Thomas J. PfaffIthaca College

What is Sustainability?

Development (Living in such a way) that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

-1987 at the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland)

Three E’s or P’s of Sustainability

Economy

Equity

Environment

Economy

Equity

Environment

Joint Science Academies Statement It has become increasingly clear that there

are very serious difficulties related to sustainability and security of energy. These include: Major global and regional impacts on the environment, climate change, and health from an extrapolation of current energy sources and systems.

June 2006

National Academies Report: Climate Change

The rising temperature observed since 1978 are particularly noteworthy because the rate of increase is so high and because, during the same period, the energy reaching the Earth from the Sun had been measured precisely enough to conclude that Earth’s warming was not due to changes in the Sun.

-March 2006

A Look at Global Temperature

T(x)=0.00054x2 -0.00846x+57.1586 FT’(x)=0.00108x-0.00846 F/year

x years after 1950

T(57)= 58.43 F and T’(57)=0.0531 F/yearIn 2007 the average global temperature was

58.43 deg F and increasing at a rate of 0.0531 deg F per year.

- Now Ask a Question About This-

Temperature PredictionsT(75)=59.6 F and T(150)=68.04 FThe model predicts that in 2025 the average

temperature will be 59.6 deg F, and in 2100 it will be 68.04 deg F, an increase of 1.13 and 9.61 deg F, respectively, since 2007.

–Now Ask a Question About This-

More Temperature PredictionsUsing T’(57)=.0531 F/yearIf global temperatures continue to increase

at current rates, then by 2025 there will be an increase of 0.96 deg F and by 2100 there will be an increase of 4.94 deg F. The average global temperature in those years will be 59.39 and 63.37, respectively.

-National Academies Report on Climate Change (March 2006)

Our Changing Climate Reporthttp://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/

global_warming/our-changing-climate-final.pdf

http://www.climatechoices.org/ca/index.html

Summary of Sea Ice1980

Max: 16.13 msk, x=2.59

Min: 7.86 msk, x=8.79

Inf: -2.20 msk/month, x=6.44

Melt Period: 6.20 months

2008Max: 15.11 msk,

x=2.26Min: 5.40 msk,

x=8.80Inf: -2.84

msk/month, x=6.77Melt Period: 6.54

months

Glacier Pair Imageshttp://www.windows.ucar.edu/

teacher_resources/glacier_then_now.pdf

M. King Hubbert’s (1903-1989), chief consultant-general geology- for shell development company, 1956 paper Nuclear Energy and the Fossil Fuels.

Normal Density: 55% of all domestic oil was consumed from

1960 to 2000:

99% of all domestic oil is predicted to be consumed by 2036:

Resourceshttp://www.ithaca.edu/tpfaff/

sustainability.htmhttp://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/

global_warming/our-changing-climate-final.pdf

http://www.climatechoices.org/ca/index.htmlhttp://www.theoildrum.com/http://narccap.ucar.edu/data/index.html