Answer to Question 1
There is broad agreement on the following major points:
- A demographic transition from a continually increasing human population to one that is stable.
- A resource transition to an economy that is not obsessed with growth, but instead relies on nature's income and protects ecosystem capital from depletion.
- A technology transition from pollution-intensive economic production to environmentally friendly processes.
- A political/sociological transition to societies that embrace a stewardly and just approach to people's needs and that eliminate large-scale poverty.
- A community transition from the present car-dominated urban sprawl of developed countries to the smart growth concepts of smaller, functional settlements and more livable cities.
Answer to Question 2
A system or process . . . that can be continued indefinitely, without depleting any of the material or energy resources required to keep it running. By this definition, it would be impossible to run a modern society on fossil fuels. (The rate at which fossil fuels are created is so slow that almost any rate of use would exceed the rate of creation.)
A sustainable society is a society in balance with the natural world. It is possible for a sustainable society to continue indefinitely because it does not deplete its resource base or produce pollutants in excess of nature's ability to absorb/process them.
To do list
Torso of a "priest-king," from Mohenjo-daro, Indus Valley civilization.
Economic value (Dollars per Hectare) of sustainable ecosystems
Current and future trends and impacts (IPCC)
Go Green: Tips for Making More Sustainable Food Choices
the list provided