Back to Sustainable Indicators: A Review of National Methods and Suggestions for Long Island		WHAT ARE INDICATORS? Indicators are statistics and data that highlight what is happening in a larger system. They are small windows that give us a glimpse of the "big picture." They tell us which direction a critical aspect of our community, economy, or environment is going: improving, deteriorating, or staying the same. An example of an indicator is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is an indicator of the health of the stock market. It does not include every stock, only 30 large corporations. These stocks are market leaders, so changes in the Dow often signal changes in the stock market as a whole. Similarly, the Gross National Product (GNP) is used as an indicator of the nationís economic wealth. GNP measures the amount of money spent overall in the country, but these expenditures do not always lead to net increases in social wealth and well being. For example, GNP increases when the federal government spends money on disaster relief or cleans up a toxic waste spill. GNP also ignores disparities in the distribution of wealth; it only measures total expenditures. GNP rises when wealthy people spend a lot of money, even if most of the population is struggling to meet basic needs. Not only does GNP give a distorted view of economic health but, as a lone indicator, it is not nearly complex enough to guide social policy. As Hazel Henderson from Paradigms of Progress stated: Trying to run a complex society on a single indicator like the Gross National Product is literally like trying to fly a 747 with only one gauge on the instrument panel...imagine if your doctor, when giving you a checkup, did no more than check your blood pressure.1 Indicators that are carefully designed, watched, and interpreted can help us communicate the status of our communities and improve our quality of life. Without indicators, we lack shared measures of how well we are doing, what we should do more of, less of, or what issues we need to rethink. Why use indicators? Valid and understandable indicators are needed to detect problems and raise public awareness so the need for change is taken seriously. In addition, when community members come together to develop a set of indicators, this process can strengthen community ties. By discussing issues, clarifying priorities, and working together, social connections are created and strengthened, increasing the chances that community action will succeed. But not just any piece of data tells you what you need to know about sustainability. Good indicators:2 Reflect something basic and fundamental to the long-term cultural, economic, environmental, or social health of a community over generations. Are accepted by the community as a valid sign of sustainability or distress. Are attractive to the local media so that the press publicizes them and uses them to monitor and analyze community trends. Are measurable. Data and statistics must be relevant to the geographic area and, preferably, comparable to other cities, counties or communities. If data are not readily available, a practical method of data collection or measurement should be developed. Are logically or scientifically defensible. Understandable rationales should exist for using the specific indicator and for drawing general conclusions from it.