Ban the use of maeningless weasel words like "sustainable"

What - exactly - is "sustainable" supposed to mean? "When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less" - Humpty Dumpty, head of the bureau of word validation for political correctness. In other words, nobody needs to explain what sustainable actually means, so long as everyone nods along and acknowledges that just to say "good" would sound less impressive, similarly, starting every sentence with "So", lends drivel a spurious air of  authoritativeness.

Why the contribution is important

Politicians should have clear policies based on fact or science, not wishy washy concepts that are nver rationalised.

by Voiceofreason on August 17, 2020 at 08:31PM

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Comments

  • Posted by Voiceofreason August 17, 2020 at 20:33

    Oops -clearly a council designed web-site - no edit function - this should, of course, read "Ban the use of meaningless weasel words like "sustainable"....

  • Posted by MJMcD0ugall September 14, 2020 at 16:12

    sorry, I disagree with you. There is a definition of sustainable as actions which allow us to meet our needs without preventing future generations from being able to meet their needs.
    In other words treat the planets like rented temporary accommodation, a holiday let for those lucky enough to have holidays, and leave the place in as good a state as you found it, or better.

  • Posted by Voiceofreason September 15, 2020 at 15:54

    "There is a definition of sustainable as actions which allow us to meet our needs without preventing future generations from being able to meet their needs."

    How on earth can one apply something as vague as that to the concept that buses are "sustainable" whilst cars are not. Both use fossil fuels and in the current circumstances, both manage roughly the same fuel burn per passenger per mile (e.g. a bus with large diesel spewing particulates whilst carrying driver plus 4 passengers uses as much fuel per mile and takes up as much road space as a Ford Focus with one passenger).

    How does either action prevent "future generations from being able to meet their needs"?

    If those "needs" include spending 10 hours a day generating online drivel (causing a huge leccy loading for servers worldwide), wafting around their house flat in a t-shirt (acquired from a discount retailer and due for discarding in a month or two when it is no longer "on-trend") with the thermostat set to 22C and upgrading their phone every 12 months, then we'll need to work a bit harder at fossil fuel exploitation, mineral digging and nuclear power plant building.
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