Environmental Sustainability & Health
BENV7712 Healthy Built Environments ▪ Week 4 ▪ Presentation by: Greg Paine.
The curious thing is that no matter how different they are, the people are pre-occupied with the same things… How shall I live? (Jeanette Winterson)
• What, to you, makes up a sustainable community?
(Use as few words as possible)
Environmental Sustainability & Health
BENV7712 Healthy Built Environments ▪ Week 4 ▪ Presentation by: Greg Paine.
1960s/70s ~ a new environmental concern
• Major pollution events / deaths
1960s/70s ~ a new environmental concern
1960s/70s ~ a new environmental concern
• Major pollution events / deaths • Carson: Silent Spring (1962)
1960s/70s ~ a new environmental concern
• Major pollution events / deaths • Carson: Silent Spring (1962) • Erlich: The Population Bomb
(1969) The Club of Rome: The Limits to
Growth (1974)
1960s/70s ~ a new environmental concern
• Major pollution events / deaths • Carson: Silent Spring (1962) • Erlich: The Population Bomb
(1969) The Club of Rome: The Limits to
Growth (1974) • View of earth from space (1969)
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
Agenda 21
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
• 1992 Conference: Environment & Development (Rio)
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
Agenda 21
National ESD
Strategy (1992)
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
• 1992 Conference: Environment & Development (Rio))
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
Agenda 21
National ESD
Strategy (1992)
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
• 1992 Conference: Environment & Development (Rio)
• 1997 Conference: ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ (Newcastle)
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
Agenda 21
National ESD
Strategy (1992)
business links
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
• 1992 Conference: Environment & Development (Rio)
• 1997 Conference: ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ (Newcastle)
• 2002 World Summit: Sustainable Development (J’berg)
“official” responses …
UN Environment Program
‘Sustainable Development’
Agenda 21
National ESD
Strategy (1992)
business links
• 1970 first World ‘Earth Day’
• 1972 Conference: Human Environments (Stockholm)
• 1987 WCED report: ‘Our Common Future’
• 1992 Conference: Environment & Development (Rio)
• 1997 Conference: ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ (Newcastle)
• 2002 World Summit: Sustainable Development (J’berg)
Millennium Goals
“official” responses …
Sustainable development is:
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable … to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable development is:
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable … to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The concept … does imply limits - not absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technological and social organisation on environmental resources and the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities.”
Australia’s National Strategy for ESD
� 4 x ‘Guiding Principles’
• Integrate environmental and economic policy/action.
• Deal cautiously with risk (precautionary principle).
• Recognising the global dimension.
• Value economic assets (internalise environmental costs).
� 3 x ‘Core Objectives’
• Enhance well-being via economic development that safeguards future generations.
• Equity within and between generations.
• Protect biological diversity, maintain ecological processes and life support systems.
• The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (John Elkington)
ECOLOGICAL
SOCIAL ECONOMIC
Understanding Sustainable Development (1):
• The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (John Elkington)
ECOLOGICAL
SOCIAL ECONOMIC
Social Justice
Ecological Economics Healthy
Environments
Understanding Sustainable Development (1):
Understanding Sustainable Development (2):
• the ‘Three Socio-Ecological Classes’ (David Korten)
Understanding Sustainable Development (2):
• the ‘Three Socio-Ecological Classes’ (David Korten)
Understanding Sustainable Development (3):
• Ecological footprint (William Rees)
Understanding Sustainable Development (4):
Causes of sustainability/unsustainability
(Chew, 2001): ● increases in human population � ● ‘accumulation’ (consumerism) � ● urbanisation / technology
(Erlich, 1969): Impact = Population x Consumption x Technology
(Diamond, 2005): ● relationship with neighbours � ● our ability to learn and adapt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7PJd-9VxM
Good news story – ‘co-benefits’
Health co-benefits from action on climate change Lancet series on health and climate change: http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change
• Energy generation • Mobility • Food choices • Housing ‘Low-carbon ways of living are healthy ways of living’ (AAS Fenner Conference, Canberra, June 23-24, 2010) http://nceph.anu.edu.au/Fenner2010/index.php
■ connections ■ loops
■ relations ■ don’t need to know the whole system-only the
pattern (the “gist”) ■ parts & wholes ■ complexity
■ wicked problems
Co-benefits : systems view points
Harrison, 1992
Co-benefits : systems view points
Case study: thinking integratively
HUDChecklist
HBEP Literature
ReviewHBEP
Indicators
HBEP Audit
HBEP Fact Sheets
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
Finding synergies (co-benefits) …
a quick exercise in “systems thinking” ….
• What would happen if: we all switched to electric cars ?
a HEALTHY CITY …is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.
LOCAL AGENDA 21 … details actions on social & economic issues, conservation of resources, strengthening the role of societal groups, forming partnerships, and implementation mechanisms. TBL often used to determine the extent to which a development will contribute to a sustainable community.
• www.communityindicators.net.au
• www.reliableprosperity.net
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely:
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely: • Creates a new synergy
between the social, the economic and the ecological
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely: • Creates a new synergy
between the social, the economic and the ecological
• Is a long-term solution
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely: • Creates a new synergy
between the social, the economic and the ecological
• Is a long-term solution • Is done on a partnership
basis
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely: • Creates a new synergy
between the social, the economic and the ecological
• Is a long-term solution • Is done on a partnership
basis • Creates hope
Actioning “sustainability”: the bright side
• Sustainability has a disarming quality as it shows us there are no experts, just complex processes that must involve partnerships. It forces us to reassess our directions.
It is driven by hope. This is
the magic of sustainability. Prof. Peter Newman
Sustainability can work magic if it genuinely: • Creates a new synergy
between the social, the economic and the ecological
• Is a long-term solution • Is done on a partnership
basis • Creates hope • Is place-orientated, as well
as global.
