a framework for sustainability northern great lakes visitor center march 19, 2007
TRANSCRIPT
A Framework for Sustainability
Northern Great Lakes Visitor CenterMarch 19, 2007
JERRY HEMBD
Northern Center for Community and Economic Development
University of Wisconsin-SuperiorUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension
Beginning Notes
• A work in progress
• Indicative rather than definitive
• Questions and discussion at the end
Four Challenges Posed by the Transition to Sustainability
• We need more accurate models, metaphors, and measures to describe the human enterprise relative to the biosphere.
• It will require a marked improvement and creativity in the arts of citizenship and governance.
• The public’s discretion will need to be informed through greatly improved education.
• It will require learning how to recognize and solve divergent problems, which is to say a higher level of spiritual awareness.Source: David Orr. The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2004.
The Three Waves of Community Economic
Development
Plus OneThree Waves Portion Derived from:
Blakely, Edward J., and Bradshaw, Ted K. Planning Local Economic Development: Theory and Practice. 3d ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2002.
Drabenstott, Mark. “Rethinking Federal Policy for Regional Economic Development.” Economic Review, Vol. 91, No. 1 (First Quarter 2006).
Eberts, Randall W. “Overview of State and Local Economic Development Policies and Practice in the United States.” In Local Governance for Promoting Employment—Comparing the Performance of Japan and Seven Countries, pp. 87-102. Edited by Sylvain Giguere, Yoshio Higuchi, and the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training. Tokyo, Japan: The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, 2005.
Shaffer, Ron; Deller, Steve; and Marcouiller, Dave. “Rethinking Community Economic Development.” Economic Development Quarterly, February 2006.
First Wave
Industrial Recruiting1950s to early 1980s
Driver• Export base
Goal• Attract outside firms
Strategies• Financial incentives• Industrial parks
Keys to success• Government funds for
subsidies and tax breaks
• Industrial infrastructure
Second Wave
Cost CompetitionEarly 1980s to early 1990s
Driver• Efficiency and scale
economiesGoal• Retention and expansion
of existing firmsStrategies• Reduce taxes• Deregulation• Industry consolidation
and cost cutting
Keys to success• Health of existing firms• Training programs• Social and physical
resources
Third Wave
Regional CompetitivenessEarly 1990s to present
Driver• Innovation and
entrepreneurshipGoal• Enhance regional
resources to promote industrial clusters
Strategies• Entrepreneurship• Clusters• Building regional
collaboration
Keys to success• Distinct regional assets
such as– Human capital– Higher education– Amenities– Creative economy
• Leadership and development of quality environment
• Bridging economic and community development
Paradigm Change
• Death by a thousand cuts – Linear thinking– Reductionism– Economic growth
• Let a thousand flowers bloom– Systems thinking– Sustainability– Emergent properties
Fourth or “New” Wave
Sustainability Revolution and Paradigm ChangeEarly 1980s and still evolving
Drivers• Sustainable development
and systems thinkingGoal• SustainabilityEmerging Strategies• Eco-municipality
movement (The Natural Step)
• Localization
• Valuing ecosystem services (e.g., Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)
• Sustainable agriculture and local food systems
• Sustainable tourism• The “triple bottom line” of
business• Eco-industrial
development (industrial ecology)
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
Intergenerationalequity
Source: World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. The Brundtland Report. Oxford University Press, 1987, p. 43.
“It contains two key concepts: the concept of “needs,” in particular the essential needs of the world’s poor,
to which overriding priority should be given; and the idea of limitations
imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment’s ability to meet
present and future needs.”
Intragenerationalequity
Limits
Community Views and Contexts
From Circles to Systems
Economy Environment
Society
View of Community as Three Unconnected Circles “Silos” View
Economy Environment
Society
View of Community As Three Interconnected Circles “Linkages” View
PoliticalCapital
NaturalCapital
CulturalCapital
HumanCapital
Financial Capital
Built Capital
Social Capital
Healthy EcosystemVital Economy
Social Well-Being
Community Capitals Model
Source: Cornelia Butler Flora, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, 2004
Economy
Environment
Society
View of Community as Three Concentric Circles “Systems” View
Systems Views and Contexts
From Empty to Full
What is a system?
Types of Systems – A Beginning
• Closed system– Imports and exports energy only; matter
circulates within the system
the Earth approximates such a system . . . energy flows through, material cycles within . . . finite, nongrowing
• Open system– Takes in and gives out both matter and energy
the economy is such a system . . . it can change in size
The natural world is “the envelope that contains, sustains and provisions the economy.”
Herman Daly
SolarEnergy
Energy
SourceFunctions
SinkFunctions
Resources
Finite Global Ecosystem
Waste Heat
Energy
Resources
RecycledMatter
Natural Capital (Ecosystem)
Manmade Capital (Economy)
Growing Economic Subsystem
Welfare
Economic service
Ecosystem service
Source: Daly, Herman. Ecological Economics. Island Press, 2004
Major Categories of Ecosystem Services
• Provisioning
• Regulating
• Cultural
• Supporting
Source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2003. Washington, DC: Island Press.
“Life Support” Functions of Ecosystem Services
• Food
• Water
• Pest control
• Flood control
• Climate regulation
• Recreation
Ehrlich-Holdren “IPAT” Equation
I = P * A * T
I = environmental impact of the economy
P = population growingA = average material standard of living growing rapidly (consumption)T = throughput (resource consumption, pollution, and ecosystem impacts) per unit of output technology term to compensate for P and A
Original Source: Ehrlich, P., and Holdren, J. 1971. “Impact of Population Growth.” Science 171: 1212-19.
