Sustainable development and Global Warming Lyn McLeod, Ontario Minister of Energy, spoke at ttie Toronto Symposium on Global Warming in Marcti when a Discussion Paper was presented to various groups including environmentalists and Industrial figures. This article contains excerpts from both her presentation and the Discussion Paper.
the steps that can be taken to reduce
The term sustainable devel
The term sustainable develop ment may mean different things to different people. The heart of the concept, however,will continue to be
those emissions are beneficial in
their own right. But if the warnings about possi ble climatic changes are correct,and we do nothing, a steep price will
have to be paid. Not by us, but by the generations to come that were so much on the mind of the Brundtland Commission.
year. My colleagues and I concluded that it would be imprudent to ignore the possible implications of a con tinuing buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In the words of the final communique: The conse quences of inaction are unaccepta ble.
nition, which says sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the. present without com
should make sense in their own
promising the ability of future gen
right. And the suggestions con tained in our discussion paper have that virtue. They are essentially
and attainable objective.
erations to meet their own needs.
surround the question of global warming. But even if there really is no global warming trend, we lose nothing by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To the contrary, many of
annual conference in Toronto last
The discussion paper sets out a series of possible first steps in a pro posed action plan that would embody two key principles. The first, is that the actions taken now
opment has been a little overworked of late. It may even be in danger of becom ing a cliche - and that is something we simply cannot allow to happen. Sustainable development is a real Scientists have referred to some of the scientific uncertainties which
- serious as these problems may be. We are now facing concerns about a buildup in the atmosphere ofcarbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases - problems which could well have far-reaching implications for future generations. This was essentially the position taken by Canada's federal and pro vincial energy ministers at our
the Brundtland Commission's defi
David Buzzelil, of Dow, has also
expressed the thought that sustai nable development is a journey - and I tbink that captures the idea that it's how we proceed that counts. We are no longer talking only about depletion of resources and pollution
conservation measures which call for consideration of more efficient
use of energy in all sectors - indus trial, commercial, institutional and residential.
Besides reducing greenhouse gas
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Environmental Science & Engineering, May 1990