Environment and Sustainable Development Basics Workshop

Dr. Kazi Abdur RoufVisiting scholar

University of TorontoAssociate Professor

Noble International UniversityNoble Institution for Environmental Peace (NIEP)

Venue: 403-720 Spadina AvenueToronto.

Dates: Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, July 23, 24 and 27, 2013 @ 6: pm -8: pm.

Environment

• Relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition: • "acid rain may have caused major environmental damage". • The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.• Environmental development: Aquaculture, chemical free agriculture, biodiversity,

ecological economics, genetically modified organics green revolution, green washing, protection of soil degradation.

• The continual degradation of the planet's environment is something that affects every person in every country.

Components of Sustainable Development

What is Sustainable Development?

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it Two key concepts:1.The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and2.The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs.“

Brundtland Report (1987)

Sustainable development involves devising a social and economic system, which ensures that these goals are sustained- i.e. that real incomes rise, that educational standards increase, that the health of the nation improves, that the general quality of life is advanced (Pearce,Makandia & Barbier, 1989).

Contunie-2

1. Air pollution from North America affects air quality in Asia, and that pesticides sprayed in Argentina could harm fish stocks off the coast of Australia.

2. Grandparents farming practicing knowledge continuing to generation to generation. 3. Sustainable development suggest that meeting the needs of the future depends on

how well we balance social, economic, and environmental objectives--or needs--when making decisions today.

Destroy Ecology• Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels have increased by 80 per cent since 1970. Emissions

today are all most 40 per cent higher than they were in 1990. • Since the year 2000 they have been growing at over 3 percent per year. World consumption of

coal has increased the rate of growth in carbon dioxide emissions since the year 2000. • Extraction of iron ore, bauxite, copper and nickel is now rising faster than world GDP. • Climate change and peak oil are concern for ecological destruction and even fears of economic

collapse.• According to Kyoto Protocols emissions have risen by 40 per cent since 1990. • Tim estimated 60 per cent of the world’s ecosystem services have been degraded or over –used

since the mid-20th century• The world ends of cheap oil, rising commodity prices, the degradation of air, water and soil,

conflicts over land use, resource use, water use, forestry and fishing rights and stabilizing the global climate.

• By 2050, carbon dioxide emissions would be 80 per cent higher than they are today.

Ecocide• Ecocide is a massive environmental destruction that’s alarming us, other species and our planet.

Ecological destruction, damage or loss of ecosystems is happening on a mass scale, every day. • Each day 150 living species become extinct, • 150,000 acres of tropical rainforest are destroyed. Each day, 2 million tons of toxic waste is

dumped in to our rivers and seas,• 22 million tons of oil extracted and 100 million tons of greenhouse gases are released. land

destroyed, water poisoned and air is polluted.• Biofuels played rising food prices, impacted to environmental degradations-rising carbon

emissions, declining biodiversity, rampant deforestation, collapsing fish stocks, declining water supplies and degraded soils.

• Energy growing by 45 per cent by 2030, it could hike 80 per cent in carbon emissions. • Two types of ecocides:• Human made ecocide: loss of the Amazon, nuclear war• Naturally occurring ecocide: rising sea levels, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes

Crisis in Capitalism• 1 billion people across the world are on less $1 a day-half price of a small cappuccino in Starbucks• A fifth of the world’s population earns just 2 per cent of global income. The richest 20 per cent by

contrast earn 74 percent of the world’s income. Capitalism creates huge disparities.• EU unemployment rate more than 11%, 20 million people are unemployed (January 9, 2013, BSS)• More than 20% unemployment in Spain and Greece. Youth unemployment is more than 26%• Money inflection high ever before • Govts. across the world had committed staggering $7 trillion public money-more than their GDP• Prominent villain US lending house market. ‘Toxic debts’ (Tim). • Hide information from balance sheet.• The US $787 billion stimulus package, but $290 billion in tax cuts (2009)• Even during 2008 In UK, debt was growing at the rate of £1 million every 11 minutes (Jim, p. 23).

