Sustainability TODAY S u s t a i n a b i l i t y sus-tai-na-bi-li-ty Sustainable Development Ecological Sustainability Ecologically Sustainable Development

Sustainability TODAY

S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

sus-tai-na-bi-li-ty

Sustainable Development

Ecological Sustainability

Ecologically Sustainable Development

There are important words in our vocabulary...

Very small, feeling blue...

Relating to a lonely planet...


…the little blue planet cares for...

And somewhere between the lava and the stars...


a thin smear of life only 20km wide...

That’s about the distance from Townsville to Cape Cleveland


for billions of years she got on with life...

then along came man


who, from humble beginnings

300 million when Christ was around


6 billion+ today

started to get out of hand


Right out of hand

7.6 billion by 2020


Now human activities alter the atmosphere

And this causes changes in the climate


occasional disagreements get out of hand

just one atomic bomb can ruin your whole dayatomic bomb tests Bikini Atoll


meanwhile, our little brothers...

fall by the wayside - 30% of mammals extinct by 2030


nature runs out of places to hide...

deforestation is a principle form of habitat destruction


And our little sisters...

Yanonami puts on make up:

unique cultures and languages are dying out


Yet, we reach for the stars

burning holes in the ozone layer for Pay TV and the search for life on other plants


while ignoring the problems at home

When disaster strikes, people are left vulnerable


The human family make their presence known.

6 thousand million humans doing their business


Australia’s Contribution to global light pollution

19,542,679 Aussies hard at work


You can even see the Townsvillians!

Hi Mum - I left the porch light on!


The way we will live in 2032...

· Half the world will be short of water· Urbanisation of 70% of land surface· Another 2bn mouths to feed

Paul Brown, environment correspondentThursday May 23, 2002The Guardian

The destruction of 70% of the natural world in 30 years, mass extinction of species, and the collapse of human society in many countries is forecast in a bleak report by 1,100 scientists

published yesterday.

The report paints four possible futures for the world, including the current pattern of free trade and short term profit at the expense of the environment, which leads to disaster.

In a second, equally dangerous scenario, security considerations dominate with fear of terror and mass immigration into rich areas. It involves a world split into rich and poor, with freedom of movement and democracy restricted and rich enclaves like Europe and North America with barriers keeping out the poor and desperate.

A third offers a strong policy based option where governments try to protect the environment with international treaties with varying degrees of success. The fourth, where all decisions are based on sustainable development rather than short time gain and greed, is the blueprint favoured by the report.

but the writing is on the wall… we have to change


http://www.guardian.co.uk/

2003 – we can choose what comes next


Think Global Act Local

There is a simple answer:


The world agrees on sustainable development

‘development which meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their own needs’.Bruntland report, 1987


National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development Australia, 1992

to protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems

development that safeguards the welfare of future generations

to provide for equity within and between generations

Core Objectives

Australia Signs On…


Some Townsville initatives


Mechanism to invest in efficiency savings


Toyota Prius in the TCC fleet


http://www.prius.toyota.com.au/Prius/HomePage/0,,,00.html

Sewer mining for South Townsville


Irrigation efficiencies


Oil palms for biodiesel


Windfarm to make $$$ from the wind


Documents

Sustainability TODAY S u s t a i n a b i l i t y sus-tai-na-bi-li-ty Sustainable Development Ecological Sustainability Ecologically Sustainable Development