雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

The concept of 'sustainable development' has evolved significantly since its popularization in the 1987 Brundtland Report. Initially framed as a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, the term has increasingly been criticized for its vagueness and overuse. Scholars argue that the mainstream interpretation often prioritizes economic interests, relegating ecological concerns to a secondary status. This 'weak sustainability' model assumes that natural capital can be substituted by human-made capital, a premise contested by ecologists who advocate for 'strong sustainability', which posits that certain natural resources are irreplaceable and must be preserved independently of economic calculations. The debate highlights a fundamental tension: whether sustainability is a technical problem solvable through innovation or a normative challenge requiring a shift in societal values.