Analysis of Sustainability Index and Sustainability Indicator
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Analysis of Sustainability Index and Sustainability Indicator
Introduction
Sustainability assessment is a methodology that facilitates decision-makers and policymakers to decide what kind of action should be taken or avoided so as to make society more sustainable. Sustainability assessment enables different organizations to communicate sustainability goals as well as benefits to the stakeholders. Also, this measurement is a good tool for influencing the opinion of the public and empowering awareness regarding stability. In order to measure sustainability, the indicators used are, sustainability Seattle community and ecological footprint. Ecological footprint is one of the measurements that analyzes human demand on nature. It includes the quantity of natural resources that is required to support a particular community or economy. Thus support is provided to the Seattle community that will promote the creation of regional indicators for stability ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Y9QSW9Jy","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Open Data Platform}, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Open Data Platform, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":355,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"itemData":{"id":355,"type":"webpage","title":"Open Data Platform","URL":"http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2020",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Open Data Platform, n.d.). Sustainable Seattle’s indicators perform their job to influence cities and groups in terms of dos and don’ts. It is also acknowledged as one of the world’s leaders in suitability indicators that is based on the goals and values of a community.
Discussion
Ecological Footprint is an indicator that is an account or measure of human demand in terms of global biological resources. This tool compares the level of consumption with the amount of available bioproduct land and sea area. Also, the major unification was that of carbon, fishing groups, cropland, forest products, grazing lands, and the built-up land. Taking into account the data collected from the Sustainable Seattle Community Indicator Report, several pieces of information were collected ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"tXNqdGv6","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":354,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"itemData":{"id":354,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Seattle, WA: Sustainable Seattle","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998: A status report on long-term cultural, economic, and environmental health for Seattle/King County (p. 4)","title-short":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998","author":[{"family":"Meadows","given":"Donella"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Meadows, 1998). It is found that the indicators of the sustainable community are meant or defined to impose the actions of a community in private interest as that of the coming generations. In terms of Wild Salmons, there is natural sustainability in the community and its linkage is found in food production, recreation, and tourism. In terms of ecological health, it is found that natural vegetation is increasing and it shows the spread of human influence along with a broader decline in the ecological health within the country ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Thbcms2z","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":354,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"itemData":{"id":354,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Seattle, WA: Sustainable Seattle","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998: A status report on long-term cultural, economic, and environmental health for Seattle/King County (p. 4)","title-short":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998","author":[{"family":"Meadows","given":"Donella"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Meadows, 1998). It is found that the continuous development and reduction in vegetation will have an effect on the ecological health such as the fact that streams will become more degraded ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"IMNDPsOt","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Open Data Platform}, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Open Data Platform, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":355,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"itemData":{"id":355,"type":"webpage","title":"Open Data Platform","URL":"http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2020",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Open Data Platform, n.d.). The ecological health is connected with other indicators such as soil erosion, water consumption, impervious surfaces, wild salmons and farm acreage. It is found that there are evidences of pressure on streams as well as local landscapes due to the lack of vegetation. In the context of soil erosion, the turbidity levels are found to have restored to the previous levels and it is difficult to determine the human activity impacts ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"WO9UjOvb","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":354,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"itemData":{"id":354,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Seattle, WA: Sustainable Seattle","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998: A status report on long-term cultural, economic, and environmental health for Seattle/King County (p. 4)","title-short":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998","author":[{"family":"Meadows","given":"Donella"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Meadows, 1998). Soil erosion is linked to indicators such as vehicle movement, impervious surfaces, population, and ecological health. Air quality is found to be improving continuously. The number of good air quality has increased by up to 89%. However, the social, economic and other external factors are assumed to be challenged in the future. Air quality is linked with the patterns of transportation as well as population growth. The population growth has also slowed the top 1% and it is linked with other external and internal systems ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"KOiNzkX8","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Open Data Platform}, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Open Data Platform, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":355,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"itemData":{"id":355,"type":"webpage","title":"Open Data Platform","URL":"http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2020",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Open Data Platform, n.d.). Suitability trends in solid waste generated and recycled are better, however, the amounts of solid waste is greater ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"SuI2fInr","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Meadows, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":354,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/45Y8C2YC"],"itemData":{"id":354,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Seattle, WA: Sustainable Seattle","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998: A status report on long-term cultural, economic, and environmental health for Seattle/King County (p. 4)","title-short":"Indicators of sustainable community 1998","author":[{"family":"Meadows","given":"Donella"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Meadows, 1998). Farmland is decreasing while organic farming is rising. The renewable and nonrenewable energy usage accounts almost half of the growth of nonrenewable energy sources. Seattle community has a P-Patch program that continues to blossom and it reflects the growth rate of the community in gardening. It is also linked to the social, economic and environmental concerns ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"d0edhyg1","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Open Data Platform}, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Open Data Platform, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":355,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/9MKKIV3G"],"itemData":{"id":355,"type":"webpage","title":"Open Data Platform","URL":"http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2020",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Open Data Platform, n.d.).