The cumulative consumer debt stood at almost £ 1.5 trillion• Oil prices doubled in the year to July 2008, while food prices rose by 66 per cent, sparking civil

unrest in some poorer nations

Individual species, ecosystems and habitats are elements of sustainable development

Services, household needs, industrial growth, agricultural growth, efficient use of laborEquity, participation, empowerment, social mobility, cultural preservationBiodiversity, natural resources, carrying capacity, ecosystem integrity, and clean air and water

Downloaded from internet

Components of SustainabilitySustainable

• Environmental studies and measures• Agreements with communities• Energy efficiency

Livable• Protection of biodiversity• Mitigation measures against natural disasters• Multipurpose use of facilities

Equitable• Services adapted to specific clienteles• Regional economic development• Partnering arrangements

Viable

• Reuse of insulating oil• Recovery of ecological economics

Sustainable System

1. A sustainable system or process must be based on resources that will not be exhausted over a reasonable period (sometimes expressed as the 'long term')

2. A sustainable system or process must not generate unacceptable pollution externally or internally.

Economic Sustainability

One of the objectives of sustainable development is to

1. Promote a healthy economy in order to generate the resources

2. To meet people’s needs and

3. To improve environmental quality

4. This in turn can further the protection of human health and the natural environment.

Economic Sustainability

Key economic measures has been used to judge how the economy is performing – Examples

•Output •The level of employment •The rate of inflation •The balance of payments and•Public sector borrowing, etc.

What is Economics and Economic Sustainability

• Economics is about the efficient use of resources• Usually expressed in monetary terms • In this sense, the theories regarding sustainable use of resources can be applied to

economic sustainability, except that, in monetary terms • one resource can generally substitute for another• The concept of economic sustainability is subject, on all levels, to different inputs and

outputs • The economic sustainability of a farm is subject to the viability of, and markets for, an

enterprise or product• The economic sustainability of a nation is subject to the whole economy on local,

national and international level.

Indicators of Economic measures

1. Gross Domestic Product2. Structure of the economy3. Expenditure components of GDP and personal savings4. Consumer expenditure5. Inflation6. Employment7. Government borrowing and debt8. Pollution abatement expenditure9. Infant mortality10. Life expectancy

Sustainable Transportation system and Pollution Free Environment

1. An effective transport system is a necessary part of modern life 2. Industry and commerce depend on it3. increasing use of the car has shaped today’s social and recreational lifestyles 4. Key sustainable development objective is to strike the right balance between the ability

of transport to serve economic development and 5. Ability to protect the environment and sustain quality of life, both now and in the

futureExamples:1. TTC2. Bicycles3. Walking4. Rickshaw5. Horse Riding

Pollution free transportation Indicators

1. Car use and total passenger travel2. Short journeys3. Real changes in the cost of transport4. Freight traffic

Leisure and Tourism

• Key Leisure and Tourism sustainable development objectives are to maintain the quality of the environment in leisure

• As well attractiveness to tourists

• It also thinks for future generations to enjoy

• Contributing to the quality of life of those taking part in leisure activities, and• Maximizing the economic contributing of tourism, while protecting natural resources.

Energy

The key sustainable development objectives are •To ensure supplies of energy at competitive prices•To reduce adverse impacts of energy use to acceptable levels, •To encourage consumers to meet their needs with less energy input through improved energy efficiency. •Indicators relevant to these objectives concern•Depletion of fossil fuel reserves, •Capacity of nuclear and renewable energy sources, •Energy usage by sector, and •Fuel prices.

Energy

Indicators1. Depletion of fossil fuels 2. Capacity of nuclear and renewable fuels 3. Primary and final energy consumption 4. Energy consumption and output 5. Industrial and commercial sector consumption 6. Road transport energy use 7. Residential energy use 8. Fuel prices in real terms

Land use

Land use sustainable development is to balance the competing demands for the finite quantity of land available.

Here main issues are •To minimize the loss of rural land to development •To maintain the vitality and viability of town centers with people living close to where they work

Indicators relevant to these issues are •Area of land covered by urban development, household numbers •Re-use of urban land for development

contuinue-2• Reclamation (wetlands)of derelict land (unused lands)• Amount of land used to build new roads• Growth in out of town shopping centers and • Green spaces in urban areas for recreation.

Land use indicators

Indicators1. Land covered by urban development2. Household numbers3. Re-use of land in urban uses for development4. Stock and reclamation of derelict land5. Road building6. Out-of-town retail floor space7. Regular journeys8. Regular expenditure9. Green spaces in urban areas

Water ResourcesThe key issues for sustainable development are •To ensure that adequate water resources are available to meet consumers' needs•To meet the demand for water from households, agriculture and industry , but sustaining the aquatic environment, and •To improve the efficiency of water use.

Forestry

The key sustainable development issue for forestry is•To manage forests in a way that sustains their environmental qualities and •Their productive potential.

