Sustainability

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A Planet on Loan from Our Children: 

A Planet on Loan from Our Children George Seielstad April 21, 2005

Spaceship Earth: 

Spaceship Earth Single, Interconnected System Common Home for All Humanity Benevolent Habitat for Diverse Life Stunningly Beautiful Fragile Finite

Slide4: 

Earth, from 3.7 billion miles Voyager 1 June 6, 1990 Finiteness

Slide5: 

Fragility

Slide6: 

Density of Thermo- sphere down 10% in 35 years.

Slide7: 

What world will they catch from us?

Slide8: 

It’s in our hands. Tomorrow’s world will be built by us today. Humans are the dominant force causing planetary change. Humans are also Earth’s stewards.

Wisest Policy: 

Wisest Policy Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children. Kenyan Proverb

Why Us?: 

Why Us?

Ecosystem or Human-made Services?: 

Ecosystem or Human-made Services? ● Nutrient Recycling ● Water Purification ● Climate Moderation ● Pollination ● Soil Stabilization ● Genetic Archive ● Aesthetics

Slide12: 

Food

Human Longevity: 

Human Longevity In 1900: 46 years In 2000: 77 years

20th Century Global Growth: 

20th Century Global Growth Characteristic Population Economy Industrial Output Energy Use CO2 Emissions Water Use Marine Fish Catch Blue Whales Factor of Increase 4 x 14 x 40 x 16 x 17 x 9 x 35 x 0.0025 x O’Neill, Something New Under the Sun (2000), p. 360.

Climate: Recent 400,000 years: 

Climate: Recent 400,000 years

Global Future: 

Global Future If nothing slows greenhouse gas emissions. . . CO2 concentrations will exceed 700 ppm by 2100 Global average temperatures will rise 2.5 – 10.4 F

Slide17: 

Population

Slide18: 

Another New York City per Month

Human Domination--Land: 

39-50% of land’s surface transformed. >55% of biological productivity used by humans. Earth’s 3 most abundant plants = Rice, Wheat, Corn Global homogenization of landscapes Vitousek et al., Science 277, pp. 494-499 (1997). Human Domination--Land

Slide20: 

http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/wri94-4001/fig1www.gif http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/wri94-4001/fig1www.gif

Slide21: 

Fertilizer Management

Decomposition Study: 

Decomposition Study Residue from previous year = Fertilizer in current year

Slide23: 

Leaf Color Acre N Yellow 9.03 130 Yellow Green 53.80 110 Green 73.50 80 Dark Green 15.34 60 Normal Application 150 lbs per acre Precision Application 90 lbs per acre Biomass of Sugar Beet Tops

Savings over 4 years: 

Savings over 4 years 1010 acres of Beets / year Avg Nitrogen Reduction 60# /acre 101 tons less in the Environment Total Savings over 4 Years >$51,000

Human Domination--Water: 

Human Domination--Water Humanity uses >50% of surface freshwater In U.S., only 2% of rivers run unimpeded. Many rivers no longer reach the sea.

Dams’ Impacts on Rivers: 

Dams’ Impacts on Rivers Nilsson et al., Science 308, 405 (2005) Green, unimpacted Yellow, moderately impacted Red, strongly impacted

Global Water: 

Global Water

Slide28: 

Newfoundland Fishery Defying the Kenyan Proverb

Human Domination--Biota: 

Human Domination--Biota

Slide30: 

Extinction rate now 100-1000 x natural rate.

Global Experiment: 

More people are using more resources with more intensity than at any time in human history. Global Experiment

Slide32: 

Exponential Growth in Finite System

Slide33: 

Day 1 .

Slide34: 

Day 2

Slide35: 

Day 3

Slide36: 

Day 4

Slide37: 

Day 5

Slide38: 

Day 6

Slide39: 

Day 7

Slide40: 

Day 8

Slide41: 

Day 9

Slide42: 

Day 10

Slide43: 

Day 11

Slide44: 

Day 12

Slide45: 

Day 13

Slide46: 

Day 14

Slide47: 

Day 12 repeat How much need one find to meet future needs?

Slide48: 

Find twice as much as has been used in all of history… to add 1 more day’s consumption For the 16th day, find twice as much again.

Significance: 

Significance Peace, Democracy, Sustainability are indivisible Can have none where poverty overwhelms.

Slide50: 

Peace/Democracy/Sustainability

Slide51: 

Haiti

Where Humans Live…and How: 

Where Humans Live…and How Pressure on Planet = Population + Affluence

Consumption: 

Consumption “The world supplies enough to meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed.” Ghandi

Slide54: 

U.S.’s Impact If everybody lived as we do, we’d need 5 planets.

Sustainability: 

Sustainability World cannot provide First World lifestyles for all Third World people. Third World people deserve equivalent lifestyles. First World’s Core Values must change: Unlimited growth Use-Discard Cycle of nonrenewables Short-term Planning

Optimism: 

Optimism If people are the problem, we are also the solution. “What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.” John Gardner, Pres. Johnson’s Secy. of Health, Education, Welfare

21st Century Capability: 

21st Century Capability Possible for the first time to quantify and monitor entire Biospheric Health

Problem-Solving Communities: 

Problem-Solving Communities Possible to inform and to be informed by many sharing common interests. A Global Mind for the Global Environment

Triggering Change: 

Triggering Change “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever did.” Margaret Mead

Live Sustainably: 

Live Sustainably Consume less Satisfy Need not Greed Conserve Discard less Emulate Nature’s No-Waste Cycles

World’s Most Needed Qualities: 

World’s Most Needed Qualities Original, Creative Thought Intellectual Rigor and Open-Mindedness Acceptance of Hard Evidence Willingness to Embrace the New Communication using Reason and Rationality Rejection of Pure Marketing

Reality: 

Reality “Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” Richard Feynman

Pillar of Humanity: Ability to Understand Nature: 

Pillar of Humanity: Ability to Understand Nature

Fate of World: 

Fate of World The privilege of an education confers the responsibility to confront the world’s problems.