title: The role of social and intergenerational equity in making changes in human well-being sustainable.
abstract: A sustainable world is one in which human needs are met equitably and without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Human well-being is described by four primary elements-basic human needs, economic needs, environmental needs, and subjective well-being. These elements can interact in a myriad of ways to influence overall well-being. What makes changes in human well-being sustainable for a population or a nation? Two major interactional concepts can push changes in human well-being toward a sustainable state in space and time-social equity and intergenerational equity. The concept of social equity distributes well-being over space, ensuring the fair treatment of all members of society promoting spatial sustainability of a well-being decision. The concept of intergenerational equity distributes well-being through time, ensuring the well-being of present and future generations of a population or nation, promoting temporal sustainability of a well-being decision. The roles of social and intergenerational equity in terms of their influence on human well-being are examined with a focus on more sustainable decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Gulf Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL, 32561, USA, summers.kevin@epa.gov.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D012922:Social Change; D012931:Social Environment