Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity

Ashley Tarleton, Michelle Dacey, Liam Rafferty, Logan Cooney & Littleton Kirkpatrick

Sustainable Growth

Outline

Moving Toward Sustainable Transport

From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings

Growing a Sustainable Future

“In this now universal contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister

and little-recognized partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world-

the very nature of life.”

-Rachel Carson, “Obligation to Endure”

How Chapters Fit Together

All aspects include reducing pollution and being more efficient with our resources.

Moving towards a sustainable future

through agriculture, buildings and

transportation.

Vandana Shiva talks about the World Future Council

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbnfJl9ULa8

A woman we are now all familiar with from our readings and the “FLOW” film talks about the

issues concerning agriculture, sustainable water use, sustainable cities, sustainable food systems,

and sustainable energy.

Relation to Our Course

Associated directly with course goals:

-knowing issues about sustainability as it relates to the ecological features

-analyzing and evaluating ecological issues

-understanding sustainability, environmental education, and ecological literacy

Chapter 4 – Moving Toward Sustainable Transport

There is an increasing need to progress towards demonstrating the viability and

potential to sustainable transport strategies to meet the growing economies while

reducing costs and harm to the environment.

Transportation gives people access to jobs, markets and schools

Agenda 21 – an international action plan on sustainable development that includes language

to support sustainable transport

The Problem

Today there are nearly 800 million cars on the worlds roads Expected to increase to 2-3 billion by 2050 Bulk of this growth occurring in developing countries

Rio Earth Summit 1992 International Action Plan for Sustainable Development No commitments, targets, other forms of transport

were created Most transport investments are geared toward

unsustainable forms or transport: high capacity highways

The Problem Cont.

Unsustainable transport systems create heath hazards Increased risk of diseases related to airborne pollution

Congestion in cities and on highways Forces people to spend more time in traffic Wastes fuel Increases the cost of transporting goods

More than 1.2 million people are killed each year on the worlds roads 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries

The Problem Cont.

Transportation systems get worse as a country becomes more prosperous Massive growth in demand for transportation

systems in the next 20 years Growth increases the air pollutants 80% of harmful air pollutants in developing

countries are caused by transportation

Global Transport Energy Use

Has grown 2-2.5 percent a year since 1970 and is forecast to grow even quicker.

For every vehicle on the roads today there will be 3-4 for every

one by 2050

If trend continues will lead to catastrophic climate change and impose health and environmental costs

The Problem Cont.

Unsustainable transportation systems also harm the environment Transportation is the fastest growing source of

global emissions Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to

increase 250% by 2050 Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to

increase 300% by 2050 These increases are primarily in the

developing world

Moving Forward

International Agreements have all failed to create sustainable transportation systems 1992 Rio conference 1997 Kyoto Protocol 2000 Millennium Development Goals

“Bottom-up Approach” Nations create their own sustainability goals and

commitments Financing comes from industrialized countries

Moving Forward Cont.

Sustainability Paradigm Avoid unnecessary trips with smarter planning,

congestion pricing, and telecommunications Shift trips to more sustainable modes with sound, incentives, information, and investments Improve vehicle efficiency with cleaner fuels,

better operated networks, and vehicle technology that is better adapted to individual environments

Looking Ahead

If managed, sustainable transport can meet the growing demand

Urban development and transportation should be planned and adapted

International agreements need to contain specific sustainability goals and targets

Public transportation needs to be utilized in urban and city settings decrease congestion meet the needs of the growing population

Looking Ahead Cont.

Agenda 21 suggests “efficient and cost effective approaches such as integrated land use and

transportation planning, high occupancy public transport, safe cycleways and footpaths, international information exchange and

reevaluation of present consumption and production patterns.”

Principles for Transport in Urban Life (Box 4.2)

-Walk: Develop neighborhood that promote walking

-Cycle: Make cycle networks and secure cycle parking a priority

-Connect: Create dense networks of streets and paths

-Transit: Support high quality transit-Mix: Plan for mixed uses-Compact: Create dense regions with short

commutes-Shift: Increase mobility by regulating parking and

road use

Chapter 10 – From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings

We live in the, “Built Environment”

Construction accounts for 1/3 of resources consumed globally

12% of all fresh water usage

25-40% of produced energy used by construction

Accounts for 30-40% of CO2 emissions and solid waste

In 2030, 1.4 billion more people will live in cities rather than rural areas

Soon there will be more construction on the planet than ever before causing long term impacts

Even though it’s impact is minimal, “Green building” is becoming popular

Alternative energy sources (Solar ad public transportation)

Policies at Work: Sticks, Carrots, and Tambourines

Land use and building acts and codes are “Sticks”

Policies can control, motivate, or call for attention via regulations and incentives

Most regulation acts and codes only formulate mandatory requirements and minimum standards

It should mandate “Prescriptive Regulation”:

Ideal Solution

Expected Performance (Ex: how long a building has to resist fire before collapse)

Prohibiting specific materials (asbestos, illegal timber, etc.)

