Sustainability and

Natural Capital

"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... ‘What about the seventh generation? Where are you taking them? What will they have?’”

from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

What is Sustainability?

the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, thereby supporting long-term (indefinite) ecological balance

No harm ! No depletion !

Indefinite balance !

What is a sustainable society?

A sustainable society is one which can provide for and manage its population and economy now and in the future.

Two goals of a sustainable society are:

1. To provide all of its people with enough good food, safe shelter, clean water and air.

Shanghai skyline2. Meet the

needs of its people without destroying the Earth’s Natural Capital.

What is natural capital?

Capital?

Natural? Natural

Capital?

Natural Capital is…

the resources and ecological services provided by the earth that support and sustain the earth’s life and economies

This includes:

-Raw materials

-Natural cycles (carbon, nitrogen etc)

- Life support systems ( UV protection, biodiversity, water cleansing & climate stability

Natural Capital Resources

Natural capital resources are anything obtained from the environment to meet plant, animal and human needs.

Primary resources are: air, water, soil, energy and minerals. Fundamental units from which all capital is created!

The 3 types of resources are perpetual, renewable, and non-renewable.

1. Renewable Resources

Renewable: can be replaced fairly quickly on a human scale (e.g. a human lifetime)

Examples: forests, fresh water, air, soil

2. Perpetual Resources Perpetual: renewed continuously in a

human time frame Example: solar energy, wind energy

3. Non-renewable Resources

Non-renewable: exist on the earth in fixed amounts

Examples: fossil fuels, metals such as iron and copper

Open pit mine, Australia

Natural Capital Services

Natural capital services are processes performed by the environment which balance waste disposal, populations and resource use.

Natural capital services affect the quality of our land, water, air, food and earth.

Natural Capital services include:

Nutrient recycling Climate control Pollution control Waste treatment Biodiversity Pest and disease control Population control

When we destroy our NC, we destroy the services they provide !

Wetland at the Brickworks

Example: Climate Regulation

Forest cover has a lower albedo than urban concrete.

Trees absorb and use certain wavelengths of light for photosynthesis while concrete absorbs shorter wavelengths and releases it over time ( later in the day and at night) urban areas are warmer!

Service Provided: Trees lower overall temperature of an area, remove CO2, , provide shade and habitat. FOR FREE!

Sustainable living

runoff of pesticides, fertilizers, and animal wastes

destruction of wetlands erosion of soils deforestation urban sprawl

Natural capital services can also be degraded by human activity:

Sustainable living

Humans are the only species on earth to deplete and waste natural capital.

Sustainable living uses only perpetual or renewable resources, not non-renewable resources.

Sustainable living Sustainable living uses renewable

resources only at the rate at which they can be replaced.

The highest rate a renewable resource can be used without being depleted is called its sustainable yield.

e.g. cod fisheries collapse in 1990s from overfishing