To what extent do you consider the concept and principles of sustainable development to be of use to environmental managers?

The concept of sustainable development is a source of much confusion and disagreement between authorities and individual experts. Although the principles of sustainable development are interpreted similarly by these separate groups, the views of how to reach the desired outcome can cause great disorder between the different bodies. Broad opinions of what is actually needed to achieve sustainability have slowed down the process of attaining it. The word development in itself could simply be defined …

…from United Nations division of Sustainable Development: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21 Foster, K., Vecchia, P., Repacholi, M. H. (2001). Science and the Precautionary Principle. Retieved November 28, 2005 from Biotech-info: http://www.biotech-info.net/science_and_PP.html What is sustainable development? (2005). Retrieved November 26, 2005, from Sustainable-development.gov: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/what/what.htm World Summit on Sustainable Development. (2002). Retrieved November 27, 2005, from www.unep.org: http://www.rrcap.unep.org/wssd/index.cfm