“Carrots” are incentives to motivate companies to go beyond the bare minimum requirements

Subsidies

Green mortgages

Direct public investment

Taxation policies

“Tambourines” are tools that raise awareness to sustainable buildings

Informs people of the best traditional and contemporary solutions

Ex: Newsletters, websites, and publicity campaigns

Car-Free days organized by cities

In Search of a Best Policy

Specific policies are the cheapest and most efficient ways to achieve sustainable construction

Must include measurable and attainable goals

Sustainable Infrastructure – Sustainable Building Alliance

Six core indicators presented to SBA

GHG Emissions – CO2eq

Primary EnergyWaterWastes (Hazardous, Nonhazardous, Inert and Nuclear)Thermal Comfort Indoor Air Quality (CO

2 in ppm and Formaldehyde in

micrograms per cubic meter)

These points cover main aspects of resources and emissions but it not complete listThe main goal is complete, sustainable use of resources and restriction of emissions

Chapter 13 – Growing a Sustainable Future

The state of agriculture today

Conventional agriculture-a dominant way of thinking about agriculture.

Examples: increasing water abstraction, only a handful of high-yielding crop varieties, and using petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides

In 2011, 1 in 7 individuals worldwide was chronically undernourished.

The global food system is both contrition to degradation of the natural resource base and being squeezed by competing demands.

The key role of small-scale producers in a sustainable food system

Changes are required across the whole food system, including critical shifts in large-scale production.

Almost 2 billion people are fed by produce from the 500 million farms in developing countries.

80% of hungry people live in rural areas

Supporting small-scale food producers can build sustainability and resilience to climate shocks.

The importance of addressing gender inequalities

In Africa, women conduct 60% of the harvesting and marketing activities, 80% of storage and transport, 90% of hoeing and weeding, and 100% of processing of basic foods.

If woman had the same level of access as men, their farm output would increase by 20-30% and global hunger would decline by 12-17% (according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization).

The need for better access

Although land and water rights are often tied, access to water resources is essential in its own right.

Community-based integrated water resource management can help communities keep water use within ecological limits

While access to resources is critical, knowledge and information can increase productivity

Moving forward

Without government intervention to direct a more rapid transition, markets and the vested interests that govern them will not lead us toward a sustainable agriculture future.

There is no perfect blueprint for sustainable agriculture globally

Several practical approaches exist

Analysis

With the focus on increasing the quantity and quality of investment in small-scale food

production, applying a gender lens to investments, and addressing issues of access

alongside intentional cultivation of a more agro-ecological approach to farming, we could indeed grow a food system that achieves food security

while sustaining Earth’s systems and maintaining ecosystem diversity.

Alternative Solutions

Plant a garden.Drive a hybrid vehicle.

Use public transportation.Buy local grown produce and local raised meat

products.Use Energy Star appliances.

Improve your home’s insulation.Purchase a high-efficiency AC unit.

Use a solar power system for you pool.

Want To Know More?http://www.nahbgreen.org/-Describes US standards and measures for

green construction.http://www.earthtimes.org/encyclopaedia/environmental-issues/sustainable-transport/

-Gives an overview of sustainable transportation and alternative fuel methods.

http://foodalliance.org/-Has resources for consumer, farmershttp://www.umb.edu/serc/-University of Mass. Website has research on

environmental sustainability.http://www.itssd.org/-Institute for Trade, Standards, and Sustainable Development, organization that promotes and implements a positive

paradigm of sustainable development.http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/-Global non-profit founded in

1988.http://www.breeam.org/-Design and assessment methods for sustainable

building.http://www.echonet.org/-Non-profit organization that researches

sustainable solutions to world hunger.

Conclusion

It is important to understand all aspects of sustainability to make an impact. As a global

community we are all responsible to use sustainable practices in order to preserve and

protect our environment.