Indicators:1. Forest cover2. Timber production3. Ancient semi-natural woodland4. Tree health5. Forest management

Fish resourcesFishing has a major impact on the living resources of the sea and most of the fish stocks in the waters are currently over-exploited.

The key issue for sustainability is To prevent over-exploitation of fish stocks To balance fishing effort against the natural ability of fish stocks to regenerate. Indicators relevant to this issue are fish stocks and catches in waters.

Indicators:1. Fish stocks2. Minimum Biological Acceptable Level (MBAL)3. Fish catches

Climate ChangeClimate Change key sustainable development objective is •To limit emissions of greenhouse gases which may contribute to global warming and climate change. Indicators of relevance are •Greenhouse gas radiative•Global temperature change, and •Emissions of greenhouse gases.

Indicators1. Global greenhouse gas radiative forcing rate2. Global temperature change3. Emissions of greenhouse gases4. Power station emissions of carbon dioxide

Ozone layer depletionThe key sustainable development objective is •To restrict atmospheric emissions of substances which cause stratospheric ozone depletion. Indicators of relevance are:•Chlorine loading in the atmosphere, •Ozone depletion over the atmosphere •Consumption and emissions of ozone-depleters in Europe.

Indicators1. Calculated chlorine loading2. Measured ozone depletion3. Emissions of ozone depleting substances4. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs ) consumption: used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, solvents, and in foam: some cause a breakdown of ozone

Acid deposition

The key sustainable development issues are :• To limit acid emissions and ensure appropriate land management practices

Indicators of relevance are • Exceedences of critical loads for acidity•Emissions of acidifying pollutants from major sources, and expenditure on pollution abatement (reduce, moderation).

Indicators1. Exceedences of provisional critical loads for acidity2. Power station emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides3. Road transport emissions of nitrogen oxides

AirThe key sustainable development objective is•To control air pollution in order to reduce the risks of adverse effects on natural ecosystems, human health and quality of life. Key issues are:•To reduce pollutant emissions •To improve local air quality, especially in urban areas, and •To control photochemical pollution.

Indicators to illustrate these issues are:•Concentrations of pollutants at selected sites •Emissions of pollutants, and •Expenditure on pollution abatement (reduction, moderation).

Air

Indicators1. Ozone concentrations2. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations3. Particulate matter concentrations4. Volatile organic compound emissions5. Carbon monoxide emissions6. Black smoke emissions7. Lead emissions8. Expenditure on air pollution abatement

Freshwater Quality• The key sustainable development objectives are to sustain and improve water quality and

the aquatic environment

Other objectives included under these broad aims are: • To manage the discharge of waste water • To control pollution• To ensure adequate water resources of sufficient quality are available for abstraction for

treatment as drinking water, and • To facilitate the recreational use of water where appropriate.

Freshwater QualityIndicators relevant to these objectives include • Chemical and biological measures of freshwater quality• Concentrations of important pollutants • Water pollution incidents, and expenditure on water supply and treatment. • Acidification of freshwater (use pesticide for destroying weeds)

Freshwater QualityIndicators:1. River quality - chemical and biological2. Nitrates in rivers and groundwater3. Phosphorous in rivers4. Pesticides in rivers and groundwater5. Pollution incidents6. Pollution prevention and control7. Expenditure on water abstraction, treatment and distribution8. Expenditure on sewage treatment

Marine• The key sustainable development issue for the coastal and marine environment is to

prevent pollution from human activities especially those which result in the discharge of effluent reaching the sea via rivers, estuaries and directly from the coast.

• This is to be achieved by legally prohibit materials containing substances which are toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulation.

MarineIndicators1. Estuarial water quality2. Concentrations of key pollutants3. Contaminants in fish4. Bathing water quality5. Inputs of contaminants6. Oil spills and operational discharges

Wildlife and Habitat

The key sustainable development objectives for wildlife are to conserve as far as reasonably possible the wide variety of wildlife species and habitats in the community, and to ensure that commercially exploited species are managed in a sustainable way.Indicators1. Native species at risk2. Breeding birds3. Plant diversity in semi-improved grassland4. Area of chalk grassland5. Plant diversity in hedgerows6. Habitat fragmentation7. Lakes and ponds8. Plant diversity 9. Mammal populations

Land Cover and Landscape

A key sustainable development issue is to balance the protection of the countryside's landscape and habitats of value for wildlife with the maintenance of an efficient supply of good quality food and other products.

