Download Engaging Students and the Research Community in

Engaging Students and the Research Community
in Sustainability Challenges
One academic’s view:
Pamela Matson
Stanford University
School of Earth Sciences
& The Woods Institute for
the Environment
What does
“sustainability”
mean?
Sustainability can be a confused and contested term…
What Is To Be Sustained?
Nature
Earth
Biodiversity
Ecosystems
For How Long?
25 years
“Now and in the
future”
Forever
Life Support
Ecosystem
Services
Resources
Environment
Community
Cultures
Groups
Places
People
Child Survival
Life Expectancy
Education
Equity
Equal Opportunity
Economy
Linked By
Only
Mostly
But
And
Or
Wealth
Productive Sectors
Consumption
Society
Institutions
Social Capital
States
Regions
Figure 1.1 Sustainable development: common concerns, differing emphases.
The Business World is comfortable with:
The three legged stool
3E’s
Triple Bottom Line
http://computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/visualising-sustainability/
Many different definitions,
but most have in common an
attention to both
people and their environment,
and the
well-being of future generations
as well as the well-being of
people today
The most critical goal of the
21st Century:
Meeting the needs of people
today and in the future
Sustaining the life support
systems of the planet
NRC. 1999. Our Common Journey
Social needs are not being met
1 – 2 billion persons are…
• illiterate adults
• without adequate shelter
• without access to safe water or sanitation
• without access to electricity
• undernourished
7,000,000,000
Life support systems are degraded
-
Air Pollution
- Climate change
-
Acidification of the oceans
- ~50% land surface has been converted
-
Biodiversity loss 100+ times faster
-
60% of ecosystem services in decline
- Water and soil resources limitations
- Nitrogen over-enrichment
7,000,000,000
- Mineral resource limitations
Meeting the needs of people today
Sustaining atmosphere, water,
climate and ecosystems
Meeting the needs of people today
Sustaining atmosphere, water,
climate and ecosystems
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
education
Air
Water
Climate Species
quality quality, change loss
quantity
Meeting the needs of people today
Sustaining atmosphere, water,
climate and ecosystems
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- knowledge linked to action
- educated leaders and the public
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- knowledge linked to action
- educated leaders and the public
- hope, inspiration, and motivation
- the will to change and to ‘walk the walk’
- leadership by corporations, citizens,
governments, non-profits, universities
( and a stable human population….)
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
Areas for Action
WCED, 1987
Our Common
Future
Population
Food Security
NAS-BSD, 1999
Our Common
Journey
Human
Population
Agriculture
Kofi Annan, 2002
WSSD:An
Achievable
agenda
Health
Agriculture
Species &
Ecosystems
Energy
Living Resources Biodiversity
Energy
Energy
Industry
Industry
-
Urban Challenge
Cities
-
-
-
Water
Areas for Action
WCED, 1987
Our Common
Future
Population
Food Security
NAS-BSD, 1999
Our Common
Journey
Human
Population
Agriculture
Kofi Annan, 2002
WSSD:An
Achievable
agenda
Health
Agriculture
Species &
Ecosystems
Energy
Living Resources Biodiversity
Energy
Energy
Industry
Industry
-
Urban Challenge
Cities
-
-
-
Water
Environmentally…
energy supply is the source of most
– indoor and outdoor air pollution
– hydrocarbon and trace-metal pollution of
soil and ground water
– oil added by humans to the seas
– carbon dioxide emissions, leading to
climate change
In research, education, and business, a focus on
Energy Alternatives
Solar
Wind
Water
Ocean sources
Nuclear
Geothermal
Biofuels
Fuel switching (to natural gas)
Carbon capture and storage
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
An energy focus, but
not a sustainability focus?
water
education
Air
Water
Climate Species
qualit Quality, change loss
y
quantity
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
education
Air
Water
Climate Species
quality Quality, change loss
quantity
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
education
Air
Water
Climate Species,
quality Quality, change ecosystem
loss
quantity
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
The nexus of energy,
food, water, climate, etc
water
education
Air
Water
Climate Species,
quality Quality, change ecosystem
loss
quantity
Energy alternatives in the context of human needs and life support systems
GHG and Climate Change
Food production and security
Biodiversity
Ecosystem services
Solar
Wind
Water
Ocean sources
Nuclear
Geothermal
Biofuels
…..
