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Attachment Ten (10) <br />2030 Comprehensive Plan — Following is an excerpt from the Comprehensive Plan <br />that addresses the concept of " sustainability". This excerpt can be found in Chapter <br />1, "Plan Overview", which ties each Element of the Plan together. <br />1.3. TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE <br />An emerging point of consensus in Orange County is that we need to move toward <br />becoming a sustainable community. What that means is that we must seek to <br />develop a community that meets the needs of the present generation without <br />compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Current <br />global trends have demonstrated the need for planning healthy and sustainable <br />communities. One trend is the increasing impact of greenhouse gases on the <br />world's climate and another is the decreasing supply of resources that support <br />life. <br />Sustainability is defined as .aligning our built environment and socioeconomic <br />activities with the natural systems that support life. In the long run, sustainability <br />means adapting human activities to the constraints and opportunities of nature. <br />The figure below is a graphic <br />representation of a sustainable <br />community. Each ring <br />represents one of the Three Us: <br />the environment, the economy <br />and social equity. Each of <br />these rings is connected to, <br />and dependent upon the <br />others. <br />The design of a sustainable <br />community in Orange County <br />means that this Comprehensive <br />Plan will strive, in its <br />i ylementation. to link the <br />economy, the environment and <br />social equity to improve the <br />vitality of all three of these <br />domains. <br />The meaning of sustainability <br />can be further understood by <br />examining four basic principles <br />regarding human needs, <br />natural systems, and the <br />relationships between them. <br />FIGURE 1 -1: THE THREE SPHERES OF <br />SUSTAINABLE GROWTH <br />Often termed the "triple bottom line," sustainable <br />growth can be achieved in Orange County by <br />balancing environmental, social, and economic <br />factors when setting County policies and <br />regulations. <br />1. For a given natural resource, if the depletion rate exceeds the <br />replacement rate, the resource will be available for only a finite <br />time. Thus, unchecked use of resources has implications for our <br />future generations. <br />2. Human activity produces harmful substances, which must be <br />mediated to maintain balance in the natural systems. Human - <br />generated waste, such as plastics, sewage, and carbon <br />monoxide, must be carefully managed to minimize and <br />eliminate damage to the earth. <br />105 <br />