TREN 2P94 REVIEW Introduction to Sustainability. courses/tren2p93/ These notes available via the online course outline on Isaak

TREN 2P94 REVIEW TREN 2P94 REVIEW

Introduction to Introduction to SustainabilitySustainability

http://www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren2p93/

These notes available via the These notes available via the online course outline on online course outline on

Isaak / SakaiIsaak / Sakai

or (after lectures) at:or (after lectures) at:

en·vi·ron·ment en·vi·ron·ment [n][n]

1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by 1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surroundedwhich one is surrounded

2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic 2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival ultimately determine its form and survival

b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.that influence the life of an individual or community.

- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012

environmentenvironment [n] [n] the totality of the totality of

surrounding conditions.surrounding conditions.

From ‘pristine’ ‘natural’ environments…From ‘pristine’ ‘natural’ environments…

……through all kinds of urban environments…through all kinds of urban environments…

Old Town, Hastings, East Sussex

St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

Quinta Fay, Gustine, California

Yates Street Heritage District, St. Catharines

Dharavi district, Mumbai, India

La Oroya, Peru

Love Canal, New York

Sherman Avenue North, Hamilton, Ontario

……through industrial environments…through industrial environments…

……to defined natural and anthropogenic to defined natural and anthropogenic environments at all scales. environments at all scales.

policypolicy

……a course or general plan of action to be a course or general plan of action to be adopted by a government, party, person, adopted by a government, party, person, etc.etc.

- Concise Oxford Dictionary

policypolicy

……a selected, planned line of a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and individual decisions are made and coordination achievedcoordination achieved

- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

Conceptual toolsConceptual tools

scalescale

- - an ordered series of an ordered series of graduated quantities, values, graduated quantities, values, degrees, etc.degrees, etc.

- - relative magnituderelative magnitude

- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

scalescalemay be:may be:

- - physical / geographicalphysical / geographical– ranking based upon size, dimension, ranking based upon size, dimension,

geographical subunit, etc.geographical subunit, etc.

- - ecologicalecological– individual, deme, community, populationindividual, deme, community, population

- - jurisdictionaljurisdictional– local, municipal, regional, federal, globallocal, municipal, regional, federal, global

scalescale

earthearth

continentcontinent

countrycountry

provinceprovince

regionregion

municipalitymunicipality

neighbourhoodneighbourhood

householdhousehold

individualindividual

United NationsUnited Nations

..

..

governmentsgovernments

..

..

ngos / community groupsngos / community groups

..

individualsindividuals

GLOBAL / MACROGLOBAL / MACRO

LOCAL / MICROLOCAL / MICRO

spatialspatial jurisdictional /jurisdictional /decision makingdecision making

jurisdictionjurisdiction- - the legal power to administer and the legal power to administer and

enforce the lawenforce the law

- the exercising of this power- the exercising of this power

- the region within which this power is - the region within which this power is valid, or in which a person or valid, or in which a person or agency has authorityagency has authority

- authority- authority - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

SustainableSustainabledevelopmentdevelopment

Sustainable development:Sustainable development:

meeting the needs of the meeting the needs of the present without compromising present without compromising the ability of future generations the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.to meet their own needs.

– World Commission on Environment and World Commission on Environment and Development (1987): Development (1987): Our Common FutureOur Common Future

Elements of sustainabilityElements of sustainability

Environment

Economy Society

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

the sustainable the sustainable development triangledevelopment triangle


Environment

Economy Society



Environment


•biodiversitybiodiversity•materialsmaterials

•energyenergy•biophysical interactionsbiophysical interactions


Economy


•money and capitalmoney and capital•employmentemployment

•technological growthtechnological growth•investmentinvestment

•market forcesmarket forces


Society


•human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic)human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic)•equity (dependence / independence)equity (dependence / independence)

•quality of lifequality of life•institutional structures and organizationinstitutional structures and organization

•political structurespolitical structures

informationinformationand decision and decision

makingmaking

Sustainable development...Sustainable development...

considers future and present needs considers future and present needs when when making decisionsmaking decisions about: about:– resource and energy useresource and energy use

– technological developmenttechnological development

– direction of investmentsdirection of investments

– social, political & institutional social, political & institutional change...etc. etc. etc.change...etc. etc. etc.

