[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf
What is Sustainability?
1. Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative’s
Approach for Designing Integrative
Sustainability Assignments
“Big Idea”
or concept
in the discipline
Sustainability
context
or “Big Idea”
Integrative
Assignment
2. Sustainability Buffet -- What's in a Definition?
Modified from Laurie Webb, University of Vermont, Based on an activity used in
the University of Vermont Sustainability Faculty Fellows workshop.
A
Lot!!!!!!
Flint, W.R. 2010. Synesis: A Journal of Science,
= Resources and Environment: Maintaining Technology, Ethics, and Policy, 1(1):T25-37
Systems: Natural and Social
Temporal: Now into the Future
Spatial: Local to Global
Perspectives: Individual, Community and Cultural
Learning Opportunities: Classroom to Community
3. What is Sustainability?
Sustainability – it is difficult to
exactly define it.
“can be compared with the concept
of health – as health cannot be
defined in precise terms, and yet,
everyone has an idea about what
health is and health is important for
everyone” Holmberg and Samuelson
2006 in Mann 2011, p. 106
Long-term human sustainability
through the maintenance of Earth’s
natural ecosystems and natural
resource systems.
From NASA Archives
4. What is Sustainability?
• Many different definitions
• What are Common Themes?
- people and their environment
- well-being of future generations
- well-being of people today
From NASA Archives
5. What is Sustainability?
Sustainability = Norm = Normative Behavior?
Sustainability Lens
Norm = Widespread or usual practice, procedure or
custom by which humans live.
6. What is Sustainability?
Sustainability – “Messy Problem”
Nature
Earth
Biodiversity
Ecosystems
For How Long?
25 years
“Now and in the
future”
Forever
What Is
Life Support
To Be
Ecosystem
Sustained?
Services
Resources
Environment
Community
Cultures
Groups
Places
People
Child Survival
Life Expectancy
Education
Equity
Equal Opportunity
Economy
Linked By
Only
Mostly
But
And
Or
Wealth
Productive Sectors
Consumption
What Is
To Be
Developed?
Society
Institutions
Social Capital
States
Regions
NRC- Board of Sustainable Development, 1999, Our Common Journey
7. Sustainability: A Systems Concept
Static Equilibrium
Input = Output
At Dynamic Equilibrium
Changes in Input - Changes in Output = 0
Modify Input or Output
Change in System = Change in Input - Change in Output
8. Sustainability: A Systems Concept
Assets
Input
“Income Rate”
Personal
Capital
“Resources”
Output
“Expense Rate”
Goal: Maintain our Financial
Balance Sheet so Net Change (NC): I - 0 ≥ 0
9. Sustainability:
An Example for Natural Capital
Natural Assets
Input
“Formation Rate”
“Reproduction Rate”
“Replacement Rate”
Natural
Capital
“Resources”
Output
“Usage Rate”
Perpetual
NC ≥ 0
Renewable
NC ≥ 0
Non-Renewable NC << 0
Goal: Maintain our Natural Assets Balance Sheet so
Net Change (NC): I - 0 ≥ 0
10. What is Sustainability?
Intersection of human needs and life support systems
Human
Needs
Food
Energy
Water
Education
Life
Support
Systems
E.G.
Air
Water
Rocks and
Minerals
(Lithosphere)
Biosphere
11. What is Sustainability?
Intersection of human needs and life support systems
Human
Needs
Food
Energy
An energy focus,
not a sustainability focus?
Water
Education
Life
Support
Systems
E.G.
A water focus,
not a sustainability focus?
Air
Water
Rocks and
Minerals
Biosphere
(Lithosphere)
12. What is Sustainability?
Intersection of human needs and life support systems
Human
Needs
Food
An energy focus and a
sustainability focus
Energy
Water
Education
Life
Support
Systems
E.G.
Air
Water
Rocks and
Minerals
(Lithosphere)
Biosphere
13. What is Sustainability?
Intersection of human needs and life support systems
Human
Needs
Food
Nexus of Food,
Water, Climate, etc.
Energy
Water
Education
Life
Support
Systems
E.G.
Air
Water
Rocks and
Minerals
Biosphere
(Lithosphere)
14. Geoscience and Grand Challenge Infusion into Sustainability Education
Ecological
citizenship
Ecological
footprint
Sustainable use
of resources
Precautionary
principle
“Connect the
dots”
Bio mimicry
Evaluate
Systems
thinking
Sustainability Skills;
ability to:
Use
indicators
Sustainability in
practice
Environmental
Economics
Recognize
trade-offs
Reflect
Participatory
democracy
Decisionmaking
Water
Resources
Humility
Respect for
earth
Energy
Resources
Critical hope
Geoscience
Infusion into
Sustainability
Habits of Mind
Mineral
Resources
Shared
responsibility
Civic
consciousness
Biodiversity
Rights of all
living things
Food
Climate
Change
“INTEGRATE
Grand
Challenges”
Waste
Disposal
Ecosystem
services
Environment
Degradation
Hazards
Environmental
history
“Big Ideas”
Localism
Resilience
Equity & Justice
World view
Climate
change
Environmental
justice
Ethic of care
Social
development
Ecosystem
integrity
Modified from: C.R. Svendsen
Skagit Valley College
Thresholds;
non-linear
relationships
16. What is Sustainability?
The Business World is comfortable with:
• The three legged stool
• 3E’s
• Triple Bottom Line
http://computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/visualising-sustainability/
17. What is Sustainability?
The most critical goal of the
21st Century:
• Meeting the needs of people
today and in the future
• Sustaining the life support
systems of the planet
NRC- Board of Sustainable Development, 1999, Our Common Journey
Editor's Notes
Sustainability is a lens through which humans can collectively examine and act upon our shared world systems. Using the concept of sustainability provides a means be which we can analyze our own individual lifestyles and their impact on the environment upon which we depend. The extent to which sustainability is becoming a norm or a widespread or usual practice, procedure or custom by which humans live, is a matter of debate, but, what is clear, is that more and more people are giving this concept some serious consideration.
