an economic and social model long overdue

Transcription

1 an economic and social model long overdue

2 Human population Population Clocks U.S. 303,870,394 World 6,661,792,206 00:53 GMT (EST+5) Apr 17, 2008 (200,00/day; 8333/hours; 139/hour)

3 What is "Sustainability" In the strictest sense capable of being sustained In the broader sense: Improving present living conditions without jeopardizing future generations

4 Conceptual basis of sustainability Environmental carrying capacity The maximum number of individuals in a population that can be supported indefinitely in a defined habitat without permanently damaging the ecosystem upon which it is dependent.

5 Human Carrying Capacity Has changed with culture and technologies Better described as the maximum rate of resource consumption and waste discharge that can be sustained indefinitely without progressively impairing the functional integrity and productivity of relevant ecosystems wherever the latter may be From: INVESTING IN NATURAL CAPITAL: THE ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY published by The International Society for Ecological Economics and Island Press, 1994.

6 Ecological Footprint the corresponding area of productive land and aquatic ecosystems required to produce the resource used, and to assimilate the wastes produced, by a defined population at a specified material standard of living, wherever on Earth that land may be located." For the ecological footprint of various nations, go to the following site

7 improving present living conditions without jeopardizing future generations Living within our planet s means, such that the Earth and it s resources can sustain us, and the rest of Earth s living things, for the foreseeable future Not depleting the Earth s natural capital developing solutions that work in the long term while maintaining fully functional ecological systems Jay Withgott and Scott Brenan Essential Environment: the science behind the stories, 2 nd edition. Pearson Benjamin Cummings

8 What is "Sustainable (Economic) Development" UN Brundtland Commission (1987) Our Common Future Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

9 Is sustainability a new concept? NO Sustainability is part of the natural paradigm of evolutionary success consider a population that acts in such a way as to jeopardize future generations what will happen? YES UN Brundtland Commission (1987) Our Common Future Re-emerged as the new buzzword recently Perhaps with greater urgency due to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report (2005) t.org

10 Overview of Findings Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel The changes that have been made to ecosystems have contributed to substantial net gains in human well-being and economic development BUT these gains have been achieved at growing costs in the form of the degradation of many ecosystem services, increased risks of nonlinear changes, and the exacerbation of poverty for some groups of people The degradation of ecosystem services could grow significantly worse during the first half of this century The challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystems while meeting increasing demands for their services can be partially met but these involve significant changes in policies, institutions and practices, that are not currently under way

11 The conventional economic paradigm of the past Yielded unprecedented levels of comfort, convenience, and production But at what costs? Atmospheric CO 2 highest in 650,000 years Average atmospheric and ocean temperatures rising Polar ice cover (in summer) is melting much faster than predicted Fisheries depleted Habitats destroyed Homogenization of biodiversity Extinctions at unprecedented levels

12 83% of the land's surface is influenced by humans The Human Footprint is a quantitative analysis of human influence across the globe. In this map, human impact is rated on a scale of 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum) for each terrestrial biome. A score of 1 indicates the least human influence in the given biome. However, because each biome has its own independent scale, a score of 1 in a tropical rainforest might reflect a different level of human activity than in a broadleaf forest. (Image courtesy of Sanderson et al The Human Footprint and the Last of the Wild. BioScience 52: )

13 Fig. 1. Global map (A) of cumulative human impact across 20 ocean ecosystem types Our analysis indicates that no area is unaffected by human influence B. S. Halpern et al., Science 319, (2008) Published by AAAS

14 The conventional economic paradigm of the past 2.5 billion people $2 per day; while obesity rises amongst the wealthy In 2006, UN Development Programme reported: The combined income of the worlds richest 500 people was about the same as the income of the world s poorest 416,000,000 people.. from Gardner, G., and T. Progh Seeding the sustainable economy. in 2008 State of the World Report: Innovations for a sustainable economy. Worldwatch Institute

15 The combined income of the worlds richest 500 people was about the same as the income of the world s poorest 416,000,000 people..

