Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainable Development History

Critique of traditional development

• Contributing to health problems, ecological degradation, poverty and social injustice• Undermining ecological, social and economic capital of communities

SD as remedy.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Dimensions of Sustainability

• Human Health• Social Justice & Equity• Economic Opportunity for All• Ecological Integrity & Diversity

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainability requires that we focus simultaneously on systemic changes that improve health for current and future humans, build strong, secure and thriving communities, provide economic opportunity for all by restoring and preserving the integrity of the life support system.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Why Sustainability Now?

We are the first generation capable of determining the habitability of the planet

for humans and other species.  

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Why Sustainability & Why Now?

• Human presence on a global scale• All living systems in long term decline at unprecedented and accelerating rate

• Old and new epidemics• Unprecedented growth in population and consumption

• Gap between rich and poor accelerating• Political instability and war• Protracted energy challenge/crisis• Global Warming

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Global Perspective

life supporting resources

declining

consumption of life supporting resources

rising

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Systems Problem&

Design Failure

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Principles of Sustainability

Economy

Society

Ecology

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

StrongEconomy

SocialWell-being

Flourishing Environment

SustainableSociety

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has never been above 300 ppm for at least the last 430,000 years (and probably not for the last 30 million years!)

Ice Cores Preserve the History of Atmospheric CO2

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Computer models of climate match the observations only when natural and human “forcings” are included in the models. The human forcings are responsible for most of the rapid warming 1970-2000.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Muir Glacier, Alaska, 1941-2004

NSIDC/WDC for Glaciology, Boulder, compiler. 2002, updated 2006. Online glacier photograph database. Boulder, CO: National Snow and Ice Data Center.

August 1941 August 2004

Coastal glaciers are retreating

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Soon Americans will have to settle for a Non-Glacier National Park.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Greenland ice Melting 1992, 2002, and 2005

1992 2002 2005

Source: ACIA, 2004 and CIRES, 2005

In 1992 scientists measured this amount of melting in Greenland as indicated by red areas on the map

Ten years later, in 2002, the melting was much worse

And in 2005, it accelerated dramatically yet again

Greenland summer surface melting, 1992-2005

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Shrinking mountain glaciers

The famous snows of Kilimanjaro have been shrinking rapidly in recent decades and are nearly gone.

This is particularly significant because high-elevation ice and snow near the equator does not vary much except when climate is changing globally.

The decline between 1912 and 2000 was 81%

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

SOCIETY’S CHOICES

• Mitigation, meaning measures to reduce the pace & magnitude of the changes in global climate being caused by human activities.

• Adaptation, meaning measures to reduce the adverse impacts on human well-being resulting from the changes in climate that do occur.

• Suffering the adverse impacts that are not avoided by either mitigation or adaptation.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Combining the ice-core data and the direct measurements from Mauna Loa yields a curve strikingly similar to the curve that describes…

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Making the “Invisible”“Visible”

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Global Transition

From• Fossil powered• Take, make, waste• Living off nature’s capital

• Market as master• Loss of cultural & biological diversity

• Individual centered

To• Solar powered• Cyclical production• Living off nature’s income

• Market as servant• Increased cultural & biological diversity

• Community centered

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Reversing Climate Disruption

• Energy Efficiency• Renewable Energy

– wind, solar, geothermal, hydro

• Land use & transportation – higher density, less auto dependence– alternative fuels for vehicles

• “Circular” economy• Sustainable/local agriculture• Carbon sequestration

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainability Frameworks & Tools

• Systemic, holistic, integrative thinking

• The Natural Step• Ecological Footprint• Biomimicry• Natural Capitalism• Life Cycle Analysis• LEED• Others

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Higher Education’s Importance to Sustainability

• Influences current & future leaders & professionals

• Deeply influences K-12 education• Dedicated to new ideas, exploration and experimentation

• Has critical mass & diversity of skills necessary

• Crucial but overlooked leverage point in transition to sustainability

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Opportunity in Higher Education

• 4,096 U.S. Colleges and Universities1

• 14.8 million students1

• $277 billion annual expenditures; 2.8% of the GDP1

• Higher education expenditures greater than the GDP of all but 25 countries in the world2

1 From: 2001 Digest of Education Statistics, US Dept. of Education.

2 From: 2001 CIA World Factbook and Dowling, Mike., "Interactive Table of World Nations," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/800nations.html; Internet; updated Friday, June 29, 2001

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Higher Education Modeling Sustainability

as a Fully Integrated Community

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Higher Education Changes

• Interdependent & Intergenerational ‘Worldview’