Applied POLICY

Fragmented decision-makingFragmented decision-making

ISSUE ISSUE federal /federal /

nationalnational

municipalmunicipal

publicpublic

privateprivate

provincial /provincial /

statestateregionalregional

otherother

interestsinterests

communitycommunity

groupsgroups

- after Barrett and Kidd, 1991- after Barrett and Kidd, 1991

Integrated decision-makingIntegrated decision-making

regionalregional

provincial/provincial/

statestatemunicipalmunicipalmunicipal

privateprivateprivate

communitycommunitycommunity

groupsgroupsgroups

publicpublicpublicother other

interestsinterests

federal/federalfederal/

nationalnationalnationalISSUEISSUEISSUE

- after Barrett and Kidd, 1991- after Barrett and Kidd, 1991

decision makingdecision making

• reactivereactive


• reactivereactive (‘end of pipe’)(‘end of pipe’)


• anticipatoryanticipatory



• anticipatoryanticipatory(planning for (planning for change)change)



• radicalradical




• radicalradical(fundamental; (fundamental; root causes)root causes)




• radicalradical



• radicalradical



IndustryIndustry

• change in demandchange in demand - - less consumptionless consumption - alternative consumption- alternative consumption

• change in processchange in process - - clean technologyclean technology - elimination of toxics- elimination of toxics

• sewage treatment plantsewage treatment plant- - ‘end of pipe’ solution‘end of pipe’ solution

• environmentenvironment andand

economyeconomy andand

societysociety

• environmentenvironmentandand

economyeconomy

• environmentenvironmentoror

economyeconomy

valuesvalues ideologyideology strategiesstrategies

values, ideologies values, ideologies and strategiesand strategies

interactions amongstinteractions amongst

values / ideologies / strategiesvalues / ideologies / strategies




valuesvaluesindividual, cultural, social, spiritual, moralindividual, cultural, social, spiritual, moral



valuesvalues

ideologiesideologies

Definable sets of values constituteDefinable sets of values constitute

(e.g. Industrial Capitalism, Marxism, Christianity,(e.g. Industrial Capitalism, Marxism, Christianity,Liberalism, Socialism, Conservatism, Judaism)Liberalism, Socialism, Conservatism, Judaism)

individual, cultural, social, spiritual, moralindividual, cultural, social, spiritual, moral



valuesvalues

ideologiesideologies

strategiesstrategies

Definable sets of values constituteDefinable sets of values constitute

(e.g. Industrial Capitalism, Marxism, Christianity,(e.g. Industrial Capitalism, Marxism, Christianity,Liberalism, Socialism, Conservatism, Judaism)Liberalism, Socialism, Conservatism, Judaism)

……which give rise towhich give rise to

practical applications of ideologically consistent practical applications of ideologically consistent ideas, actions, policies and programsideas, actions, policies and programs

individual, cultural, social, spiritual, moralindividual, cultural, social, spiritual, moral



















• feedback loop allows for reflection, feedback loop allows for reflection, re-evaluation, adaptive managementre-evaluation, adaptive management

ideologyideology



valuesvalues strategiesstrategies

• if no feedback loop: inflexible, unresponsiveif no feedback loop: inflexible, unresponsive

ideologyideology



valuesvalues strategiesstrategies

dogmadogma




To be useful, principles of To be useful, principles of sustainability must:sustainability must:

be easily understoodbe easily understood be applicable in many contextsbe applicable in many contexts be transferrable across scalesbe transferrable across scales translate well from fundamental values translate well from fundamental values

into applied policy and practical actioninto applied policy and practical action identify possibilities for identify possibilities for radical radical

transformative changetransformative change AND AND positive incremental changepositive incremental change

