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Building a Sustainable Building a Sustainable Community Community

Bruce SneadBruce Snead

Engineering Extension at Engineering Extension at Kansas State UniversityKansas State University

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Building a Building a Sustainable Sustainable CommunityCommunity

Building a sustainable community Building a sustainable community through local leadership means through local leadership means effecting change in the best long-effecting change in the best long-term interests of your community. term interests of your community. Learn about the opportunities and Learn about the opportunities and techniques (policies, programs, techniques (policies, programs, planning and participation) which planning and participation) which you can use to build a strong you can use to build a strong future-oriented community. future-oriented community.

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TopicsTopics

Borrowing from the FutureBorrowing from the Future What is Sustainability?What is Sustainability? Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development Opportunities and ResourcesOpportunities and Resources

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Are You an Are You an Optimist or Optimist or Pessimist?Pessimist?

How many of you How many of you believe your believe your children will have children will have a better “quality a better “quality of life” than you of life” than you have?have?

What is it that What is it that makes where you makes where you live a special live a special place?place?

What will it take to What will it take to sustain that quality sustain that quality of life and preserve of life and preserve those special things those special things for your children?for your children?

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Borrowing from Borrowing from the Futurethe Future

““We’ve gotta do it for the kids.” - Sam We’ve gotta do it for the kids.” - Sam Brownback on the budget and debt.Brownback on the budget and debt.

I think there are a lot of similarities in I think there are a lot of similarities in the economics of natural systems.the economics of natural systems.

A baby born today will by age 75 have A baby born today will by age 75 have produced 52 tons of garbageproduced 52 tons of garbage consumed 43 million gallons of waterconsumed 43 million gallons of water used 3375 barrels of oil -used 3375 barrels of oil -Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia Inquirer

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Bringing Up BabyBringing Up Baby

A US born baby will, over a lifetime, cost the world:

Water - 41,289,000 gals

Wood - 5,777 CF

Coal - 290 tons

Fish - 1,123 lbs

Pesticides - 280 lbs

Eggs - 18,046

Vegetables - 13,652

Coffee - 688 lbs

Potatoes - 3,728

Petroleum - 80,598 gals

Data from US Census and World Resources Institute

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Borrowing from Borrowing from the Future?the Future?

Our 4.5% of world population Our 4.5% of world population consumes 30% of planet’s consumes 30% of planet’s natural resources, burns 25% natural resources, burns 25% of the fossil fuels.of the fossil fuels.

The US is the 3rd most The US is the 3rd most populous country with the populous country with the highest birthrate among highest birthrate among developed countries.developed countries.

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Warning Signs?Warning Signs?

Shrinking forestsShrinking forests Eroding soilsEroding soils Falling water tablesFalling water tables Collapsing fisheriesCollapsing fisheries Rising temperaturesRising temperatures Dying coral reefsDying coral reefs Melting glaciersMelting glaciers Disappearing plant and animal speciesDisappearing plant and animal species

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Different AttitudesDifferent Attitudesabout the Futureabout the Future

““Our resources Our resources are not passed are not passed to us by our to us by our ancestors but ancestors but loaned to us by loaned to us by our children.”our children.” Kenyan ProverbKenyan Proverb

““I’m spending I’m spending my kid’s my kid’s inheritance.”inheritance.” Bumper StickerBumper Sticker

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Quotes about the Quotes about the FutureFuture

““we are treating the Earth as if it we are treating the Earth as if it were a business in liquidation.” were a business in liquidation.” Herman DalyHerman Daly

““““Man will occasionally stumble over Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.” pick himself up and continue on.” Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

The future belongs to those who give The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope.” the next generation reason to hope.” Teilhard de ChardinTeilhard de Chardin

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What is What is Sustainability?Sustainability?

““Then I say the earth belongs Then I say the earth belongs to each.... generation during to each.... generation during its course, fully and in its own its course, fully and in its own right, no generation can right, no generation can contract debts greater than contract debts greater than may be paid during the course may be paid during the course of its own existence.” Thomas of its own existence.” Thomas Jefferson -6/9/1789Jefferson -6/9/1789

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What is What is Sustainability?Sustainability?

““development development which meets the which meets the needs of the needs of the present without present without compromising compromising the ability of the ability of future future generations to generations to meet their own meet their own needs.” needs.” UN Brundtland CommissionUN Brundtland Commission

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What is What is Sustainability? Sustainability?

...living on the Earth's ...living on the Earth's income rather than income rather than eroding its capital.eroding its capital. British British Government White Paper, 'This Government White Paper, 'This Common Inheritance', 1990Common Inheritance', 1990

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Sustainability?Sustainability?

Sustainability requires managing Sustainability requires managing all households -- individual, all households -- individual, community,national, and global community,national, and global -- in ways that ensure that our -- in ways that ensure that our economy and society can economy and society can continue to exist without continue to exist without crippling or destroying the crippling or destroying the natural environment on which natural environment on which we all depend. we all depend.

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Sustainability?Sustainability?

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Sustainable Sustainable DevelopmentDevelopment

That level of human activity That level of human activity that can be continued that can be continued indefinitely without indefinitely without diminishing the capacity of diminishing the capacity of the biosphere to support the biosphere to support life or assimilate wastelife or assimilate waste

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Growth?Growth?

Sustainable development is Sustainable development is not a “no-growth” movement.not a “no-growth” movement.

Rather, it asks the question Rather, it asks the question what should grow and how what should grow and how should it grow.should it grow.

Perhaps the question should Perhaps the question should be be “Is this sustainable?”“Is this sustainable?”

