What the hell does “sustainable” even mean?

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/15/what_the_hell_does_sustainable_even_mean/



We need to define our buzzwords better, author Douglas Gayeton tells Salon

What the hell does “sustainable” even mean?
Lindsay Abrams
Sunday, Jun 15, 2014 10:58 AM UTC

And not just define, but really define — explain not just what they mean, but how they’re implemented, and why they’re important to reforming our food system?

It’s harder than most people realize, says artist and author Douglas Gayeton. These buzzwords are the shorthand by which we talk about new, better ways to grow and eat food, but often they’re just that — buzzwords, lacking the context needed to be useful. And that’s before we get into things like “integrated pest management,” “riparian buffers,” “demeter certification,” “biodynamics” and “permaculture.”

The title of Gayeton’s new book, he admits, is a bit of a buzzword itself. “Local: The New Face of Food and Farming in America“ uses photo collages, profiles of people at the forefront of the food movement, and lots and lots of definitions to begin to unpack these concepts. It’s borne from a larger online project he’s undertaken with his wife, Laura Howard, called the “Lexicon of Sustainability.”

Understanding exactly what it is we’re talking about, they argue, is integral to getting people to take an active role in what they buy and what they eat. And that, Gayeton told Salon, is the best way to bring about reform.