Comments on: Sim Van der Ryn takes his shirt off (and hates the term ’sustainability’) http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=78&owa_from=feed&owa_sid= Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:37:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Yancy Wright http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=78#comment-79 Yancy Wright Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:40:34 +0000 http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/2008/04/18/sim-van-der-ryn-takes-his-shirt-off-and-hates-the-term-sustainability/#comment-79 Linguistics are often the barrier for our successful communication as a society. "Sustainability" as Sim noted is not the best word to reflect an "Ecological Design". I would on the other hand, suggest that since it is the mainstream word I might challenge Sim by claiming we might need to better communicate the definition of sustainability. Sustainability infers an inherent requirement for us to design and build as an integrated (non-destructive) piece of our complex ecosystem. If achieved we have done something sustainable. Currently we are failing to design and build without multiple forms of ecosystem destruction; thus the need to strive for "sustainability". That being said, I can understand how Sim might be frustrated by the over use of the word for things that are far from "sustainable" resulting in a diluted message. Linguistics are often the barrier for our successful communication as a society. “Sustainability” as Sim noted is not the best word to reflect an “Ecological Design”. I would on the other hand, suggest that since it is the mainstream word I might challenge Sim by claiming we might need to better communicate the definition of sustainability.

Sustainability infers an inherent requirement for us to design and build as an integrated (non-destructive) piece of our complex ecosystem. If achieved we have done something sustainable. Currently we are failing to design and build without multiple forms of ecosystem destruction; thus the need to strive for “sustainability”.

That being said, I can understand how Sim might be frustrated by the over use of the word for things that are far from “sustainable” resulting in a diluted message.

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