SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Sustainable Development can be defined as the ability to satisfy needs without diminishing prospects for the next generation.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable Development can be defined as the ability to satisfy needs without diminishing prospects for the next generation. We cannot exceed resource limits (called thresholds) beyond which supply cannot be sustained. Unfortunately raising human quality of life is a major threat to sustainability. Forests are disappearing, fish stocks are being depleted, while population, industry and consumption increases. Industry and consumption is rising fastest in the developing countries, 4/5th of the population lives there.

BUT - developing countries do not have to develop as wasteful as the NOW developed countries did. If large amounts of private investment go into state of the art environmental technologies - poorer countries can leapfrog past the wasteful stages mentioned by Rostow in his theory of economic development. (see the Disparity unit). For example China is looking into purchasing more efficient (less polluting) coal burning methods.

Resources

• Renewable resources (also known as stream resources or flow resources) are resources that renew themselves, eg. water.• A constantly renewable supply is always ‘on stream’ – eg. if we plant as many trees as we cut down, we are sustaining the number of trees.

Resource management is concerned with:

a.Are the new trees the same quality as the old?

b. Will the living environment be harmed?

c. How long will it take for the trees to mature?

d. How many trees will die in the process?

A non-renewable resource is referred to as stock resources. They comprise a limited stock. That can be depleted. Once you use them, they are gone forever. They do not replenish themselves (within reason). Oil is a good example. Once oil is pumped out of the ground and burned it is gone forever.

The previous analogy is not entirely accurate: Science may create a synthetic version or we may find better and more abundant resources to achieve the same ends. We could shift from oil to wind, solar or hydrogen power. A view where someone believes that Science and Technology will come to the rescue is called a Cornucopian Thesis. People who are of the view that the earth does have limits and that resources are finite are said to have a limits-to-growth thesis.

William Rees, and environmental economist describes the earth’s resources as ‘Natural Stocks’, some of which are renewable. He believes short term economic greed is depleting our natural stocks faster than they can be replaced or protected.

He also describes certain resources as ‘critical’. In other words a critical resource is dependent on good sustainable techniques to remain unharmed or for its supply to remain undeminished.

Freshwater is a critical resource. Water that is underground is being pumped out and used faster than nature can replenish it.

A ‘non-critical’ resource is one that can be used without being in danger of becoming harmed – solar energy is a good example.

Resource management has introduced words like ‘re-use’, ‘recycle’, ‘waste-reduction’, ‘ green products’, ‘bio-degradable’ and ‘energy-efficient’. Some new words are ‘Extended producer responsibility’ – this is where a company takes responsibility for the recycling of its products event after they are sold to you. Heward-Packard (HP) with its ink cartridge program is a good example.

‘Slow cities’ is another new buzz word. This relates to older cities that purposely stay away from modern technology and the fast base of economic globalization. They wish to value their local culture and history. These cities set out to protect the qualities that make them unique. For example these cities will not allow fast food restaurants or cell antennas or even large neon signs. Local traditions are protected and encouraged. Niagara-on-the-lake and Quebec city are good examples.

Finally the ‘international organization for standardization’ – ISO has been created to regulate standards around the world. For example the ISO’s standard allow nuts produced in Mexico to fit bolts made in Europe. These type of standards will decrease waste a great deal. There are environmental standards as well. You may see the initials ISO followed by a number on product labels and even on the signs of buildings.

Resources that make our environment a better place to live are called Scenic or Aesthetic resources and these can be endangered – building a bridge over Niagara Falls or placing an hotel on the beach are good examples.

When secondary industry turns raw materials into manufactured products, these products are ready for ‘consumption’.

For example ‘wood’ is consumed to make pulp and paper, iron ore is consumed to make steel.

The U.S. EPS (Environmental Protection Agency) states that the industrialized world (Japan, Germany, Canada) consume between 45 000 – 85 000 kilograms of natural resources per person per year. That’s 133 kilograms every day.

The U.S. has only 4.7% of the world’s population yet it consumes 25% of the world’s natural resources. Canadians consume even more because we live in a colder climate.

The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation) suggests that industrialized countries look for ways of reducing consumption.

• use less water

• turn up the temperature for the air conditioner

• don’t idle the car

• close the refrigerator door

• don’t leave the T.V. on when no-on is watching

• turn off unnecessary lighting in the house

• can you think of some?

