Alex Frost - YELS 2013
- 1. Sustainability Overview: Global and Island Challenges and Opportunities Youth Leadership Summit Marthas Vineyard June 22nd to June 28th, 2013 Alex Frost
- 2. Purpose To build participants capacity to ≒ Understand the global sustainability challenge; ≒ Identify and be comfortable with the basic science of sustainability; ≒ Cite examples of world-changing islands advancing sustainable development.
- 3. Agenda 1. Introduction 2. Global Overview 3. Sustainability Science 4. Island Leaders in Sustainability ≒ Hawaii, USA ≒ Samso, Denmark ≒ Island of Wight, England ≒ El Hierro Island, Spain ≒ Iceland 5. Conclusion
- 4. Introduction Who am I? ≒ Former Sustainability & Resource Coordinator for Hawaii County (7 years) ≒ Peace Corps Philippines ≒ Starting Masters in Urban Planning at UH Manoa in Fall 2013 ≒ Finishing up my 20 months pilgrimage - visiting sacred places & surf around the world.
- 6. Surf!
- 9. Seeing the Opportunities Business Walmarts Goals ≒ To be supplied 100 % by renewable energy ≒ To create zero waste ≒ To sell products that sustain our resources and environment
- 11. Increasing Social/Human Pressure on Earth Systems (IGBP, 2004)
- 13. Metaphor of the funnel Declining resources and ecosystem services Increasing demand for resources and ecosystem services
- 14. Emerging Sustainability Issues ≒ Increased operational costs (energy, waste disposal, infrastructure & building maintenance, health care, policing, water treatment, insurance, etc) ≒ Increased demand for social services ≒ Regulations & compliance costs and challenges ≒ Reduced air quality ≒ Reduced water quality ≒ Health issues ≒ Deteriorating sense of trust ≒ Loss of cultural uniqueness ≒ Growing land use conflicts ≒ Increasing pressures and extinctions of plant and animal life ≒ Increased security demands
- 15. Emerging Opportunities The metaphor of the funnel also suggests that: those who find new ways to provide services and products that meet human needs while reducing their negative impacts and enhancing their positive impacts will be best positioned to succeed. And if not now, when?
- 17. What is Sustainability? Sustainability: Sustainability can be scientifically defined as a dynamic state in which global ecological and social systems are not systematically undermined. Ensuring that activities do not systematically undermine ecological and social systems is to ensure that the capacity of future generations to meet their needs is not compromised. Ecological and social systems can be undermined in four basic ways. United Nations 1987 Brundtland Report - Our Common Future: Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
- 18. Cycles of nature Slow geological cycles (volcano eruptions and weathering) Slow geological cycles (sedimentation and mineralization) Closed system with respect to matter 1) Nothing disappears 2) Everything disperses Open system with respect to energy 束 Photosynthesis pays the bill 損 Sustainability is about the ability of our own human society to continue indefinitely within these natural cycles
- 19. How we influence cycles Relatively large flows of materials from the Earths crust Introduce persistent compounds foreign to nature Physically inhibit natures ability to run cycles Barriers to people meeting their basic needs worldwide
- 20. 4 Sustainability Principles An operational definition ...concentrations of substances extracted from the Earths crust, ...concentrations of substances produced by society, ...degradation by physical means, ...people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing... and, in that society...
- 21. What about Climate Change?
- 22. Our Sustainability Situation The problem is not that we mine, harvest and consume resources and use ecosystem services. It is that our industrial system, as it currently operates, requires the mining, harvesting and consumption of an ever-increasing amount of resources and making ever greater use of ecosystem services. At some point, we exceed the Earths capacity to supply those resources and services, and to absorb the associated wastes.
- 23. 4 Sustainability Principles An operational definition ...concentrations of substances extracted from the Earths crust, ...concentrations of substances produced by society, ...degradation by physical means, ...people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing... and, in that society...
- 24. 9 human needs Subsistence Protection Participation Idleness Affection Understanding Creativity Identity Freedom
- 25. ≒ There is a general belief that humans have all kinds of needs that are constantly changing over time. ≒ A deeper look, however, reveals that there are really only a few basic needs that all humans, all around the planet, share. ≒ And what changes is how we satisfy those needs. ≒ In fact, it is how we satisfy those needs that distinguishes our various cultures Human Needs
- 26. Example of Island Sustainability Challenge: Hawaii Island (Da Big Island)
- 27. Ola Na Moku Living Island Hoowaiwai is a Hawaiian word meaning to enrich. In old Hawaii it was everyones responsibility to take care of the water. Those with a suf鍖cient supply of wai (water) were considered wealthy. Learning from the Past
- 28. Island Sustainability Challenge 68% Electricity 99.9% Fuel (transportation) 76% Materials 85% Food Fossil Fuel Dependence *Source: IH Green Economy Report Import Economy = Not Self-Suf鍖cient
- 29. Challenges Facing Island Families Income Jobs Livelihood Services Expense (Highest in Nation) Housing, Food, Electricity, Gasoline Transportation Childcare Health Care, Misc. Assets Savings Investment Time Lowest Annual Wage in the Nation Highest Living Cost in the Nation Dif鍖culty Building Assets ≒Child Poverty Rate 18.6% ≒31% of children receive food stamp ≒50% of children reduce or free lunch ≒Poverty Level 13.3% ≒Per capital income $18,791 ≒50% of homeowners and renters pay more than 30%
- 30. Challenges for Sustainability in Hawaii & Islands in General ≒ Little local energy production ≒ Waste management ≒ Little food security ≒ Little economic diversification ≒ Creating transit infrastructure that gets people out of their cars and enhances mobility ≒ Mainstreaming sustainability and overcoming resistance ≒ Siloed approach by government to funding and address of sustainability related challenges noted above ≒ Depletion of biodiversity
- 31. Opportunities for Sustainability in Hawaii ≒ Creating local energy self sufficiency ≒ Creating local food security and diversity of food sources / crops ≒ Learning from the kupuna ≒ Leveraging the creativity, passion and intelligence of Hawaiian people to further the sustainability agenda ≒ Growing awareness of sustainability and related challenges and opportunities ≒ Take advantage of the economic downturn ≒ Creating a larger green job market ≒ Great grassroots support and motivation ≒ Becoming a world leader in island sustainability
- 32. Renewable Island
- 34. Examples of Island Leaders in Sustainability
- 35. Sams淡, Denmark
- 36. El Hierro, Canary Island, Spain
- 37. Isle of Wight, England
- 38. Iceland
- 39. Three Ideas to Explore Conclusion
- 41. 2 Support Local & Eat Fresh
- 42. 3 What is my gift & purpose? Learn & Engage! Who am I? What does it mean to be a human? How do we evolve?
- 43. Thank you