• Problem Solving to Creating• Systems thinking as a fundamental framework

• ‘Knowing’ to ‘Learning’ Communities• Making ‘invisible’ ‘visible’

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Financial Benefits of Green Buildings Summary of Findings (per ft2)

$49.90 to $66.30Total 20-year Net Benefit

(-$3.00 to -$5.00)Average Extra Cost of Building Green

$52.90 to $71.30Subtotal

$36.90 to $55.30Productivity and Health Value

$8.50Operations and Maintenance Savings

$0.50Water Savings

$1.20Emissions Savings

$5.80Energy Savings

20-year Net Present ValueCategory

Source: Capital E Analysis

www.cap-e.com

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Education for Sustainability

• Integrated, interdisciplinary learning

• “Lateral” & “vertical” rigor in learning

• Ethics, values & sustainability seamlessly integral to all disciplines

• Collaborative & experiential learning• Practicing sustainability on campus and with communities

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Higher Education Stakeholders• Administrators• Faculty• Operations &

facilities managers• Students• Trustees• Staff• Higher Ed

Associations

• Alumni• Parents of students• Communities• Accreditation orgs.• Future Employers• Funders• Professionals• Future Generations• World cultures• Biosphere & all its

species

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sina Qua Non

Communication is to sustainability what

Location is to real estate

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

• Voluntary effort ~ to Mayor’s Climate Agreement• Organized by AASHE, Second Nature & ecoAmerica• Commit to 3 actions

– Plan within 2 years to achieve climate neutrality•GHG Inventory •Operations, Education & Research

– Adoption of select emission reduction measures– Public reporting on plans and progress thru AASHE

www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

• Phase 1– Development of policies, documents, website, marketing, website, plan

– Recruit Leadership Circle & signatories

• Phase 2– Launch w/in HE community - late Feb– Get 200 signatories– June 2007 summit

• Phase 3– Get 1000 signatories by Dec. 2009– Support for and report on progress

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

ACUPCC Signatories Jan.

• Arizona State University• Bainbridge Graduate Institute• Ball State University• California State University,

Chico• Cape Cod Community College• Central Washington University• Chandler-Gilbert CC• College of the Atlantic• Columbus State CC• Community College of Denver• Connecticut College• Drury University• Eastern University• Iowa Lakes Community College

• Los Angeles CC District• Mount Wachusett CC• Norfolk State University• Oberlin College• Ohlone College• Olympic College• Pacific Lutheran

University• Randolph College• University of Florida• University of Tennessee• U Wisconsin - Green Bay• U Wisconsin – Oshkosh• U Wisconsin – River Falls

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

The Natural Step

• A Framework & Organization• Compass toward sustainability• Based on immutable natural Laws

• True systems thinking• Easily understandable at all levels

Scale Knowledge

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

The Earth as a System

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

life supporting

resources

declining

consumption of life supporting

resources

rising

Global Perspective

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

A Metaphorical Funnel

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

System Overview

Fundamental Principles= trunk and branches

Details= leaves

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Basic science

•Nothing disappearsLaw of conservation of

matter & energyFirst law of thermodynamics

•Matter & Energy tend to disperse

Second law of thermodynamics(entropy law)

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Basic science continued…

•Order, concentration and structure determine matter quality

•Photosynthesis is the primary provider of net order: “plants pay the bills”

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Natural Cycles

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Present Society

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainable Society

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainability Principles

Increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the earth’s crust

Increasing concentrations of substances produced by society

Degradation by physical means

In the sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing…

and…

human needs are met worldwide.

The Natural Step guiding principles

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

What is Biomimicry?• A science that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.

• The core idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with.

• Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. They have found what works, what is appropriate, and most important, what lasts here on Earth. 1

1 From: An Interview with Janine Benyus, 2003

.

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Material Inspirations

Abalone mussel nacre(mother of pearl coating)

Hard coatings-for windshields and bodies of solar cars, airplanes, anything that needs to be lightweight but fracture-resistant.

A crystalline coating self-assembles in perfect precision atop protein templates. In the abalone, it's a 3-D masterpiece, tougher than anything we can manufacture! 11 From: www.biomimicry.net

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Natural Capitalism

• Dramatically increase productivity of natural resources

• Shift to biologically inspired production models

• Move to solutions-based business model– Value as flow of services, e.g., illumination not lightbulbs

• Reinvest in natural capital

Second NatureE d u c a t i o n f o r S u s t a i n a b i l i t y