Blog Action Day

Sometimes this blog focuses on the technical aspects of measurement issues, and points out articles like the Special Issue of Ecological Economics (Journal): Sustainability and Cost-Benefit Analysis, with pros and cons of monetizing ecological values in order to track trends for policy analysis. But as fascinating as reading about Charter Sustainability Procedures in industry can be, that's not all we talk about here.

Today is Blog Action Day, where thousands of blogs commit to write about environmental issues at the same time. We've been talking about environmental sustainability for some time now, but today's a good day to remind ourselves of the importance of using data to move forward.

If you haven't read Maureen Hart's explanation of sustainability and the importance of sustainability indicators, please do so today. As community indicators practitioners, she reminds us that it's not enough just to measure indicators in the areas of the economy, environment, and society. If we measurethem separately, we treat them separately, and pit the issues and solutions against each other in a struggle for available community attention and resources to address them.

A different view of sustainability, as she proposes here, changes that view -- and changes how we choose the indicators used to measure progress toward a sustainable future.

Check it out, then check back here to share your stories in working towards a sustainable community.