KIX 2005 Lecture 10 PDF

# KIX 2005: Law, Ethics & Sustainability for Engineers - Week 10 ## Learning outcomes: Sustainability 1. What is sustainability? 2. Why do we need to be sustainable? 3. What are the three pillars of sustainability? 4. What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)? 5. Sustainability event timeline...

# KIX 2005: Law, Ethics & Sustainability for Engineers - Week 10 ## Learning outcomes: Sustainability 1. What is sustainability? 2. Why do we need to be sustainable? 3. What are the three pillars of sustainability? 4. What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)? 5. Sustainability event timeline 6. Case studies ## What is sustainability? * Sustainable Development = Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987). * Sustainability = The possibility that human and other forms of life on Earth will flourish forever. * What are the 3 pillars of sustainability? * (a) Environmental * (b) Social * (c) Economic ## Definitions of Sustainability * **Sustainable Development (SD)** * Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. * _Brundtland Commission, 1987_ * **Sustainability** * The possibility that human and other forms of life on earth will flourish forever. * _John Ehrenfeld, Professor Emeritus, MIT_ * **Sustainable Development (SD)** * Enough - for all - forever * _African Delegate to Johannesburg (Rio+10)_ ## Why do we need to be sustainable? * We need to be sustainable because we need to address issues like: * (a) Global warming * (b) Food security * (c) Water security ## How does sustainability relate to global warming? * **The problem** * Global warming of the planet is the very reason why we need to be sustainable. * **The reason** * Human activities that contribute to climate change are, by definition, not sustainable, as they alter the planet we depend on for all our needs. * **The solution** * Sustainable development aims to reduce the impacts of climate change that affect the environment and society. * **The challenge** * But climate change also makes it harder to find sustainable solutions to the problems. ## What is climate change? Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. ## How do we talk about climate change? * **What is the situation right now?** * First and foremost, your primary task is not to tell people climate change is happening, or to make them worry about it. They already know, and they are already concerned. As much as the concerns exist, it does not influence day-to-day decisions. People tend not to think about climate change when deciding how to travel, how to invest their money or which energy supplier to use. * **What is the challenge?** * The challenge, then, is not the awareness. It is the action. * **What information that you need if you want to talk about climate change?** * Some physics about greenhouse effect and three charts. ## Greenhouse effect * **(a) The physics of greenhouse effect** * CO₂ and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. They absorb radiation from the sun which has been reflected off the earth, and then re-emit this radiation in all directions, reflecting some of it back onto the earth. This heats it up. ## Increase in CO₂ levels in the atmosphere * CO₂ levels in the atmosphere have increased far beyond any level seen naturally in the last 800,000 years. This increase happened since the start of the industrial revolution and is the result of burning fossil fuels. The increase is happening at a time, even when, naturally, CO₂ levels should be decreasing. ## Increase in global temperature * Since the start of the industrial revolution, global average temperatures have risen due to increased CO₂ in the atmosphere. Humans have already caused 1°C of warming. ## Drastic efforts are needed to decrease CO₂ emission from human activities * We need to make dramatic changes right now to keep global average temperature rises below dangerous levels. To meet the Paris Agreement temperature goals, emissions must peak before 2020 and rapidly decline to zero. ## Global greenhouse gas emissions by sector * Global greenhouse gas emissions were 49.4 billion tonnes CO₂eq. in the year 2016: * **Energy:** 73.2% * Energy use in buildings: 17.5% * Commercial: 6.6% * Residential buildings: 10.9% * Energy use in Industry: 24.2% * Iron and steel: 7.2% * Petrochemical: 3.6% * **Agriculture, Forestry & Land Use:** 18.4% * Agricultural Soils: 4.1% * Rice cultivation: 1.3% * Crop burning: 3.5% * Deforestation: 2.2% * Grassland: 0.1% * Cropland: 1.4% * Landfills: 1.9% * Wastewater: 1.3% * Chemicals: 2.2% * Cement: 3% * Energy in Agriculture & Fishing: 1.7% * Livestock & manure: 5.8% * Fugitive emissions from energy production: 5.8% * **Transport:** 16.2% * Road Transport: 11.9% * Aviation: 1.9% * Shipping: 1.7% * Rail: 0.4% * Pipeline: 0.3% * **Industry** * Other industry: 10.6% * Food & tobacco: 1% * Paper & pulp: 0.6% * Machinery: 0.5% * Non-ferrous: 3.3% ## Who is emitting CO₂ the most? * **Asia and the Pacific is key** * 2015 CO₂ emissions: * 40% Asia and the Pacific * 60% Rest of the world * Developing Asia’s share of world electricity demand will grow to 43% in 2030 * The PRC and India will make up 64% of Asia's power consumption * People's Republic of China, India, and Indonesia’s share of Asia and the Pacific's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 = 89% * Without radical changes, Asia and the Pacific will emit 32.5 billion tons of CO₂ by 2030 which equals 48% of the world's share. ## Who is at risk of climate change? **Everyone, Everywhere** * Those living in poverty, as well as women, children and the elderly. * Outdoor workers and people living with chronic medical conditions. * Children are the most vulnerable due to long exposure to environmental risks * Those living in megacities, small island developing states and other coastal, mountainous and polar regions. * Countries with weak health systems will be least able to prepare and respond. ## What is the irony of this situation? * Those who emit the least are the ones that suffered the most. * **Europe → Highest carbon emission per capita (person) in the world** * **Africa → Lowest carbon emission per capita (person) in the world.