Download to read offline
Environment Sustainability and Renewable Resources
- 1. GEOG 102 –Population, Resources, and the Environment Professor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue Topic 9 – Environmental Sustainability A – The Concept of Sustainability B – Towards a Sustainable World?
- 2. The Concept ofSustainability ■ 1. Sustainable Development ■ 2. Sustainable Society ■ 3. General Indicators A
- 3. Sustainable Development ■ Theissue • Brought forward in view of challenges at a scale never seen before. • Demographic challenge: • Strong population growth, notably in the developing world. • Resource challenge: • An increasing usage of resources, renewable and non renewable alike. – Raw materials. – Energy. – Food. • Environmental challenge: • Higher levels of environmental impacts of human activities. • The capacity of this world to sustain its population is compromised. 1
- 4. Sustainable Development ■ “Sustainable” •The process or the activity can be maintained without exhaustion or collapse. • Intra and Inter-generational issue. • Capacity of a system to accommodate changes: • Rates of use of renewable resources should not exceed their rates or regeneration. • Rates of use of non-renewable resources should not exceed at which renewable substitutes are developed. • Rates of pollution emissions should not exceed the assimilative capacity of the environment. 1 Your generation The 340 generations of humanity Generations to come
- 5. Sustainable Development ■ “Development” •Development is about people, not necessarily the economy. • Development is a process. • Improvement of the welfare of the population: • Create an enabling environment for people. • Often forgotten in the immediate concern with the accumulation of commodities and wealth. • Finding ways to satisfy and improve human needs. 1
- 6. Sustainable Development ■ Conditions: •Appropriate social, political, legal and economic conditions. ■ Outcomes • Improvement of the physical and human capital. • Human capital: • Improved health or knowledge. • Improved opportunities for people to use their acquired capabilities. • Improved work or leisure conditions. • Physical capital: • Improved private infrastructures. • Improved collective infrastructures. Development -Health -Education -Quality of life -Rights -Equity -Rule of law Conditions -Employment -Surplus Human Capital Physical capital Outcomes 1
- 7. Sustainable Society Sustainable Development SocialEquity Economic Efficiency Environmental Responsibility •Living conditions •Equal opportunity •Social cohesion •International solidarity •Maintenance of human capital. •Economic growth •Efficiency and competitiveness •Flexibility and stability •Production / consumption •Employment •International trade •Consumption of resources •Materials and wastes •Risks •Rate of change •Natural and cultural landscape 2
- 8. Sustainable Society ■ Three“E”s • Economics. • Ecology / Environment. • Equity (social). ■ Population • Lessen population growth and stabilize it (preferably). • Stop subsidizing reproduction. • Access to contraception and family planning (freedom of choice). • Basic material needs satisfied (social obligation?). • Political and gender equity. • Access to information and education. 2
- 9. Sustainable Society ■ Ecology •Restore the biological base (soils, forests, atmosphere and hydrosphere). • Agriculture supporting ecosystems (diversity and organic recycling). ■ Energy • Minimize and abolish fossil fuels (market forces are likely to do so). • Shift to natural gas as an interim measure. • Move to renewable energy sources (hydrogen, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric). 2
- 10. Sustainable Society ■ Economy •Promotion of efficiency and recycling. • Source materials mainly recycled materials. • Reduce wastes in production, packaging and distribution. • Economy like an ecosystem. • Dematerialization of the economy. ■ Spatial forms • Rational use of space (market forces). • Dense and compact cities. • Multifamily dwellings. • Alternative transportation modes: • Leaning on mass transit, cycling and walking. 2
- 11. Energy and Density 2 80 40 20 60 2060 300 40 80 100 Los Angeles Sydney London Singapore United States Australia and Canada Europe Asia Hong Kong Chicago Houston Phoenix Detroit Denver Adelaide Melbourne Toronto New York Vienna Paris Berlin Tokyo Energy consumption per capita (1,000 millions of joules) Population density (people per hectare)
- 12. Sustainable Society ■ Socialforms • Material sufficiency and frugality: • Replacing consumerism and materialism (unlikely). • Living according to one’s means. • Self-worth and social status: • Not measured primarily by possession (unlikely). • Balance between individual rights and obligations: • End of social welfare and the irresponsibility it creates? ■ Governance • Less government and more individual initiative. • Global governance (common policies for common causes). • Regional autonomy (regional issues and cultural / political differences). • Avoid socialism and fascism (especially “world improvers”). 2
