Public Participation Networks

Creating a Vision of Well-Beingfor

Our Communitiesfor

This and Future Generations

Michael EwingCoordinator of the Environmental Pillar

Environmental Pillar 226/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 3

“The continuing success of Irish society depends fundamentally on the preservation of the overall productivity, health and long term sustainability of the eco-systems and environmental services that underpin and supply many of the most basic components of human welfare - such as healthy soils, flourishing biodiversity, clean water and clean air.

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Environmental Pillar 4

Public Participation Networks (PPNs)and their

“Visions For Community Well-Being”

• As you will be hearing, the Plenaries of the County/City PPNs and the Municipal District PPNs will commence their work by going through a process to set out what they consider is necessary to promote well-being in their community for present and future generations.

• This statement will act as a guiding vision statement for everything done by the group that drew up the statement e.g. choosing representatives, taking positions on issues, developing activities of any kind etc.

• Well-being statements should be reviewed by the PPNs bi-annually.

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Environmental Pillar 526/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 6

Individual Well- Being

According to a study by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) “a person’s well-being relates to their physical, social and mental state. It requires that basic needs are met, that people have a sense of purpose, and that they feel able to achieve important goals, to participate in society and to live the lives they value and have reason to value”.26/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 726/03/2014

Presented to the Social Justice Ireland Conference

815/09/2011

Presented to the Social Justice Ireland Conference

9

World Population

15/09/2011

Presented to the Social Justice Ireland Conference

10

Species on the verge of mass extinction

15/09/2011

Presented to the Social Justice Ireland Conference

1115/09/2011

Environmental Pillar 12

Community Well-Being

A society’s well-being requires that economic, political, environmental, cultural and social developments all be sustainable. It also requires a focus on inter-generational justice to ensure the well-being of future generations is promoted.

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Environmental Pillar 1326/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 1426/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 15

Sustainability

• The Human race developed within and is entirely reliant on the natural environment for its well-being

• Human social structures initially evolved within the limitations of the natural environment and they must start to do so again in order to flourish.

• Economic systems were developed within the context of those social structures.

• There is a huge disconnect between the capacity of the natural ecosystems to withstand abuse, and the economic systems that are driving their destruction.

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Environmental Pillar 1626/03/2014

Environmental Pillar 17

Development of a Vision

• The development of a vision for the well-being of our communities for this and future generations can begin that search for a sustainable future for all members of the community.

• A shared vision is lacking at the national level, but could grow from these local community visions.

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The term was used by the Brundtland Commission, 1992 which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

It is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations.

Brundtland noted"...the "environment" is where we live; and "development" is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The two are inseparable."26/03/2014 Environmental Pillar 18

What do we mean bySustainable Development ?

Environmental Pillar 1926/03/2014

Sustainable development should tie together concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges facing humanity.

As early as the 1970s "sustainability" was employed to describe an economy "in equilibrium with basic ecological support systems.“

Ecologists have pointed to The Limits to Growth and presented the alternative of a “steady state economy” in order to address environmental concerns.

The use of ecosystem management goes mainstream and ecological accounting is born.

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How do we now see the sustainable interaction of the Pillars?

Environmental Pillar 2126/03/2014

26/03/2014 Environmental Pillar 22

“ No subsystem can expand beyond the capacity of the total system of which it isa part”

- Jonathon Porritt

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Environmental Pillar 24

Developing the Vision

• People working together with shared understandings and expectations are what provide a place of strong community.

• Doing so within a shared understanding based on the limits to growth presented by the natural environment creates a community that cares for the needs of this and the generations to follow.

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Environmental Pillar 25

Thank You Go raibh maith agaibh

www.environmentalpillar.ie

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