World Population Since AD 1B
illi
on
Peo
ple
Tri
llio
n D
oll
ars
2003
Do
llar
sGross World Product
1950 - 2004
Gross World Product Per Person, 1950-2004
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Source: Maddison, IMF
Do
llar
s (2
003
Do
llar
s)
Carbon Emissions from Fossil Fuel Burning, 1751-2004
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
1751
1776
1801
1826
1851
1876
1901
1926
1951
1976
2001
Source: UN, BP, DOE, IEA
Mil
lio
n T
on
s
US Energy Consumption1635 - 2000
Qu
adri
lio
n
BT
U
Growth Trends Summary: 1950 to 2000
• Population more than 2X• Economy 7X• Food consumption 3X• Water use 3X• Energy use 4X
SolarEnergy
GrowingEconomic
Subsystem
Energy Energy
SourceFunctions
SinkFunctions
Resources Resources
Finite Global Ecosystem
Waste Heat
RecycledMatter
Natural Capital (Ecosystem)
Manmade Capital (Economy)
Welfare
Economic service
Ecosystem service
Source: Daly, Herman. Ecological Economics. Island Press, 2004
Natural Capital (Ecosystem)
Manmade Capital (Economy)Source: Daly, Herman. Ecological Economics. Island Press, 2004
Finite Global Ecosystem
World’s Ecological Footprint1961 - 2001
Nu
mb
er o
f E
arth
s R
equ
ired
Source: WWF, UNEP, Global Footprint Network
The Natural Step Resource Funnel
Resource Availability and Ecosystem Ability to Provide Vital Services
Raw materials, ecosystem services, declining integrity and capacity of natural systems
SustainabilityMargin for
Action
Societal Demand for ResourcesGrowth in population, resource requirements as affluence increases, increased demands as technology spreads.
Source: Nattrass, Brian, and Altomare, Mary. The Natural Step for Business. New Society Publishers, 1999.
The Four System Conditions for Sustainability
In the sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing…
1. concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust;
2. concentrations of substances produced by society;
3. degradation by physical means;
and, in that society,
4. human needs are met worldwide.
The PP4SD Distinction
• Sustainability is a goal. It is the capacity for continuance into the long-term future.
• Sustainable development is the process of moving towards this ideal end-state. It is controversial because there is often disagreement on the best way to make progress - or even if we should try.
Economic Ecological
Social
Sustainability
Economic limits
Ecological limits
Social limits
Sustainable Development
Global Environment
Supply Chain Organization Customer ChainInputs
Supplies
Outputs
Product
Risk and Opportunity
Business Model
Global Environment
Supply Chain Organization Customer ChainInputs
Supplies
Outputs
Products
Reduction in material and energy flows
Sustainable Sourcing 100% Consumable
Renewable sources
Biodiversity
Factor reduction• World Business Council for Sustainable
Development
Safe edible outputs
Design for reuse
Reliable quality sources
Sustainable Business Model
Systems Thinking
Spheres of Concern and Influence
Sphere of concern
Sphere of influence
Freshwater Ecosystems Provide:
• Water supplies for irrigation, industries, cities, and homes;
• Fish, waterfowl, mussels and other foods for people and wildlife;
• Water purification and filtration of pollutants;• Flood mitigation;• Drought mitigation;• Groundwater recharge;• Water storage;• Provision of wildlife habitat and nursery
grounds
Freshwater Ecosystems Provide:
• Soil fertility maintenance;• Nutrient delivery to deltas and estuaries• Delivery of freshwater flows to maintain
estuaries salinity balances;• Aesthetic, cultural and spiritual values;• Recreational opportunities; and• Conservation of biodiversity, which preserves
resilience and options for the future
SOURCE: S. Postel, Liquid Assets: The Critical Need to Safeguard Freshwater Ecosystems (Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 2005).
Some Underlying Questions
• Time frame
• Scale and throughput
• Growth – development
• Population – consumption• Equity
More and/or Better
• MORE
Economic growth/development
• BETTER
Community development
• DIFFERENT
Sustainable development
Concluding Notes
• Context matters• The force (of a paradigm
change) is with us• Education as a responsibility• Transformational education• Education for sustainability
and not education about the environment
• Content and process
Some things have to be
believed to be seen.
Livelihood is about quality of life; living standard is about quantity of material possessions.
Education aimed solely at raising living standards relates to concepts of employment, jobs and careers based on individualism and personal success. Education for livelihood is just the opposite. It is about relationships, mutuality, reciprocity, community, coherence, wholeness, and ecology.
Most schools and universities are dominated by materialist and consumerist goals. They have taken on the mission of literacy instead of meaning, information instead of transformation, and training instead of learning. Modern-day educators have become servants of the economy and they are oblivious to the catastrophic consequences for the people and the planet.
‘Education as usual’ is no longer an option.
Quoted from: Satish Kumar, “Education for Sustainability.” Resurgence 226 (September/October 2004): 3.
Northern Center for Community and Economic Development
Jerry Hembd, Director
University of Wisconsin-SuperiorBelknap & Catlin, PO Box 2000Superior, Wisconsin 54880Phone: 715-394-8208Fax: 715-394-8592E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.uwsuper.edu/ncced