SUSTAINABILITY
Image from Wikipedia
Sustainable Development
Image from Wikipedia
Quote found in Groom et al. (2006)
Sustainable Development
“A sustainable society is one that ensures the health and vitality of human life and culture and of nature’s capital, for present and future generations. Such a society acts to stop the activities that serve to destroy human life and
culture and nature’s capital, and to encourage those activities that serve to conserve what exists, restore what has been damaged, and
prevent future harm.”
Stephen Viederman (1992)
Image from Wikipedia
Sustainable Development
United Nations Conference on theHuman Environment – Stockholm, 1972
Two ground-breaking reports resulted:
Our Common Future, a.k.a. the Brundtland Commission Report
(1987)
World Conservation Strategy(1980)
Photo of Brundtland from Wikipedia
Sustainable Development
Gro Harlem Brundtland(b. 1939)
Prime Minister of Norway (1981, 1986-89, 1990-96; 1st woman)
Director General of World Health Organization (1998-2003)
Special Envoy on Climate Change to U. N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (since 2007)
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize(1988)
Sustainable Development
Our Common Future, a.k.a. the Brundtland Commission Report
(1987)
Sustainable development "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs"
Logo from www.eoearth.org
United Nations Conference on Environment &Development, a.k.a. Rio Earth Summit, 1992
(key objective = to develop national strategies for the conservation & sustainable use
of biodiversity)
Two major achievements:
Kyoto Protocol
Convention on Biological Diversity
(adopted 1997, Kyoto, Japan)
United Nations Conference on the HumanEnvironment, Johannesburg, 2002
Two important achievements:
Johannesburg Declaration onSustainable Development
Johannesburg Plan ofImplementation
These global efforts promote sustainable developmentas they advance the welfare of both humans & nature, while balancing
considerations for both
From Lubchenco et al. (1991)
Sustainable Development
Ecological Society of AmericaSustainable Biosphere Initiative
(1991)
Sustainability includes “management practices that will not degrade the exploited system
or any adjacent system”
Requires “consumption standards that are within the bounds of ecological possibility
and to which all can aspire”
Modified from Groom et al. (2006)
Sustainable Development
Examples of what is to be sustained
Examples of what is to be developed
BiodiversityNatural habitats
EcosystemsEcosystem productivity
Ecosystem servicesEvolutionary potential
Natural resourcesClimate
Human cultureSignificant natural &
cultural heritageEtc…
Social equalityEconomic security
Food & water securityHome securityHuman health
Life expectancyEducation
Stabilized populationEtc…
Photo of Maathai from Wikipedia
“Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace”
Sustainable Development & World Peace
Wangari Muta Maathai(1940-2011)
Nobel Peace Prize (2004; 1st African woman) for“contribution to sustainable development, democracy & peace”
Photo of Maathai from Wikipedia
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has challenged the world to broaden the understanding of peace: there can be no peace without equitable development;
there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful state.”
Sustainable Development & World Peace
Wangari Muta Maathai(1940-2011)
Nobel Peace Prize (2004; 1st African woman) for“contribution to sustainable development, democracy & peace”
Images of the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) from Wikipedia
Sustainable Development & World Peace
“Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace”
Image of PowerPoint diagram that portrays the complexity of U.S. stratgey in Afghanistan from N. Y. Times
Sustainable Development & World Peace
“Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace”
It’s a complex task, since human enterprise is complex & dynamic, just as nature is complex &dynamic
Orange:malnutrition
White:gender
violence
Light blue:child abuse;
slavery(incl. sexual)
Green:environmental
abuse
Purple:religious
intolerance
Images of examples of awareness ribbons from Wikipedia
Sustainable Development & Social Equality
Selected symbolism of some awareness ribbons illustrates various interconnected improvements to the Global Human Condition and
Nature through thoughtful Sustainable Development
Black:Sept. 11,
2011
Map from Wikipedia
> 1 billion people suffer from malnutrition
~ 1 person dies every second from malnutrition
1 in 5 is a child
Sustainable Development & Social Equality
Recall Ch. 5, Groom et al. (2006) ; questions from Ch. 16, Groom et al. (2006)
Sustainable Development
Sustained growth (in terms of resource consumption) is impossible, so sustainable development seeks development without growth
Limits of space, food, waste disposal, energy, etc.disallow sustained growth
Sustainable development makes qualitative changes, without increasing quantitative demands on
natural populations & ecosystems
How can we improve the quality of life for human societies through qualitative changes to our economy in ways that support healthy natural environments?
How can we begin the move away from the current agenda of non-sustainable economic growth?
Sustainable Development
Economic toolsE.g., charitable donations, foreign aid, boycotts, embargos, etc.
How can we achieve it?
Social pressureConsider your own example as you “think globally, act locally”
(quote used by & possibly originated with René Dubos – advisor to U. N. Conference on the Human Environment, 1972)
Policy mechanismsConsider the policies we have discussed; see Ch. 17, Groom et al. (2006)
Etc…
Sustainable Development at LSU
LSU Recycling Web site
LSU Recycles
Sustainable Development at LSU
What about the other actions in the conservation mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?
Sustainable Development at LSU
LSU’s “Green Report Card”(LSU scores a C+)
Green Report Card Web site
“Crossing certain biophysical thresholds could have disastrousconsequences for humanity; Three of nine interlinked planetary
boundaries have already been overstepped”
Prospects for Global Sustainability
Figure from Rockstrom et al. (2009) Nature