introduction to sustainability - university of technology
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Introduction to Sustainability
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Defining Sustainable
Development
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Sustainable development:
u meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
– World Commission on Environment and Development (1987): Our Common Future
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Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment
Economy Society
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
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the sustainable development triangle
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Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment
Economy Society
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
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Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
•biodiversity•materials•energy
•biophysical interactions
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Elements of sustainability
Economy
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
•money and capital•employment
•technological growth•investment
•market forces
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Elements of sustainability
Society
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
•human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic)•equity (dependence / independence)
•quality of life•institutional structures and organization
•political structures
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The ‘3 Es’ Model Ecology
Economy Equity
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The Healthy Community Model
SOCIETY
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMYHEALTH
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Sustainability: PROBLEMSu Depletion of finite resources
– fuels, soil, minerals, speciesu Over-use of renewable resources
– forests, fish & wildlife, fertility, public fundsu Pollution
– air, water, soilu Inequity
– economic, political, social, genderu Species loss
– endangered species and spaces- WCED, 1987
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Sustainability: SOLUTIONSu Cyclical material use
– emulate natural cycles; 3 R’su Safe reliable energy
– conservation, renewable energy, substitution, interim measures
u Life-based interests– health, creativity, communication,
coordination, appreciation, learning, intellectual and spiritual development
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Sustainable development...u implies limits
Not predefined absolute limits, but limitations imposed by:– the ability of the biosphere to absorb the
effects of human activities– adaptability of human social and political
organization– technology
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Sustainable development and economic growth
Economic growth must be made:– less material intensive (‘dematerialization of
the economy’)– less energy intensive– more equitable in its impacts
u Economic growth may be reduced or curtailed to meet limitations imposed by environment, technology, or society
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Obsolescent “frontier” civilization:
ENERGY
CONVENTIONALURBAN SYSTEM
MATERIALS
HEAT
WASTE &TOXINS
One-way flow of materials and energy
CONSUMERSOCIETY
NON-RENEWABLEand RENEWABLE
HIGHTHROUGHPUT
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CONSERVERSOCIETY
Sustainable civilization:
•Cyclical flows of materials •Appropriate energy usage
Energy Efficiency
RENEWABLE
Waste MinimizationToxics control
LOWTHROUGHPUT
ENERGY
MATERIALS
Low-qualityHeat Energy
Low-volumeNontoxic Waste Materials
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Sustainable development...
u considers future and present needs when making decisionsabout:– resource and energy use– technological development– direction of investments– social, political & institutional
change...etc. etc. etc.
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ECONOMY
ENV’T
SOCIETY
TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING
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ECONOMY
ENV’T
SOCIETY
TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING
• NON-PARTICIPATORY
•FRAGMENTED
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SOCIETY
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMY
ECONOMY
ENV’T
SOCIETY
TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING
ECOSYSTEM-BASEDDECISION MAKING
‘ECO-SYSTEMHEALTH’
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SOCIETY
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMY
ECOSYSTEM-BASEDDECISION MAKING
• PARTICIPATORY
• INTEGRATED
‘ECO-SYSTEMHEALTH’
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• radical
• anticipatory
• reactive
Industry
• change in demand- less consumption- alternative consumption
• change in process- clean technology- elimination of toxics
• sewage treatment plant- ‘end of pipe’ solution
• environmentand
economyand
society
• environmentand
economy
• environmentor
economy
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• radical
• anticipatory
• reactive
Industry
• change indemand forproduct
• change inindustrialprocess
• sewagetreatmentplant forwastes
Biodiversity
• apply landscapeecologyprinciples to humanactivity
• establish national parks (12%)to protecthabitats
• zoo / seed bank forendangeredspecies
Transportation
• completeredesign ofour cities
• alternativefuels for cars
• catalyticconverters
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To be useful, principles of sustainability must:
u be easily understoodu be applicable in many contextsu be transferrable across scalesu translate well from fundamental values
into applied policy and practical actionu identify possibilities for radical
transformative change AND positive incremental change
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Guideposts for Sustainability(after Nickerson, 1993)
Activities are sustainable when they:
1. Use materials in continuous cycles.2. Use continuously reliable sources of
energy.3. Encourage desirable human traits
(equity; creativity; communication; coordination; appreciation; intellectual and spiritual development).
One example:
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Guideposts for SustainabilityActivities are not sustainable when they:
4. Require continual inputs of non-renewable resources.
5. Use renewable resources faster than their rate of renewal.
6. Cause cumulative degradation of the environment.
7. Require resources in quantities that could never be available for people everywhere.
8. Lead to the extinction of other life forms.