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SUSTAINABILITY Ecosystem. Civilization. Humans. J. Morris Hicks May 5, 2017
SUSTAINABILITY Ecosystem. Civilization. Humans.
J.MorrisHicks
May5,2017
TheContentsofthisLectureMayChangeYour
LifeForever!
Runaway Luxury Train
Faster. More People. More Comforts.
LifebeganonEarth…
• About4billionyearsago
• Humansemergedasaspecies
just200,000yearsago
EARTH.Onesmallplanetamongbillionsofplanetsinourgalaxy,whichisjustoneofbillionsofgalaxiesintheuniverse.Thisisourstory...theonlyknownspeciesintheuniversewithacognitiveniche.
Puttingourtimehereinperspective
• Ifwecrammedall4billionyearsof“life
onEarth”intojustoneyear…
• Humanshavebeenhereforjust26
minutesofthelasthourofthatyear
20SecondsSinceChrist
FourHugeGrosslyUnsustainableSituations
1. Overpopulation
2. Live,work,travel&STUFF
3. Fossilfueldependence
4. OURFOODCHOICES
MostImportantTopicintheHistoryofHumanity
opic
Ourfoodchoicesgiveus…
HOPESingularpowerofourfoodchoicesto
PromoteHealth,HopeandHarmonyonPlanetEarth
WhatCanWe“Hope”For?
1. Toslow,stoporreversemostchronicdisease
2. Effortlessandpermanentweight-loss
3. Reduceworldhunger,oceanacidification,species
extinction,waterpollutionandmuch,muchmore
4. Returnmillionsoffarmingacreagetoforests
5. Greatlyreduceoreliminate#1causeofclimatechange
6. PROBLEMisthatwemayhavewaitedtoolong
CarryingCapacity
How many humans can the planet sustain indefinitely?
• AverageEuropeanLifestyle:TWOBillion
• AmericanLifestyle:ONEBILLION
Source:GlobalFootprintNetwork--footprintnetwork.org
InSearchof“BigPicture”Scientists
1. Narrowfieldsofstudy
2. Fewunderstandthe“bigpicture”
3. Mostgetpaidbyconservativeentities
4. “BigPicture”viewscanbehazardous
JacquesCousteau
“Humankindmay,ormaynotbe,partoftheplanthatnaturehasfortheEarthinthefuture.Lifewillbereborn,butfirsttheworldasweknowitnowwilldie.”1997at87
Frenchnavalofficer,explorer,conservationist,filmmaker,innovator,scientist,photographer,authorandresearcher
PeterWadhams,ScD
“TheIPCCisguiltyofconspiracyofcomplacency…OuronlychanceistobeginurgentlyremovingCO2
fromtheatmosphere.”2016
FrankFenner,MD,Scientist,andEnvironmentalist
"Homosapienswillbecomeextinct,perhapswithin100years…It'san
irreversiblesituation.Ithinkit'stoolate."2010atage95
GuyMcPherson,PhDTenuredProfessorofEnvironmentalStudies,U.ofArizona
“Ourdaysarenumbered…ourcivilizationwillcollapseandhumanswillgoextinctbefore
2030.”Andguesswhat?
StephenEmmott,PhD
“Weurgentlyneedtodo—andImeanactuallydo—somethingradicaltoavertaglobalcatastrophe.ButIdon’tthinkwewill.Ithinkwe’ref_____.”
ManagescomputationalscienceatMicrosoftinUK,visitingprofessoratUniv.ofOxford,managesateamofscientistswhostudyalltrendsthataffectourlives.Heendshis2013book…
BillMcKibben,Activist’82HarvardGrad,Famousforclimatechange
“Tobeentirelyhonest,wedon’tknowforsurethatwecanslowdownglobalwarmingenoughtomatter.We’ve
waitedaverylongtimetogetstarted.”FromApril2017video
Environmentalist,Author,Journalist,founded350.orgin2008andwontheGandhiPeaceAwardin2013
DataSuggestsWeHaven’tStarted
NowinUnchartedWaters
RewardsofChallengingStatusQuo
JamesHansen,“fatherofclimatechangeawareness,”callsParistalks'afraud’FormerNASAscientist,nowatColumbiaUniversity,criticizesthetalks,intendedtoreachanewglobaldealoncuttingcarbonemissionsbeyond2020,as‘noaction,justpromises’--TheGuardian,Dec.2015
T.ColinCampbell,PhD
“Whenitcomestoourfoodchoices,nolessthanour
futureasaspecieshangsinthebalance.”From2013book
• TopNutritionalScientist• ChallengedMeat/Dairy• Careersufferedmightily• EndofAcademicFreedom
RobertGoodland,PhDWorldBankEnvironmentalSpecialistfor23Years
Sept.2013“Nowthereappearstobeonlyoneremainingpragmaticwaytoreverseclimatechangebeforeit’stoolate–andthat’sbytakingquickandlarge-scaleactionsin
food,agricultureandforestry.”
2009“Livestockandtheirby-productsactuallyaccountforatleast32,564milliontonsofCO2peryearor51%ofannualworldwideGhGemissions.”
Arethingsgettingbetter?
FossilFuelReduction?
LivestockConsumptionbyRegion
Global Sea Ice (nsidc.org) Climate Change Tipping Point?-- Nov. 2016
Arctic Sea Ice (nsidc.org) Updated 4-23-17
Antarctic Sea Ice Updated 4-23-17
3 Times as Many Icebergs!
SpeciesExinction
August2010ReportfromtheU.N.
“Scientistsestimatethat150to200speciesof
plant,insect,birdandmammalbecomeextinct
every24hours…nearly1,000timesthe“natural”
or“background”rate…greaterthananythingthe
worldhasexperiencedfor65millionyears.”
MyOwnConclusionsAbout saving our civilization and our species
1. Population.Consumption.FossilFuels.
2. IFthereisachance,FOODisparamount
3. Canmovetheneedleinfiveyears
ProteinMyth&LockedBrains
Preventing incredibly powerful plant-based solutions to our most serious health, hunger and sustainability issues from even making it to the
table for consideration.
TimeforSoulSearching
1. Howcanwelearntolivesustainably?
2. Adding220,000people/day(Net;birthsminusdeaths)
3. Unbridledconsumption—inaworldoffiniteresources
4. Whatwillittaketostopthemadness?
5. Whatrealprogressdoyousee?Emmottseesnone.
6. Whatareyougoingtodo?Yourownresearch,etc.
7. Asforme,Istillhavehope…
Moneygotusinthismess…
“AutomaticallyReducestheCostofHealthcare”
BeforeHumansArrivedEasterIsland
Whathappenedtothetrees?
Dowehaveachance?
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed,
it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead
People who are crazy enough to think that they
can change the world—are the ones who do.
— Steve Jobs
Blog:hpjmh.com
4leafprogram.com
4leafsurvey.com
archby4leaf.com
J.Morris(Jim)Hicks
917-399-9700