Gibson’s criteria for suitability assessment
Ecological Footprint is a tool that meets social-ecological system integrity because life support functions such as using animal products and how it will be affected by the environment is defined ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"3MIDw1SS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","plainCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":357,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"itemData":{"id":357,"type":"book","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Sustainability assessment: criteria and processes","title-short":"Sustainability assessment","author":[{"family":"Gibson","given":"Bob"},{"family":"Hassan","given":"Selma"},{"family":"Tansey","given":"James"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gibson et al., 2013).
Livelihood of suffices and opportunity is also defined and determined by the Gibson’s tool of assessment because Ecological Footprint paves the way for improvement in the ways that don’t compromise the future generations ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"YX1sRJi1","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","plainCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":357,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"itemData":{"id":357,"type":"book","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Sustainability assessment: criteria and processes","title-short":"Sustainability assessment","author":[{"family":"Gibson","given":"Bob"},{"family":"Hassan","given":"Selma"},{"family":"Tansey","given":"James"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gibson et al., 2013).
Interageneration policy requirement is also met by the assessment tool because it ensures the effectiveness and practice of the ways that can reduce gas in sufficiency of resources and opportunities of health ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"dOGILSgc","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","plainCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":357,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"itemData":{"id":357,"type":"book","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Sustainability assessment: criteria and processes","title-short":"Sustainability assessment","author":[{"family":"Gibson","given":"Bob"},{"family":"Hassan","given":"Selma"},{"family":"Tansey","given":"James"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gibson et al., 2013).
Intergenerational equity is also a standard that is met because the present actions and choices are more likely to enhance or persecute the opportunities for the growth of future generations.
Resource maintenance and efficiency is also met by Ecological Footprint because it restores sustainable livelihood by reducing threats of long term integrity of socio-ecological systems.
Socio-ecological activity and democratic governance is also a standard that is met by the ecological footprints because the decision-making bodies are attracted in terms of applying suitable requirements through an informed market. ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"gg3BMN72","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","plainCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":357,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"itemData":{"id":357,"type":"book","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Sustainability assessment: criteria and processes","title-short":"Sustainability assessment","author":[{"family":"Gibson","given":"Bob"},{"family":"Hassan","given":"Selma"},{"family":"Tansey","given":"James"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gibson et al., 2013)
Precaution and adaptation is another standard that is met by ecological footprints taking into account that the tool incorporates long term planning and management for adaptation.
Immediate and long term integration is another standard that is fulfilled because the application of all the principles of sustaining promote the mutually supported benefits as well as multiple environmental gains ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"YN7uVkxs","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","plainCitation":"(Gibson et al., 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":357,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/6bWeQAmN/items/FJZNQVXS"],"itemData":{"id":357,"type":"book","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","title":"Sustainability assessment: criteria and processes","title-short":"Sustainability assessment","author":[{"family":"Gibson","given":"Bob"},{"family":"Hassan","given":"Selma"},{"family":"Tansey","given":"James"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gibson et al., 2013).
Conclusion
The data of indicators and the assessment tools are gathered by the assimilation of different survey-based techniques and online calculation of ecological footprints by using the organization’s websites. Indicators are added to address the requirements as well as to undergo a componential analysis which can provide better results. The limitations found in the ecological footprint are that of "country-based” data while the limitation of the reports was that of “already recorded as well as uncertified or unverified data”.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Gibson, B., Hassan, S., & Tansey, J. (2013). Sustainability assessment: Criteria and processes. Routledge.
Meadows, D. (1998). Indicators of sustainable community 1998: A status report on long-term cultural, economic, and environmental health for Seattle/King County (p. 4). Seattle, WA: Sustainable Seattle.
Open Data Platform. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2020, from http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/