The indicators relevant to this objective are •Changes in rural land cover, in particular for agricultural land which is the dominant cover, • Extent of designated and protected areas, damage to designated and protected areas • Agricultural productivity, nitrogen and pesticide inputs, • Loss of linear landscape features, and agri-environment land management schemes.

Land Cover and LandscapeIndicators:1. Rural land cover2. Designated and protected areas3. Damage to designated and protected areas4. Agricultural productivity5. Nitrogen usage6. Pesticide usage7. Length of landscape linear features8. Environmentally managed land

Soil

A key objective of sustainable development is to protect soil as a limited resource for the production of food and other products, and as an ecosystem for vital organisms.

The chosen indicators relevant to this objective are• Soil quality - concentrations of organic matter, acidity and concentrations of nutrients (phosphorus and potassium) in agricultural top soils; and • Concentrations of heavy metals in agricultural top soils.

Indicators:1. Soil quality2. Heavy metals in top soils

Mineral Extraction• Wide range of commercially important minerals are present and are worked in different

countries• Geological extent of many of these mineral resources is large, but increasingly there are

limitations on sources of supply which are free from environmental constraints. • The key sustainable development objectives are to conserve minerals as far as possible

while ensuring an adequate supply, to minimize waste production and to encourage efficient use of materials, to minimize environmental damage from minerals extraction and

• To protect designated areas from development.

Mineral ExtractionIndicators relevant to these objectives are •Land worked for minerals and restored, and aggregates extracted from marine dredging• Consumption of fossil fuels

Mineral ExtractionIndicators:1. Green economic aggregates output2. Aggregates from wastes3. Mineral workings on land4. Land covered by restoration/aftercare conditions5. Reclamation of mineral workings

WasteThe key sustainable development objectives for waste and waste management are

•To minimize the amount of waste which is produced, to make best use of the waste which is produced and to minimize pollution from waste

• Reduction, re-use, recovery (materials recycling, composting, energy recovery) and disposal

• Objectives of waste management policy are to move waste management is retaining the best practical environmental option, particularly in respect of hazardous waste.

Waste

Indicators:1. Household waste2. Industrial and commercial waste3. Special waste4. Household waste recycling and composting5. Materials recycling6. Energy from waste7. Waste going to landfill

Radioactivity• Key objectives for sustainable development are to ensure radioactive wastes are not

unnecessarily created • To ensure radioactive wastes are managed and treated in a manner which does not lead to

excessive discharges or radiation doses to members of the population, and • To ensure that wastes are safely disposed of at appropriate times and in appropriate

ways.

The indicators relevant to these objectives are • Average radiation dose to people• Discharges from nuclear installations relative to nuclear power generation and • Radioactive waste arising and disposal.

RadioactivityIndicators:1. Radiation exposure2. Discharges from nuclear installations and nuclear power generation3. Radioactive waste arising and disposal

Toxic Substances Depicted Environment

• A set of twenty-eight toxic substances have been identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)

• For example chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCB5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides, and mercury are harmful for human health and other species

• Many synthetic chemicals are developed and used for industrial and agricultural applications that are harmful to environment too.

Components of Sustainability (Re-slide)

SustainableO Environmental studies and measuresO Agreements with communitiesO Energy efficiencyLivableO Protection of biodiversityO Mitigation measuresO Multipurpose use of facilitiesEquitableO Services adapted to specific clientelesO Regional economic spinoffsO Partnering arrangementsViableO Reuse of insulating oilO Recovery of poles

Ecology• The air, water, minerals, organisms, and • All other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time.

Diagram downloaded from Internet

Ecological Economics

• Ecological economics is a trans-disciplinary field. It's not a sub discipline of economics. Environmental economics is a sub discipline of economics, so it's applying standard economic thinking to the environment.

• Ecological Economics addresses the relationships between ecosystems and economic systems.

There are at least 6 major themes of EE:

1. SUSTAINABILITY, 2. MULTIPLE VALUES, 3. BROADER NOTIONS OF VALUE (not only market value),4. INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY, 5. address UNCERTAINTY,6. METHODOLOGICAL PLURALISM,7. LAND Ethics.

References

1. Clayton, A. and Radcliffe, N. (1996) Sustainability: A Systems Approach, Earthscan, London2. Simon Bell and Stephen Morse (2008). Sustainability Indicators-Measuring the Immeasurable? EarthScan Publishing, London. 3. Wikipedia4. Internet searching

Next SessionsJuly 24 and 27

@6:00 pm- 8:00 pm NIEP Office

403-720 Spadina Avenue.

Thank YouComments/ Questions