Introduction to Sustainability

Defining Sustainable

Development

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

Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment

Economy Society

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

the sustainable development triangle

Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment

Economy Society

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

Elements of sustainabilityEnvironment

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

•biodiversity•materials•energy

•biophysical interactions

Elements of sustainability

Economy

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

•money and capital•employment

•technological growth•investment

•market forces

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

The ‘3 Es’ Model Ecology

Economy Equity

The Healthy Community Model

SOCIETY

ENVIRONMENT

ECONOMYHEALTH

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

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

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

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

Obsolescent “frontier” civilization:

ENERGY

CONVENTIONALURBAN SYSTEM

MATERIALS

HEAT

WASTE &TOXINS

One-way flow of materials and energy

CONSUMERSOCIETY

NON-RENEWABLEand RENEWABLE

HIGHTHROUGHPUT

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

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.

ECONOMY

ENV’T

SOCIETY

TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING

ECONOMY

ENV’T

SOCIETY

TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING

• NON-PARTICIPATORY

•FRAGMENTED

SOCIETY

ENVIRONMENT

ECONOMY

ECONOMY

ENV’T

SOCIETY

TRADITIONALDECISION MAKING

ECOSYSTEM-BASEDDECISION MAKING

‘ECO-SYSTEMHEALTH’

SOCIETY

ENVIRONMENT

ECONOMY

ECOSYSTEM-BASEDDECISION MAKING

• PARTICIPATORY

• INTEGRATED

‘ECO-SYSTEMHEALTH’

• 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

• 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

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

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:

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.