiences on these concepts and how they may relate to them.