Water resources
Other pollutants
Trade and security
Equity and justice
Governance and institutions
Areas for Action
WCED, 1987
Our Common
Future
Population
Food Security
NAS-BSD, 1999
Our Common
Journey
Human
Population
Agriculture
Kofi Annan, 2002
WSSD:An
Achievable
agenda
Health
Agriculture
Species &
Ecosystems
Energy
Living Resources Biodiversity
Energy
Energy
Industry
Industry
-
Urban Challenge
Cities
-
-
-
Water
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
shelter
A conservation focus, but
not a sustainability focus
Air
quality
Water
Quality,
quantity
Climate
change
Biodiversity
Species loss
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
shelter
Air
quality
Water
Quality,
quantity
Climate
change
Biodiversity
Species loss
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
shelter
Air
quality
Water
Quality,
quantity
Climate
change
Biodiversity
Species loss
An ecosystem services perspective
Seafood
Food Crops &
Livestock
Forest Products
Energy Crops
Carbon storage
Provision of Water
Fire Prevention
Flood Control
Sedimentation
Control
Pest Control
Pollination
Spiritual Values
Educational Values
Inspiration
Aesthetic Values
Social Relations
Sense of Place
Recreation
Tourism
Options: e.g.,
Biodiversity
Areas for Action
Meeting Needs and Protecting Life Support Systems
WCED, 1987
Our Common
Future
Population
Food Security
NAS-BSD, 1999
Our Common
Journey
Human
Population
Agriculture
Kofi Annan, 2002
WSSD:An
Achievable
agenda
Health
Agriculture
Species &
Ecosystems
Energy
Living Resources Biodiversity
Energy
Energy
Industry
Industry
-
Urban Challenge
Cities
-
-
-
Water
Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems
food
energy
water
shelter
Version 1
Program focused on the Nexus:
Integrating multi-disciplinary
knowledge and perspectives to
understand and develop viable
solutions for people and the
environment
Air
quality
Water
Quality,
quantity
Climate
change
Biodiversity
Species loss
Earth Systems Program
Stanford’s interdisciplinary major in
environment and sustainability
created in 1992 to provide a new type of education in
problem solving for environment and resource challenges
• 2012: 175 majors and 56 co-terminal masters
• Tracks:
- Biosphere
- Oceans
- Agriculture/land systems
- Energy
- Anthrosphere
- Climate
Engages:
54 Faculty / 17 Departments / 6 Schools,
School of Earth Sciences is “home”
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
Version 2
Key sustainability issues
(cross-cutting, relevant no matter what nexus)
• Understanding production-consumption relationships
• Analyzing and managing synergies and tradeoffs between
human well-being and the environment
• Maximizing resilience and reducing vulnerability of
coupled human-environment systems
• Identifying tipping points and thresholds
• Understanding and improving governance systems
• Improving models of human-environment systems
• Designing effective decision support systems
• Monitoring progress toward sustainability
• Encouraging innovation
Clark and Levin 2010, Kates et al 2001
Version 3
Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C
Population
Consumption per capita
Impact per consumption
Robert Kates, after
Holdren and Ehrlich
Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C
Population
Consumption per capita
Impact per consumption
“Guess how many people this jar can hold before
something really bad happens. Hint: don’t guess wrong.”
World Population Growth Is Almost Entirely
Concentrated in the World's Poorer Countries…
and it is slowing.
World Population (in Billions): 1950-2050
Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects, The 2008 Revision.
Total Fertility Rate
(~kids per family)
1950: 5.0
2011: 2.5
(ranges from 0.9-7.0)
Population
• Growth is slowing and a stable
population is within sight!
But:
- fertility rates could drop further and
“momentum” could be slowed
Health care, reduced infant mortality rates,
family planning, education and employment
opportunities for women make a difference….
Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C
Consumption per person
- levels of consumption needs to increase in the less
developed world, but how much is enough?
- can it decrease in the developed world?
What does it take to satisfy and satiate?
Understanding consumer decision-making requires the
combination of ethics, economics, history, psychology,
sociology, anthropology…
Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C
Impact per consumption
Lots of progress and lots of opportunity
“ the new industrial revolution”
Version 3
Maybe useful for a course,
probably not a program!!
Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C
Population
Consumption per capita
Impact per consumption
Kates, after
Holdren and Ehrlich
What other versions??
A Transition to Sustainability?
What will it take?
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
Sustainability Science
Focus on interactions in the human-environment system
(or human-technology-environment interactions)
Focus is on development and use of fundamental
knowledge not just for understanding but for problem
solving
Usually interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary
Often place-based; attention to scale and cross-scale
interactions
Quest for
Fundamental
understanding
?
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- linking knowledge to action
How can we most effectively link
knowledge with decision making
for sustainability??
The “pipeline” model of knowledge and
technology transfer rarely works….
Knowledge
producers
Knowledge
users
Reject the “pipeline” model of knowledge and
technology transfer
Knowledge
producers
Knowledge
Users
-Promote multi-directional, on-going information flow and
dialogue
- Promote collaborative production of trusted knowledge,
involve stakeholders in its creation
For students, service learning, in university operations
and beyond, is one way to engage
Clark, Matson, Lebel, Gallopin, et al
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- linking knowledge to action
- educating leaders and the public
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- linking knowledge to action
- educating leaders and the public
We’re here to learn from each other!
What will it take for a
transition to sustainability?
- new knowledge, tools and approaches
- linking knowledge to action
- educating leaders and the public
- hope, inspiration, and motivation
- the will to change and to ‘walk the walk’
- leadership by corporations, citizens,
governments, non-profits, universities
( and a stable human population….)
IMAGINE!