Recent compilation of Recent compilation of Principles of SustainabilityPrinciples of Sustainability

http://iisd1.iisd.ca/sd/principle.asphttp://iisd1.iisd.ca/sd/principle.asp

-IISD (Winnipeg)-IISD (Winnipeg)

Guideposts for SustainabilityGuideposts for Sustainability(after Nickerson, 1993)(after Nickerson, 1993)

Activities are Activities are sustainable sustainable when they:when they:

1.1. Use materials in continuous cycles.Use materials in continuous cycles.

2.2. Use continuously reliable sources of Use continuously reliable sources of energy.energy.

3.3. Encourage desirable human traitsEncourage desirable human traits(equity; creativity; communication; (equity; creativity; communication; coordination; appreciation; intellectual coordination; appreciation; intellectual and and spiritual development).spiritual development).

One example:One example:

Guideposts for SustainabilityGuideposts for SustainabilityActivities are Activities are not sustainable not sustainable when they:when they:

4.4. Require continual inputs of non-renewable Require continual inputs of non-renewable resources.resources.

5.5. Use renewable resources faster than their Use renewable resources faster than their rate of renewal. rate of renewal.

6. 6. Cause cumulative degradation of the Cause cumulative degradation of the environment.environment.

7. 7. Require resources in quantities that could Require resources in quantities that could never be available for people everywhere.never be available for people everywhere.

8. 8. Lead to the extinction of other life forms.Lead to the extinction of other life forms.

Landscape Ecology Landscape Ecology PrinciplesPrinciples

Landscape Ecology Landscape Ecology PrinciplesPrinciples

Farina (2006)Farina (2006) Highly theoreticalHighly theoretical Many conceptual Many conceptual

models for viewing models for viewing landscapeslandscapes

Non-prescriptiveNon-prescriptive

Hough (2003)Hough (2003) Quite pragmaticQuite pragmatic Primary focus on the Primary focus on the

ecosystem approachecosystem approach

Prescriptive and policy Prescriptive and policy orientedoriented

Definitions of landscapeDefinitions of landscape- “the total character of a region” (von Humboldt);

- “landscapes will deal with their totality as physical, ecological and geographical entities, integrating all natural and human (“caused”) patterns and processes . . . (Naveh 1987);

- “landscape as a heterogeneous land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems that is repeated in similar form throughout (Forman & Godron 1986);

Definitions of landscapeDefinitions of landscape

- a particular configuration of topography, vegetation cover, land use and settlement pattern which delimits some coherence of natural and cultural processes and activities” (Green et al. 1996);

- “a piece of land which we perceive comprehensively around us, without looking closely at single components, and which -looks familiar to us” - Haber (2004)

Landscape Ecology PrinciplesLandscape Ecology PrinciplesPeer instruction sessionPeer instruction session

In groups of 5, define, compare and contrast the following approaches to In groups of 5, define, compare and contrast the following approaches to understanding landscapes:understanding landscapes:Epistomological approachesEpistomological approachesEcological approachesEcological approachesCognitive landscape approaches:Cognitive landscape approaches:

– SpacingSpacing– Space and memorySpace and memory– Embodiment and cognitionEmbodiment and cognition– Safety and aesthetic landscape amenitySafety and aesthetic landscape amenity– The visual landscapeThe visual landscape– Mystery in landscapeMystery in landscape– Behavioural ecologyBehavioural ecology– Information landscapeInformation landscape– Eco-field hypothesisEco-field hypothesis– SoundscapeSoundscape

– Animal movements in the landscapeAnimal movements in the landscape

Documents

TREN 2P94 REVIEW Introduction to Sustainability. courses/tren2p93/ These notes available via the online course outline on Isaak