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Sustainability

Sustainability. - let’s get real. SSEE 11 March 2010 by David Rice Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA. Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA. An advocacy group for sustainable transport, especially the impact of peak oil Run conferences eg Oil: Living with Less

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Sustainability

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  1. Sustainability - let’s get real SSEE 11 March 2010 by David Rice Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA

  2. Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA • An advocacy group for sustainable transport, • especially the impact of peak oil • Run conferences eg Oil: Living with Less • Prepare policies eg Alternative Fuels • Issue newsletters • www.stcwa.org.au

  3. International Conference NZ 2007 ‘Transport – the next 50 years’

  4. International Conference NZ 2007 ‘Transport – the next 50 years’ Sustainability – whatever that is

  5. STC old definition of Sustainable Transport: • Canadian Centre for Sustainable Transportation: A sustainable transportation system is one that: • allows the basic access needs of individuals and societies to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations. • is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy. • limits emissions and waste within the planet's ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise.

  6. STC old definition of Sustainable Transport: • Canadian Centre for Sustainable Transportation: A sustainable transportation system is one that: • allows the basic access needs of individuals and societies to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations. • is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy. • limits emissions and waste within the planet's ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise. Too long to remember, difficult to interpret

  7. Sustainable Transport Consultant What is ‘sustainable transport’?

  8. Sustainable Transport Consultant What is ‘sustainable transport’? It is walking and cycling No other modes are truly sustainable

  9. Sustainable Transport Consultant What is ‘sustainable transport’? It is walking and cycling No other modes are truly sustainable Get real - we need to know more

  10. Two parts • Getting real • Why other systems don’t quite make it

  11. 1. Getting real What is sustainability in day to day use ?

  12. Get real Most of our actions are not truly sustainable

  13. To get real • We need:- • Definition - simple, memorable • Process - to get as close as possible • Measure – of how close

  14. To get real • We need:- • Definition - simple, memorable • Process - to get as close as possible • Measure – of how close

  15. a) Definition

  16. STC3 Definition of sustainability is the social, environmental and economic impacts of an action are all positive; now and for the next seven generations 3 Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA, 2009

  17. Principle isfirst do no harm

  18. environment social economic Mind map:-

  19. environment social economic the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant

  20. environment social economic the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant humankind, one of 1.7 million species on planet earth

  21. the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant humankind, one of 1.7 million species on planet earth environment social a social outcome, to be seen in context and not seen as the sole goal, or even the paramount goal economic

  22. Economic • Typical economic impacts:- • Benefit Cost Ratios • Tourism • Resource development • Local business • Agriculture

  23. Social • Typical social impacts:- • Community access • Displacement of people • Heritage • Vibration • Noise • Traffic crashes • Personal security • Visual quality • Dangerous goods

  24. Environmental • Impacts on the natural bio-physical environment • ‘Social’ and ‘economic’ cover impacts on humans • Typical environmental impacts:- • Air pollution • Water pollution • Flora/fauna • Wetlands • Soil loss

  25. b) Process With community involvement:- Review: see if objectives can be met another way eg TDM rather than road construction Modify to avoid negative impacts eg divert the road around the houses Remediation is added eg build a noise wall Offsets are developed eg provide equivalent vegetation elsewhere

  26. Principal – do no net harm All impacts are assessed after modifications, remediations and offsets have been included

  27. c) Measure

  28. Our definition that the social, environmental and economic impacts of an action are all positive; now and for the next seven generationsis aspirational A cliché?

  29. Or a goal? We need to define ‘true sustainability’ otherwise we won’t recognise our goal But‘true sustainability’ remains a cliché unless we get real by using ….

  30. (total) RATING Economic Social Environ-mental Longevity Alternative Sustainable to Nearly sustainable total 4 to almost 5 stars to Moderately unsustainable total 2 to almost 4 stars to Very unsustainable total 1 to almost 2 stars Grossly unsustainable total less than 1 star or less Five star rating

  31. (total) RATING Economic Social Environ-mental Longevity Alternative Sustainable to Nearly sustainable total 4 to almost 5 stars to Moderately unsustainable Towards sustainability total 2 to almost 4 stars to Very unsustainable total 1 to almost 2 stars Grossly unsustainable total less than 1 star or less Five star rating

  32. Five headings Environmental Social Economic fairly standard

  33. Longevity Iroquois Indians kept in mind the needs of the seventh generation to come Seven generations: say 140 years Long time frame necessary, many actions have impacts for decades Assessed by asking ‘Is the action economically, socially, and environmentally benign for the next 140 or so years?’

  34. Alternative Assessed by asking ‘Is there an alternative that is better economically, socially, and/or environmentally that could reasonably be used?’ Theoretically not needed: added as a practical consideration

  35. Examples Walk, short and not carrying load - 5 star - sustainable Cycling, short to medium and not carrying load - 5 star - sustainable Public transport, inner area, in peak – say 4 star - nearly sustainable Public transport, inner area, off peak – say 2 star - moderately unsustainable Public transport, outer area, off peak – say 11/2 star - very unsustainable 4WD urban trip, driver only – less than 1 star - grossly unsustainable

  36. 2. Why other systems don’t quite make it

  37. What other systems? Google results: 32,000,000 for ‘sustainability’ 237,000 for ‘definition of sustainability’ Some of the main ones …

  38. Brundtland Commission1 Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs ¹ United Nations,1983

  39. Brundtland Commission Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Memorable Great philosophy Day to day meaning?

  40. Brundtland mind map

  41. State Sustainability Strategy2 Sustainability is meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity With a similar mind map 2 WA, 2003

  42. State Sustainability Strategy Sustainability is meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity Integration?

  43. 11 principles 6 visions 6 goals Complex Difficult to remember

  44. environment social economic The STC mind map is:-

  45. arguably clearer than:- economic environment sustainability social

  46. or:- economic environment sustainability social

  47. social environ ment economic And much better than:-

  48. or:- environment economic social

  49. Wikipedia • Bruntland definition is frequently quoted, but … • economy is a subsystem of human society, which is a subsystem of all life on Earth • no subsystem can expand beyond the capacity of the total system • Then refers to a concentric circle diagram similar to the STC’s Wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability at July 2009

  50. Engineers Australia SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER Sustainable development requires balanced improvement across economic, social and environmental objectives in an integrated short term and long term decision making process

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