16 Economic models Conventional increasingly selfdestructive and outdated Dependent on fossil fuels Use-and-dispose Toxins OK (just use less?) Natural capital = unvalued externalities (costs or benefits accruing to society at large; not an individual s or company s responsibility) Tolerates extreme poverty even amid stunning wealth Sustainable Operates within environmental boundaries Reduces/eliminates fossil fuel dependency Eliminate all waste: use-andreuse Eliminate toxins Natural capital is valued; not externalized Equitable treatment; equitable distribution of wealth Complex and adaptive systems

17 Sustainability in the broadest sense To be sustainable, a practice must 1. preserve rather than destroy its ecological base, 2. ensure rather than undermine long-term economic benefits, 3. and advance rather than retard matters of fairness, equity and diversity. taken with modification from the Faculty Senate of the University of Florida, Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainability

18 Sustainable development sustainability seeks to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.

19 Responses Importance of Indirect Drivers Ecosystem degradation can rarely be reversed without actions that address one or more indirect drivers of change: population change (including growth and migration) change in economic activity (including economic growth, disparities in wealth, and trade patterns) sociopolitical factors (including factors ranging from the presence of conflict to public participation in decision-making) cultural factors technological change Collectively these factors influence the level of production and consumption of ecosystem services and the sustainability of the production.

20 Examples of changes in policies and practices that yield positive outcomes Global Orchestration Major investments in public goods (e.g., education, infrastructure) and poverty reduction Trade barriers and distorting subsidies eliminated Adapting Mosaic Widespread use of active adaptive management Investment in education (countries spend 13% of GDP on education, compared to 3.5% today) TechnoGarden Significant investment in development of technologies to increase efficiency of use of ecosystem services Widespread use of payments for ecosystem services and development of market mechanisms

21 Promising Responses Institutions Integration of ecosystem management goals within other sectors and within broader development planning frameworks Increased transparency and accountability of government and private-sector performance Economics Elimination of subsidies that promote excessive use of ecosystem services (and, where possible, transfer these subsidies to payments for non-marketed ecosystem services) Greater use of economic instruments and market-based approaches in the management of ecosystem services (where enabling conditions exist)

22 Promising Responses Technology Promotion of technologies that enable increased crop yields without harmful impacts Restoration of ecosystem services Promotion of technologies to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions Social and Behavioral Measures to reduce aggregate consumption of unsustainably managed ecosystem services Communication and education Empowerment of groups dependent on ecosystem services Knowledge Incorporation of nonmarket values of ecosystems in resource management decisions Enhancement of human and institutional capacity

23 Sustainability adopters (CEO = Ray Anderson); early adopter Leading producer of industrial floor coverings Redesigned every aspect of their products Reduced GHG emissions by 50% and energy usage by 35% in 5 years Recovery and reuse of waster material diverted 84 million pounds of waste from landfills; saved $300 million SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

24 How do we know if something is sustainable? How do we assure that there aren t unforeseen consequences? How can we build on what s known or fill in the gaps? Sustainability Science Sustainability : Science, Practice, & Policy Industrial Ecology

25 How do we measure sustainability? Sustainability Indices Genuine Progress Indicator Redefining Progress created the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) in 1995 as an alternative to the gross domestic product (GDP). The GPI enables policymakers at the national, state, regional, or local level to measure how well their citizens are doing both economically and socially

26 GPI Starts with the same personal consumption data that the GDP is based on, but then makes some crucial distinctions. Income Distribution: the GPI rises when the poor receive larger percentage of national income & falls when their share decreases. Housework, Volunteering, and Higher Education: The GDP ignores much of the work in society which is done in household and community settings: childcare, home repairs, volunteer work, because no money changes hands. The GPI includes the value of this work figured at the approximate cost of hiring someone to do it. The GPI also takes into account the non-market benefits associated with a more educated population. Crime: GPI subtracts the costs arising from crime. Resource Depletion: GPI counts the depletion or degradation of wetlands, forests, farmland, and nonrenewable minerals (including oil) as a current cost. Pollution: GPI subtracts the costs of air and water pollution as measured by actual damage to human health and the environment. Long-Term Environmental Damage: The GPI treats as costs the consumption of certain forms of energy and of ozone-depleting chemicals. It also assigns a cost to carbon emissions to account for the catastrophic economic, environmental, and social effects of global warming Changes in Leisure Time: GPI treats leisure as something of value Lifespan of Consumer Durables & Public Infrastructure Dependence on Foreign Assets

27 Sustainability at FIT FIT Sustainability Group FIT Sustainability web site Sustainability Conferences Sustainability Concentration Student Groups Pledges: your chance to take a stand

28 Sustainability Pledges Graduation Pledge: "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."

29 Faculty Pledge: I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of what I teach and how I function, and will try to improve these aspects at FIT.

30 FIT Administration Pledge I pledge to take into account the social and environmental consequences of every program that I oversee in an effort to make our campus a leader in protecting the environment; I promise to give thoughtful consideration to initiatives brought to my attention via students and faculty that appear to sustain the social accountability and environmental infrastructure of FIT.

31 The next steps have begun Where do we go from here? Your chance to be heard Towards a Sustainable World treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children."