About 2500 years ago, Plato wrote in his chronicles (Critas) about the consequences of excessive logging and grazing in the mountainous region surrounding ancient Athens. He described the mountains as ‘only the bones of the wasted body’.[1] From then to now, very little has changed especially in developing countries. The phenomenon also applies to Australia. For example, about 200 years after the arrival of Europeans in Australia about 40% of forests have been cleared while another 35% are under threat due to logging. Similar things apply to most other Australian natural resources. Due to such exploitation trends, Australian growth is ‘seen’ as untenable. As a consequence, other ways of life must be found or we (Australians) will experience a similar devastation scenario as Plato did, but on a much more grandiose scale.

Australians generally live in cities (including suburbia) and consume most energy and material resources. Urban sprawls are still happening around the country and permanently altering the environment. Consequently, associated problems are many, such as

  • They substitute agricultural lands which were utilized to produce food
  • They need greater transport energy consumption as people travel further to and from work/city centers
  • Residents are ‘encouraged’ to have private transport (cars) rather than use public transport
  • They put strain on services, such as water, electricity, fuels, communication systems, sewerage, drainage, public transport, waste collection and recycling of material sites
  • They also put strain on adjoining sources of construction materials such as, sand, soil, gravel, stone and wood
  • They cause (air, water and soil) pollution
  • They change microclimatic conditions, i.e., ‘heat climate effect’, and so on

Thus, Australia must not only embark on producing extra electrical power to meet its national needs, but it must also encompass ‘ecological sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’, including greater efficiency of power use.

SIDI believes that Australian cities have many environmental challenges ahead of them and which need to be solved. As a result, many city councils have turned to their communities for help, such as developers, environmentalists, community groups and consultancies. SIDI’s vision is about being part of interdependence of conservation and development, i.e., commitment to new ethics to attain sustainable living. Read more about our vision