What Is SustainabilityWhat Is Sustainability

??

Something is Something is sustainablesustainable if if it is able to be maintained.it is able to be maintained.

The dictionary definesThe dictionary definesSustainability as;Sustainability as;

Dunn County’s Dunn County’s Definition of Definition of

SustainabilitySustainability

Sustainable development meets Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needsgenerations to meet their needs..

U.N. World Commission on Environment & Development ,U.N. World Commission on Environment & Development ,Our Common Future, 1987Our Common Future, 1987

Now that we have defined Now that we have defined sustainabilitysustainability….let’s ….let’s examine it…examine it…

Sustainable development meetsSustainable development meets

the needs of the present….the needs of the present….

Sustainable development meetsSustainable development meets

the needs of the present….the needs of the present….

What are needs?What are needs?

NeedsNeeds

Things We Need to SurviveThings We Need to Survive•FoodFood•ShelterShelter•Clean AirClean Air•Clean WaterClean Water

Fundamental Human NeedsFundamental Human Needs•SubsistenceSubsistence•ProtectionProtection•AffectionAffection•UnderstandingUnderstanding•ParticipationParticipation•LeisureLeisure•CreationCreation•IdentityIdentity•FreedomFreedom

Sustainable development meetsSustainable development meets

the needs of the present….the needs of the present….

……without compromising the without compromising the ability of future generations to ability of future generations to meet their needs.meet their needs.

Now lets dig a bit deeper…Now lets dig a bit deeper…

Sustainability Is Made Up Sustainability Is Made Up Of Three ComponentsOf Three Components

PPEOPLEEOPLE

Every living person on earth Every living person on earth today (like you and me) and today (like you and me) and every person that will live on every person that will live on earth tomorrow (Our future earth tomorrow (Our future children & grandchildren).children & grandchildren).

PLANETPLANET

Our Planet is made up of Our Planet is made up of Ecosystems which include: Ecosystems which include: Plants, Trees, Animals, Fish, Plants, Trees, Animals, Fish, Birds, Water, Soil, Micro-Birds, Water, Soil, Micro-organisms and People.organisms and People.

PROFITPROFIT

How much is left after all the How much is left after all the costs, are deducted.costs, are deducted.

““P”lanetP”lanet

Sustainability:Sustainability:

The 3 P’sThe 3 P’s

Everybody and Everybody and everything everything working together,working together,Like a teamLike a team

““P”rofiP”rofitt

““P”eopleP”eople

““P”P”EOPLEEOPLE

““P”P”LANETLANET

““P”P”ROFITROFIT

The Three P’sThe Three P’sMust remainMust remainparallelparallel

SustainableSustainable

SUPPLY IS DECREASING

DEMAND IS IN

CREASING

This is where we are atThis is where we are at WARNING!

Supply is Supply is our resources and our resources and Ecosystems (food, air,Ecosystems (food, air,water and raw materials).water and raw materials).

Demand is Demand is what we want what we want or need, things or need, things we (buy).we (buy).

We don’t want We don’t want the lines to the lines to cross!!!cross!!!

SUPPLY IS DECREASING

DEMAND IS INCREASING

This is where This is where we’re headed!we’re headed! EMERGENCY

What would What would an Emergency an Emergency Look Like?Look Like?

MORE AND MORE AND MORE MORE FARMLAND IS FARMLAND IS DEVELOPED DEVELOPED

SUPPLY IS DECREASING

DEMAND IS INCREASING MORE AND MORE MORE AND MORE

PEOPLE WANT PEOPLE WANT MORE AND MORE MORE AND MORE FOODFOOD

FOODFOOD

SUPPLY IS DECREASING

DEMAND IS INCREASING

The Price The Price Of Food Of Food Goes UpGoes Up

And/OrAnd/Or

Some Some People People Won’t Get Won’t Get To EatTo Eat

FOODFOOD

More than any other time in history, More than any other time in history, humankind faces a crossroads. One humankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.the wisdom to choose correctly.

Woody Allen

So…What Do We Do?So…What Do We Do?

The significant problems we The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking used same level of thinking used when we created them.when we created them.-Albert Einstein-Albert Einstein

We Need To Think Outside The Box! We Need To Think Outside The Box!

