Sustainable development...

In nature, a near balanced situation exists between precipitation, runoff and infiltration. An ever-increasing rate of urbanization is upsetting this equilibrium and causing severe soil erosion problems. Over the years, Terraforce and Terrafix blocks have proven their value in finding environmentally sound solutions.

Presentation on erosion control - for the Global Alliance for Building Sustainability (GABS), Johannesburg, South Africa, August 2002.

Sustainable development or sustainable building/construction practices should surely be on the mind of any architect, engineer and developer about to tackle a new construction site. Aiming to create a built environment that " meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." ( Our Common Future, WCED, 1987) is possibly one of the most urgent aspects in the global fight to prevent our resources from running dry.

One obvious facet of sustainable development involves protecting our natural (or pristine) environment. This requires that we find a balance between protecting the physical environment and its resources, and using these resources in a way that will allow the earth to continue supporting an acceptable quality of life for human beings, and not, as many wrongly assume, to keep up or "sustain" our current pace of economic productivity to the point of exhaustion. (Sustainable Settlement in South Africa, CSIR, 2002)

Click on the link below to view the the presentation Mr Rust gave at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) for the Global Alliance for Building Sustainability (GABS), Johannesburg, South Africa, August 2002.

Presentation on erosion control