Question

What are the three main principles of sustainability?

Answer 1

Sustainability is most often defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It has three mainpillars: economic, environmental, and social.
The three scientific principles of sustainability are: (1) dependence on solar energy, (2) Biodiversity, and (3) chemical cycling.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Are there some basic principles of environmental sustainability?

Oh yes, good question. Here at Illinois, we have five principles that inform our work on sustainability:

Limits. There are biophysical limits to the expansion of human societies imposed by the carrying capacity of nature. We must keep these limits in the forefront of or planning and decision-making.Interdependencies across time and space. The world is interconnected and interdependent in intricate ways. Our use of resources has impacts in faraway places and those places have impacts on us. Achieving sustainability will depend on creating sustainable communities across the globe.Triple-bottom line. Sustainability requires balancing economic, social, and environmental priorities. The need for development is often confused with the need for economic growth alone. This is flawed. Many human needs can be satisfied by improved environmental quality and a safe and engaged social life. Sustainability requires us to consider the triple bottom line, not just the financial bottom line.Equity. Sustainable practices require equitable distribution of opportunities, wealth, and quality of life across communities and nations - now and in the future. We have a responsibility towards others now, and towards future generations, to ensure that our children and grandchildren can gain access to resources necessary for a good quality of life.Precaution. There is a great deal that we do not know about nature's functioning, about our dependence on it, about the economics of conservation, and much more. In recogni­tion of the fallibility of our understanding, we will sometimes take action in advance of scientific proof (e.g., restrict the release of radiation or toxins) on the grounds that delay in implementation may be costly to society, the environment, and to future generations.