SUPPLY

SUPPLY

DEMAND

DEMAND

We need to level We need to level out supply and out supply and demand…make demand…make both of them both of them equal.equal.

SUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITYThe T

hre

e P

’sThe T

hre

e P

’s

SUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITY

The Funnel The Funnel

Sustainable development meets the Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without needs of the present without compromising the ability of future compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.generations to meet their needs.

SUPPLY

SUPPLY

DEMAND

DEMAND

The T

hre

e P

’sThe T

hre

e P

’s

The Natural Step The Natural Step FrameworkFramework

Sustainability:Sustainability:Critical for SuccessCritical for Success

The Natural Step FrameworkThe Natural Step Framework

PhilosophyPhilosophy

ApplicationApplication

The Natural Step FrameworkThe Natural Step Framework

PhilosophyPhilosophy•System's ThinkingSystem's Thinking•Common LanguageCommon Language•Upstream Approach (Proactive)Upstream Approach (Proactive)

System’s System’s ThinkingThinking

Let’s ExamineLet’s Examine

Systems ThinkingSystems ThinkingRecognizes that what happens in Recognizes that what happens in one part of a system affects every one part of a system affects every other partother part..

Think of it as a football teamThink of it as a football team• You can’t understand why the team lost You can’t understand why the team lost

the game until you look at how each the game until you look at how each player, all worked together on the field.player, all worked together on the field.

• You won’t learn much if you study just You won’t learn much if you study just one member of the team.one member of the team.

CommonCommon

LanguageLanguage

Let’s ExamineLet’s Examine

Common LanguageCommon Language• Any successful team must have a Any successful team must have a

Common Language and Common Language and understanding in order to facilitate understanding in order to facilitate cooperation.cooperation.

Upstream Upstream

ApproachApproach

Let’s ExamineLet’s Examine

Upstream ApproachUpstream Approach• Anticipates and avoids problems before Anticipates and avoids problems before

they occur, rather than reacting to their they occur, rather than reacting to their downstream effects.downstream effects.

Time To Re-CapTime To Re-Cap

•Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking

•Common LanguageCommon Language

•Upstream ApproachUpstream Approach

Left to its own devices, the Left to its own devices, the earth is a sustainable system. earth is a sustainable system.

However, the accumulative However, the accumulative impacts of human activity are impacts of human activity are

threatening threatening ourour continued continued well-being.well-being.

The Natural Step FrameworkThe Natural Step Framework

ApplicationApplication•The “Funnel” (metaphor)The “Funnel” (metaphor)•The 4 Principles Of SustainabilityThe 4 Principles Of Sustainability•Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

BackcastingBackcasting

TheThe

FunnelFunnel

Let’s Re-ExamineLet’s Re-Examine

SUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITY

““The Funnel”The Funnel”

Sustainable development meets the Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without needs of the present without compromising the ability of future compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.generations to meet their needs.

SUPPLY

SUPPLY

DEMAND

DEMAND

The T

hre

e P

’sThe T

hre

e P

’s

The 4The 4

Principles OfPrinciples Of

SustainabilitySustainability

Let’s ExamineLet’s Examine

The 4 Principles Of SustainabilityThe 4 Principles Of Sustainability

•There are just four basic operating There are just four basic operating rules.rules.

•If we follow these four rules we’ll If we follow these four rules we’ll have a sustainable present and have a sustainable present and future.future.

•However, we have to follow all four However, we have to follow all four rules. 3 of 4 isn’t enough. It’s all or rules. 3 of 4 isn’t enough. It’s all or nothing.nothing.

The 4 Principles Of SustainabilityThe 4 Principles Of Sustainability•Things we take from the earthThings we take from the earth•Things we makeThings we make•Natural environment (systems)Natural environment (systems)•PeoplePeople

11stst Principle of Sustainability Principle of SustainabilityThings we take from the earthThings we take from the earth

To become a sustainable society To become a sustainable society we must…we must…•Eliminate our contribution to the Eliminate our contribution to the

progressive buildup of substances progressive buildup of substances extracted from the earth’s crust extracted from the earth’s crust (heavy metals and fossil fuels).(heavy metals and fossil fuels).

