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A Sri Lankan scientist, Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, is calling for the drafting of "Millennium Consumption Goals" to force rich countries to curb their climate-damaging consumption habits, in the same way the poor have Millennium Development Goals to get them out of poverty.
Problem: • The developed economies of the world are making things worse for the poor. • For example, MDG 1 to end hunger is failing. But, • half of us are overweight, • we throw away a third of the food we buy, • some of us are making a fortune speculating on food prices – pushing up the price of food.
Facts • 20% of the world’s population use 80% of the world’s goods and energy. • The world’s poorest 20% use only 2%. • Unsustainable consumption is at the heart of many global problems
Millennium Consumption Goals ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????What are they to be????????????????
Sustainable Contraction • Not economic growth but economic contraction • We need a new story - the Lens we use to see and understand the world needs to change • ‘The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind a faithful companion’- Albert Einstein • What story are we telling to ourselves and our children/pupils?
Barriers to change Is there a need to change Do we want to change Is change possible Are there any signs of change Start with yourself – family – wider community – Act of contrition
Evaluation Resources - card
MCG Our pollution causes environmental problems for the poor countries who are not able to deal with it. Therefore if we cut down our consumption (buying manufactured goods which cause pollution), there will be less impact on the poor.
What are our Goals to reduce consumption? walk/bike to school How can you reduce; • The amount of energy you use? • The amount of water you use? • The amount of things you throw away? What can your school do to reduce it’s consumption? Only buy things we need. Use renewable energy
‘Agents of Change’ • Ways in which we can all reduce our consumption • Survey – use of plastics – use of energy – recycling – use of water – units of electricity – solar – wind – bicycle cinema – World on your plate – cross curricular ideas • How can your school use less paper? Send less letters and more e-mails? • Can your school use less energy? • How do pupils travel to school? Can they walk/cycle? What is their carbon footprint for traveling to school? • What is your schools food policy? Do your pupils know where their food is imported from? Can they come up with more local alternatives?
Consumerism, Consumption and Natural Resources Rampant consumerism has led to excessive levels consumption in the global north of natural resources much of which is unnecessary. We need immediate global action to prevent a global catastrophe. This is hampered by a reluctance in the global north insulated from the effects of climate change to face up to the issues, and the BRICK nations to endanger their levels of growth by reducing CO2 emissions and levels of consumption. The major issue is making people confront the dire global situation in regards to CO2 emissions, resource consumption and global warming. One solution is a radical reversal in growth cutting consumption, cutting production and getting by on less. Another is no growth where our industry, population and society is based on a balanced model that is stable and removed from the problems of Boom & Bust which caused the last recession. There is an argument that the growth experienced by the global north in the decade preceding the global economic crisis was in fact false. As it created economic growth but few jobs, few new businesses and in effect made little or no beneficial impact on the incomes at the bottom of the economic scale.
