States and Dynamics

A "state" of a system is a position that the system is in, regardless of its containing objects. This is not the same as a property. A property is inherent in the physical makeup. A state is about configuration. And the difference between the two changes everything about how we approach sustainability.

Return to the light switch. It is in the "on" state when the switch is in the on position, and the "off" state in the off position. Whether on or off, the switch consists of the same materials. Nothing is added or removed. It just changed state. Compare this to the switch being red or blue, which are physical properties inherent to the material. A state is how the relationships between components are arranged.

This applies directly to sustainability. One system can be in a "state" of sustainability while another is not, even though they consist of exactly the same stuff. This is a critical understanding. It means we can reach a sustainable society with everything we already have. We do not need new materials, new technologies, or new inventions (though they help). We need to reconfigure the relationships between us, our things, and each other.

We could have been in a sustainable state in the past (and perhaps we were). We can be so today. We can achieve it in the future. But we are not there today, and getting there is not easy, since we departed this state probably a few hundred years ago.

Systems in Time

Systems do not only have a spatial boundary, but also one in time and context. Something is "sustainable" for a certain, relevant, time frame. We say "relevant" because it is irrelevant for us to worry about the sustainability of the Earth beyond the expiration of our sun, billions of years from now. Often a "relevant time frame" can be taken as several generations. In reality, looking much further than 50 years ahead is not feasible, yet 50 years is insignificant compared to human history.

This is where resilience enters the picture. Resilience is a long-term property encompassing patterns of change, while growth is just part of the ebb and flow of the system in motion. The bigger and more sophisticated a system becomes, its resource needs go up exponentially. If there is no replacement, the system will crack and start to fail.

Dynamic Systems: Always Moving

The SiD definition defines sustainability as a state of a dynamic system. This means sustainability is an edge condition of something that always moves, changes, grows, shrinks, and acts in accordance with changes in its environment and internal composition. A system can move and change while still remaining in the state of sustainability, as long as it does not cross the border of its state.

Because there is always something that changes, whether due to climate shifts, the natural cycles of birth and decay, the laws of entropy, or something else, a system needs to adapt in order to continue doing what it does. This capacity is resilience. Without dynamism there is no capacity for adaptability, flexibility, and therefore no resilience. A system without resilience is hard-pressed to be sustainable.

Consider a forest. A healthy forest is in constant flux: trees grow and fall, species compete and cooperate, fire periodically clears the underbrush allowing new growth. This dynamism is not a weakness but the source of its resilience. A forest frozen in time would be fragile. The same applies to cities, economies, organizations, and societies. Static systems are brittle. Dynamic systems adapt.

Nothing is eternal, and nothing should be. Sustainability is not about endlessness or development for eternal preservation. There is always a natural end to a system's life span. A sustainable system "pulses" like all natural systems do, aiming to adapt itself to be better-fitted each time around. It also inherently accepts there is an end to things, and gracefully resolves itself when that moment arrives. Like dead trees in a forest becoming new habitats, leaving room for the cycle of life to continue.