22ndnd Principle of Sustainability Principle of SustainabilityThings we makeThings we make

To become a sustainable society To become a sustainable society we must…we must…•Eliminate our contribution to the Eliminate our contribution to the

progressive buildup of chemicals progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by and compounds produced by society (dioxins and PCB’s).society (dioxins and PCB’s).

33rdrd Principle of Sustainability Principle of SustainabilityNatural environment (systems)Natural environment (systems)

To become a sustainable society To become a sustainable society we mustwe must……•Eliminate our contribution to the Eliminate our contribution to the

progressive physical degradation progressive physical degradation and destruction of nature and and destruction of nature and natural processes (overharvesting natural processes (overharvesting and building over critical habitat).and building over critical habitat).

44thth Principle of Sustainability Principle of SustainabilityPeoplePeople

To become a sustainable society To become a sustainable society we must…we must…•Eliminate our contribution to Eliminate our contribution to

conditions that undermine people’s conditions that undermine people’s capacity to meet their basic human capacity to meet their basic human needs (unsafe working conditions needs (unsafe working conditions and not enough pay to live on).and not enough pay to live on).

With Respect To NeedsWith Respect To NeedsThings we need to surviveThings we need to survive

Fundamental human needsFundamental human needs

We We CannotCannot Substitute One For Substitute One For

AnotherAnother

Lack Of Any Of Them Represents Lack Of Any Of Them Represents PovertyPoverty Of Some Kind Of Some Kind

These principles These principles DO NOTDO NOT imply that imply that as a society we must stop extracting as a society we must stop extracting materials from the earth or that all materials from the earth or that all substances we produce are bad, nor substances we produce are bad, nor does it imply we should never disturb does it imply we should never disturb the natural environment.the natural environment.

The problem isn’t…The problem isn’t…

……we mine heavy metals, or use we mine heavy metals, or use chemicals and compounds, or disrupt chemicals and compounds, or disrupt natural processes, or even that we natural processes, or even that we temporarily interfere with people’s temporarily interfere with people’s capacity to meet their basic needs.capacity to meet their basic needs.

The problem is…The problem is…

……our industrial system has our industrial system has developed so that substances developed so that substances extracted from the earth and extracted from the earth and chemicals produced are continuing chemicals produced are continuing to build up in the natural systems.to build up in the natural systems.

The problem is…The problem is…

……this progressive build up of this progressive build up of pollutants and compounds are pollutants and compounds are harming us directly and damaging harming us directly and damaging natural processes that took billions natural processes that took billions of years to develop.of years to develop.

BackcastingBackcasting

Let’s ExamineLet’s Examine

Backcasting (strategic planning)Backcasting (strategic planning)•Backcasting is a way of planning Backcasting is a way of planning

in which a successful outcome is in which a successful outcome is imagined in the future.imagined in the future.What do we need to do today to What do we need to do today to reach that successful outcome?reach that successful outcome?

Backcasting is more effective Backcasting is more effective than forecasting, which tends to than forecasting, which tends to present a more limited range of present a more limited range of options, discourages creativity, options, discourages creativity, and it projects today's problems and it projects today's problems into the future.into the future.

With a desired future in mind With a desired future in mind you can ask;you can ask;•What actions do I need to take What actions do I need to take

to achieve my vision?to achieve my vision?

Taking those steps bridges Taking those steps bridges the gap between our current the gap between our current reality and our desired future.reality and our desired future.

Natural Step Framework Natural Step Framework Final Re-CapFinal Re-Cap

PhilosophyPhilosophy•System's ThinkingSystem's Thinking•Common LanguageCommon Language•Upstream Approach (Proactive)Upstream Approach (Proactive)

ApplicationApplication•The “Funnel” (metaphor)The “Funnel” (metaphor)•The 4 Principles Of SustainabilityThe 4 Principles Of Sustainability

What we take from the earthWhat we take from the earthWhat we makeWhat we makeNatural environment (systems)Natural environment (systems)PeoplePeople

•Strategic PlanningStrategic PlanningBackcastingBackcasting

QuestionsQuestions

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