1www.asu.edu/asu101What is Sustainability? Sustainability, Part 1Adapted from a presentation by Charles L. Redman Director, School of Sustainability, and Virginia M. Ullman Professor, Natural History and the EnvironmentPresenter Name, Ph.D.Presenter TitleArizona State University© 2007 Arizona State UniversityBy the end of class today, you will be able to• Define sustainability• Explain how sustainability is different from environmental advocacy© 2007 Arizona State UniversityDiscussion:• What does the term sustainability mean to you?© 2007 Arizona State UniversityWebster’s Dictionary on SustainabilityThe ability to continue without interruption.© 2007 Arizona State UniversitySustainability is Not a New IdeaThen I say the earth belongs to each generation during its course…No generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence. Thomas Jefferson to James Madison© 2007 Arizona State UniversityThe nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired in value.-Theodore Roosevelt2© 2007 Arizona State UniversityWe thrive and survive on planet earth as a single human family. And one of our main responsibilities is to leave to successor generations a sustainable future.-Former UN Secretary-General KofiA. Annan© 2007 Arizona State UniversityThe Environmental Movement• The concern over conserving our natural resources gave birth to the environmental movement.• Advocates for conservation urged the federal government to take a strong role in preservation. © 2007 Arizona State UniversitySignificant Environmental Legislation1872 – Yellowstone is established as our first National Park.1891 – The Forest Reserve Act is passed, paving the way for the establishment of the Forest Service.1916 – The National Park Service is established.1955 – The Air Pollution Control Act is passed.1963 – The first Clean Air Act is passed.1964 – The Wilderness Act is passed, preserving some lands in perpetuity.1969 – The National Environmental Policy Act is passed and the Environmental Protection Agency is created.1972 – The Water Pollution Control Act is passed.1973 – The Endangered Species Act is passed.© 2007 Arizona State UniversityMany People Think Sustainability is the Same as Environmental Advocacy• But it represents a convergence of ideas from many different areas, especially1. Environmental Economics2. Sustainable Development3. Business4. Environmental Social Science 5. Environmental and SustainabilityScience© 2007 Arizona State University1. Environmental Economics• Environmental economists are concerned with the economic value of ecosystem services© 2007 Arizona State UniversityEcosystem Services are the processes by which the environment produces resources that we often take for granted such as clean water, timber, and habitat for fisheries, and pollination of native and agricultural plants. -- The Ecological Society of Americahttp://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/esa.html3© 2007 Arizona State University• The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment categorizes ecosystem goods and services as:– Provisioning Services such as food, fresh water, fuel, and fiber;– Regulating Services such as climate, water, and disease regulation as well as pollination;– Supporting Services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; and– Cultural Services such as educational, aesthetic, and cultural heritage values as well as recreation and tourism.US Department of Agriculture - Forest Servicehttp://www.fs.fed.us/ecosystemservices/introduction.shtml• Ecosystem Services are commonly defined as benefits people obtain from ecosystems. © 2007 Arizona State UniversitySpecifically, ecosystems• moderate weather extremes and their impacts• disperse seeds• mitigate drought and floods• protect people from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays• cycle and move nutrients• protect stream and river channels and coastal shores from erosion• detoxify and decompose wastes• control agricultural pests• maintain biodiversity• generate and preserve soils and renew their fertility• contribute to climate stability• purify the air and water• regulate disease carrying organisms• pollinate crops and natural vegetationhttp://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/esa.html© 2007 Arizona State UniversityDiscussion:• Does looking at ecosystems in terms of their benefits to humans make us more likely to preserve them?• Do ecosystems have an intrinsic value that has nothing to do with humans?© 2007 Arizona State University2. Sustainable Development• The Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (aka the Brundtland Report) 1987 definition:– Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.© 2007 Arizona State UniversityIntergenerational Equity• The Brundtland Report (like Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Annan) reinforces the notion that we are ethically responsible to not use so many resources that we jeopardize the quality of life of future generations.© 2007 Arizona State UniversityU.N. Millennium Development Goals1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger2. Achieve universal primary education3. Promote gender equality and empower women4. Reduce child mortality5. Improve maternal health6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases7. Ensure environmental sustainability8. Develop a global partnership for developmenthttp://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/4© 2007 Arizona State UniversityWorld Summit on Sustainable Development:Johannesburg Declaration 2005• Reverse the loss of environmental resources• Reduce by half the number of people who live on less than $1 per day, who suffer from hunger, and who have no safe drinking water• Significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers• Increase decent employment, credit and income for the urban poor• Transfer basic sustainable agricultural techniques, including natural resource management, to small and medium-scale farmers, fishers and the rural poorhttp://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POI_PD.htmhttp://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POIToc.htm© 2007 Arizona State UniversityIntragenerational Equity• The U.N. MilleniumGoals and the Johannesburg Declaration reinforce the notion that we are ethically responsible to not use so many resources
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