- 13. Global Sustainability Economic Development •Sustaineconomic growth •Maximize profit •Expand markets •Externalize costs •Respect carrying capacity •Conserve and recycle resources •Reduce waste •Satisfy needs •Increase self-reliance Socialism Conservationism Ecologism 2
- 14. Global Sustainability Quality ofLife Sustainable level Five Billion Consumes 20% Resource / Energy consumption Carrying capacity 2 One Billion Consumes 80% Unsustainable level
- 15. General Indicators Global Sustainability 3 Water,materials and waste Energy and air quality Livability Transportation Land, green spaces and biodiversity
- 16. General Indicators: Whatthe Market Can Do Energy and air quality New sources of energy. Less energy intensity. Lower emission levels. Water, materials and waste Less water intensity. Lower material intensity (packaging) Recycling system. Efficient waste disposal. Land, green spaces and biodiversity Increased agricultural productivity. Manage Livability Improved health. Higher education. Global access to information and entertainment (Internet). Transportation Provide collective (transit) and private mobility. 3
- 17. Towards a SustainableWorld? ■ 1. Conventional Worlds ■ 2. Barbarization ■ 3. Great Transitions B
- 18. The Futures ofHumanity 1 Reference Balanced growth Fortress World New Sustainability Paradigm Eco-communalism 2000 4 6 8 10 12 50 100 150 200 250 Gross World Product (trillion $US) Breakdown World population (in billions) Transformed Worlds Conventional Worlds Barbarization
- 19. Conventional Worlds ■ ConventionalDevelopment scenario • Situation left as it is. • Solution led to market mechanisms. • Little or no collective efforts. • Limited success of birth control policies. • Generation of wealth, but unfair distribution. ■ Consequences • Growth of inequalities and environmental degradation. • Potential instability and environmental collapse. 1
- 20. Conventional Worlds ■ BalancedGrowth • Legislation and policy intervention: • Strengthen management systems. • Ensure widespread use of better technology. • Provide greater social equity and environment protection. • Same patterns of production and consumption. • Notions of global governance. ■ Consequences • Less demographic growth and environmental damage. • May not be enough to curb major global environmental issues. • Socialism. 1
- 21. Barbarization ■ Breakdown • Neo-Malthusianperspective. • Case of destructive anarchy. • Governmental and social failures. • “Mad Max” scenario. ■ Consequences • Environmental and social deterioration: • Scarcity, violence, and massive migration. • Unchecked population growth. • Economic collapse: • Drastic fall in global population levels. • Loss of institutions, productive capacity, and technology. 2
- 22. 2030 Breakdown Scenario 19002000 2100 Pollution Industrial output Population Life expectancy Natural resources Oil production 2030 Food 2 Breakdown
- 23. Barbarization ■ Fortress World •Authoritarian “solution”. • Conflicts between the rich and the poor: • A minority of the elite in privileged enclaves. • Protect their way of life by forcibly imposing limits and social controls on the impoverished majority. • Seizing control of critical natural resources for exclusive use. • Restricting access to information and technology. ■ Consequences • Unchecked demographic growth. • Social stratification. • Instability of a “Fortress” system may push the world into a “Breakdown” situation. 2
- 24. 3 Great Transitions ■Eco-communalism • Deep green utopian vision. • Strong collective efforts towards small-scale. • Emphasis: • Bio-regionalism. • Localism and face-to-face democracy. • Small technology and economic autarky. ■ Consequences • Population and economic scales diminish. • Environmental conditions improve dramatically. • Socialism/communism?
- 25. Great Transitions ■ NewSustainability Paradigm • Change the industrial civilization. • Achieving sustainability at the global level: • Every activity most demonstrate sustainability. • More equitable global civilization rather than to retreat into localism. ■ Consequences • Dramatic decrease of per capita material flows: • Through behavioral changes and technology improvements. • High-quality environment. • Well-distributed welfare with economic activities oriented towards services. 3
- 26. Conclusion ■ Which Future? •In light of the current situation around the world, which scenario is the most likely? • What are the alternatives? ■ Population, resources and the environment • The absolute bottom line. • Will shape the fate of humanity in the 21st century. • Period of strong demographic growth (demographic transition). • Population policy and family planning. • Migration and urbanization. • Consumption of resources (commodities and energy). • The environmental challenge.