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Sustainable Sustainable DevelopmentDevelopment

"Sustainable development "Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic of economic prosperity, environmental quality prosperity, environmental quality and social equity. Companies and social equity. Companies aiming for sustainability need to aiming for sustainability need to perform not against a single, perform not against a single, financial bottom line but against financial bottom line but against the triple bottom line.”the triple bottom line.”

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TransitionsTransitions

From short-term to long-term thinkingFrom short-term to long-term thinking From a linear flow of resources to a From a linear flow of resources to a

cyclic flow of resourcescyclic flow of resources From an economy outside of nature to From an economy outside of nature to

an economy integrated into naturean economy integrated into nature From keeping score with gross cash From keeping score with gross cash

flow to keeping score with a whole-flow to keeping score with a whole-system balance sheet (many indicators)system balance sheet (many indicators)

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TransitionsTransitions

From seeing environmental, social and From seeing environmental, social and economic issues as separate and economic issues as separate and competing, to seeing them as an competing, to seeing them as an interconnected wholeinterconnected whole

From hoping growth will eliminate From hoping growth will eliminate poverty to addressing poverty and its poverty to addressing poverty and its causes directlycauses directly

From fossil fuels to renewable energyFrom fossil fuels to renewable energy From a focus on growth (size) to a From a focus on growth (size) to a

focus on development (quality)focus on development (quality)

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The Real The Real Challenge - Challenge -

Quality of LifeQuality of Life

Quality of life is Quality of life is improved by a shift in improved by a shift in public planning from public planning from simply accommodating simply accommodating growth to planning for growth to planning for sustainable human sustainable human activity.activity.

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Our ChoiceOur Choice

The longer we wait, the greater The longer we wait, the greater the risk of having to impose rigid the risk of having to impose rigid regulations in time of crisis.regulations in time of crisis.

The sooner we change, the more The sooner we change, the more options we will have to create options we will have to create mechanisms of adjustment that mechanisms of adjustment that are socially acceptable and are socially acceptable and economically feasible.economically feasible.

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Questioning Questioning Myths and Myths and

AssumptionsAssumptions

Growth is Growth is everythingeverything

No energy No energy problem problem

Design cities Design cities to move carsto move cars

Better costs Better costs moremore

We know how We know how to measure to measure progressprogress

Density = Density = CongestionCongestion

Economy vs. Economy vs. environmentenvironment

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Who’sWho’s Doing It Doing It

PCSDPCSD SeattleSeattle MilwaukeeMilwaukee San JoseSan Jose AustinAustin Santa MonicaSanta Monica RacineRacine ChattanoogaChattanooga

Routt County,CORoutt County,CO Boise/Ada CountyBoise/Ada County Valmeyer,ILValmeyer,IL New JerseyNew Jersey ManhattanManhattan SpringfieldSpringfield NACO, USCMNACO, USCM DOE, EPADOE, EPA

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How Do How Do Communities Communities

Start?Start? Crisis and ReactionCrisis and Reaction Citizen InitiativesCitizen Initiatives Mayoral Initiatives Mayoral Initiatives City Council Initiatives City Council Initiatives Legislative InitiativesLegislative Initiatives Gubernatorial InitiativesGubernatorial Initiatives

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Current TrendsCurrent Trends

Sustainability applied to:Sustainability applied to: Building and Real Estate Dev’t Building and Real Estate Dev’t Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development Land-Use PlanningLand-Use Planning Industrial DevelopmentIndustrial Development Transportation SystemsTransportation Systems Disaster RecoveryDisaster Recovery

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TechnologyTechnology

GISGIS New Tools for Decision MakingNew Tools for Decision Making SoftwareSoftware Indicators ProjectsIndicators Projects

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Sustainable Economic Sustainable Economic Development Development

StrategiesStrategies Use resources efficiently Use resources efficiently Meet local needs using local resources Meet local needs using local resources Invest in an efficient sustainable Invest in an efficient sustainable

infrastructure.infrastructure. Protect and enhance community Protect and enhance community

quality of life.quality of life. Create new businesses that provide Create new businesses that provide

services or products that protect or services or products that protect or restore the environment.restore the environment.

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Sustainable Sustainable Economic Economic

DevelopmentDevelopment Pollution Prevention/Waste Pollution Prevention/Waste

MinimizationMinimization Recycling Based ManufacturingRecycling Based Manufacturing Energy EfficiencyEnergy Efficiency Renewable EnergyRenewable Energy Green Business and Green Business and

Environmental TechnologiesEnvironmental Technologies

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Implementing Implementing SustainabilitySustainability

Personal choicesPersonal choices Local decision making and policy Local decision making and policy

implemented by tools and processimplemented by tools and process Examples and Education Examples and Education Scope of Services Scope of Services Planning/Development Planning/Development

GuidelinesGuidelines Capital BudgetsCapital Budgets

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Web ResourcesWeb Resources

www.usmayors.org/USCM/www.usmayors.org/USCM/sustainablesustainable

www.sustainable.orgwww.sustainable.org

www.iclei.org/la21/onestopwww.iclei.org/la21/onestop www.sustainable.doe.govwww.sustainable.doe.gov solstice.crest.orgsolstice.crest.org

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Web ResourcesWeb Resources

http://odin.bi.no/sbchttp://odin.bi.no/sbc http://www.iccwbo.org/home/http://www.iccwbo.org/home/

environment/charter.aspenvironment/charter.asp

http://sbn.envirolink.org/http://sbn.envirolink.org/

http://www.naturalstep.org/http://www.naturalstep.org/

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Web ResourcesWeb Resources

http://iisd.ca/http://iisd.ca/ www.sustainabledevelopment.org/www.sustainabledevelopment.org/

www.sustainablebusiness.comwww.sustainablebusiness.com

www.naturalcapitalism.org/www.naturalcapitalism.org/