Chapter 7 - The Sociology of Sustainable Development - 7 E...

7
E
The Sociology
of Sustainable Development
220
While it’s obvious the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro did not solve the
world’s environmental problems, it did lay a foundation for continued
progress. The emphasis of the event was to integrate economic and
environmental issues into the philosophy of sustainable development. . . .
Within the chemical industry, we’re beginning to see more and more
examples of how specific companies are making great strides toward
sustainability. The chemical industry has the means and the desire—not
to mention the technological expertise—to become part of the solution.
I believe that by working with governments and the environmental
community in a productive and cooperative manner, the chemical industry
can help to make sustainable development a reality.
(DOW CHEMICAL CEO, FRANK POPOFF IN CHEMICAL WEEK, 24 JUNE 1992, P. 18).
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The positive spin on environmental protection that Mr. Popoff promotes in
his commentary in Chemical Week deviates sharply from the responses the
chemical industry has typically taken to plans by government and environ-
mentalists to curb the negative effects of chemical production. In the 1960s,
the industry belittled Rachel Carson and her claim that DDT was harmful to

both environmental and human health. The industry regularly lobbies Con-
gress to limit the amount of legislation placed on chemical production. What
happened for the CEO of Dow Chemical to write a call-to-arms to fellow in-
dustry leaders to work with the government and environmentalists, traditional
foes, in a “productive and cooperative manner . . . [to] help make sustainable
development a reality”? What does sustainable development promise that ear-
lier attempts at environmental protection did not?
The most commonly used definition of sustainable development (SD)
comes from the 1987 report prepared by the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED, also known as the Brundtland
Commission) titled, Our Common Future. Sustainable development is “De-
velopment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
1
This term became a
buzzword at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and De-
velopment (the “Earth Summit”). The 178 heads of state that gathered at
this forum sought to address both the “environment problem” and the “de-
velopment problem.” The concept of sustainable development presented a
paradigm in which officials viewed environment and development as part-
ners rather than adversaries. The WCED’s sustainable development pre-
sumed that economic growth and environmental protection could be
reconciled. The idea was not new, it harked back to Pinchot’s utilitarian
view of nature as a resource; as providing the “greatest good for the greatest
number over the longest time.”
The idea of sustainable development contrasts with development that fo-
cuses on economic gain often at the expense of the environment. Some natu-