By 2015 two major concerns will be water and energy.

The developing world will exhaust their water supply by 2015.

Increased population and seeking economic growth will increase the demand for energy.

Oil demands and Natural Gas usage will drastically increase. As the developing world industrializes their consumption will increase to the point that production cannot keep up.

Is the developing world going to understand that they can not develop the way we (Canada) did and be so environmentally wasteful?

As mentioned before some people expect science to come to the rescue (Cornucopian view), especially where energy is concerned. Solar cells, Hydrogen power will hopefully replace oil.

Two Important resources: Forests and Fish

The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) rate deforestation is greater than the rate of forestation. 9.4 million HA were lost in 2001, most of it in the tropical forests.

Reasons: - lumber exports - clearing for agricultural land- expansion of cities- forest fires- poor forest conservation- acid rain- and pests.

When forests are destroyed by fire, CO2 is added to the atmosphere and the following happens:- oxygen levels decrease- ecosystems are destroyed - habitats are lost- pests will infest other plant life- flooding increases- soils will erode- climates will change (Eg. Ethiopia once was covered with 40% forest cover, now its at 7% due mainly to the collection of fire wood. Ethiopia has suffered severe droughts.

Canadian Forests

10% of the world’s forests are in Canada. Canada is #1 in the world in newsprint production and export and #1 for softwood (Coniferous like pine which are used mainly for pulp and paper and for construction) export. 842 000 Canadians are employed directly or indirectly in the forest industry.

Forests are worth $32.1 billion of positive trade balance.

Canada is a world leader in managing and sustaining forests.

90% of Canadian forests are owned by the Federal Government.

Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) like ‘Friends of the Earth’ say Canada is doing a terrible job of managing it’s forests, especially the softwoods:

- less land is being replanted- trees are of poorer quality- they are cut down too soon

¾ of the logging rights belong to only 10 very large corporations (one of them happens to be Japanese). These companies will place profit ahead of sustainability.

Canada’s Fishing Industry

• Fishing is Canada’s oldest industry.

• Atlantic Canada’s economy depends on fishing

• The Grand Banks off the east coast were one of the world’s great fishing grounds.

Prior to 1978 fishermen were noticing fewer fish. This continued in the 1980’s. In 1991 there was a huge drop in fish caught (especially Cod). The Canadian government had grossly mis-calculated and in 1992 all Cod fishing was halted and the fishing industry collapsed. It continues to this day.

Reasons for the collapse:

• Over fishing (caught more than could reproduce the following year)

• Improved technology on catching fish

• Foreign Fishing (Canada controls some of the water off the Grand Banks but not all)

• Destructive fishing practices

• Changes in the environment

Soon the west coast (salmon) fishing industry collapsed as well for basically the same reasons.

Urban expansion could now be added to the list.

Other resources that are threatened in the future:

• Water

• Oil

• Air

• Fossil Fuels (Energy) – coal, natural gas.

Do decisions you make promote sustainability?

Ecological Footprint

Could you survive using just your local communities resources? Not for long!

We do not live in isolation, we trade with others to acquire ecological goods that we may need.

Global trade cannot solve all resource problems.

How much pressure are we putting on our resources and how will this affect their sustainability?

WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and two gentlemen (Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees) created the ‘Living Planet Index’ an Ecological Footprint calculation.

The Ecological Footprint measures people’s consumption of resources. It is based on a population on 6 000 000 000 and a usable land area of 10 000 000 000 HA.

An average of 1.7 HA (3 football fields) of land is needed to sustain on person on the earth.

An average Canadian consumes 4.8 HA. (2.7 on energy, 1.1 on agriculture, 0.6 on forests and 0.2 on housing and transportation). The developing nations are consuming 37% more than the earth can provide! This is called ‘Ecological Overshoot’.

If China reached the consumption levels of the U.S. the ecological overshoot would rise from 37% to 250%!

Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees state that if the entire world lived like North Americans we would need 3 more planets like earth to sustain us.

Click here to calculate your Ecological Footprint. Click on Start to begin the questionnaire. Please read before you make a choice. Click here if you want some background information on what an ecological footprint is. Click here if you would like to compare your footprint to another calculation. This last site has some excellent links to the topic of sustainability. Try this quiz too.

How can the developing worlds develop in a world of shrinking resources?

The End!