** ## Why Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change? *In Africa, high birth rates and increasing rural-urban migration means Africa has 86 out of 100 of the world's fastest growing cities. At least 79 of those cities (out of 86), are faced with "extreme" risks due to climate change. *When it comes to climate change, Africa is in the eye of the storm. Africa remains the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, even though it contributes the least to global warming in both absolute and per capita terms. It is because: * (1) African weather system is sensitive to the rise of temperature, hence make it exposed to damaging climate risks including extreme droughts, flooding and storms. * (2) The main economy of Africa, that is agriculture, are highly reliance on the weather system. * (3) The continent also has low adaptive capacity because of high rates of poverty, poor governance, unstable political situation, financial and technological constraints as well as its fast growing population. ## How does sustainability relate to food security? * **Food security - is the availability of food in a country (or other geographic region) and the ability of individuals within that country (region) to access, afford and utilize adequate food.** * **How do we achieve food security?** * (a) More sustainable and efficient food production (i.e. Crop rotation) * (b) Reducing food waste (i.e. Genetically-modified organism (GMO)) ## Regenerative Agriculture Explained * Regenerative farmers use growing practices that improve the health of their land. * Methods include: * **Increasing Biodiversity** * To boost nutrients: natural decomposition and attract Insect predators of pests * **Cover Crops** * That are grown in the soil after the commercial harvest and can be grazed or harvested themselves. * **Integrating Livestock** * To combine animals and plants in a circular ecosystem * **Rotating Crops** * To naturally balance what is being taken out and put into the soil * **No-Till Systems** * That improve soil health and prevent erosion thanks to minimal soil disturbance * **Minimising Chemical Inputs** * That destroy biodiversity and pollute waterways due to runoff ## How GMOs Help Reduce Food Waste & Loss * In the United States, approximately 133 BILLION POUNDS of food is WASTED annually, contributing to 18% of the total U.S. landfill methane (greenhouse gas) emissions. * GMOs help farmers minimize these losses and grow more food using less land. * In 2020, GMOs enabled farmers to use 57.8 million less acres of land to produce the same amount of crops-equivalent to an area larger than the state of Idaho. * **GM Apples:** * Are non-browning, eliminating those superficial issues that cause people to unnecessarily throw them away. * **GM Potatoes:** * Are less prone to bruising and black spots, meaning fewer potatoes will end up in landfills. ## Ever heard of “golden rice?” * This is a GMO rice crop that has been developed to have and enhanced amount of beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A), a necessary but not easily available micronutrient in different parts of the world, like the Philippines. * Extreme Vitamin A deficiency can lead to blindness and other health complications. * Genetically modified golden rice helps fight Vitamin A deficiency ## How does sustainability relate to water security? * **Water security - is the availability of clean water in a country (or other geographic region) and the ability of individuals within that country (region) to access, afford, and utilize adequate clean water.** * **How do we achieve water security?** * (a) Climate-resilient water management (i.e. China's sponge cities) * (b) Nature-based solution (i.e. Himalayan's ice stupas) ## Deadline looms to resolve Nile dam dispute The foreign ministers of E thiop ia, Sudan and Egypt are aiming to settle a long-running feud over a massive dam project on the Nile River which has raised fears of conflict over scarce water resources. * **Egypt:** * Depends on Nile for 90% of its irrigation and drinking water. * Fears that filling of the dam reservoir could significantly reduce water flow downstream. * **Ethiopia:** * The dam promises to provide much-needed energy to drive industrial development and lift people out of poverty. * **Sudan:** * Hopes the dam can help it substantially expand agricultural production by better regulating annual floods. ## Sponge Cities * 30 Chinese cities will each receive 400-600 million RMB to pilot green roofs, constructed wetlands, increased tree cover, and permeable pavements to capture, slow down and filter storm water. ## Ladakh ice stupas * **How does ice stupas in Ladakh, Himalaya works?** * Gravity pressure forces water up through a pipe into -20C air, using the bitter cold to freeze the water and form ice stupas. The stupa will start melting as the first spring sun hits and keep melting well into the crop growing season. ## What are the three pillars of sustainability? * **Environment:** A viable natural environment * **Social:** Nurturing community * **Economic:** Sufficient economy ## What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)? * **The Global Goals for Sustainable Development** includes 17 goals, addressing issues such as: * no poverty * zero hunger * good health & well-being * quality education * gender equality * clean water and sanitation * affordable and clean energy * decent work and economic growth * industry, innovation and infrastructure * reduced inequalities * sustainable cities and communities * responsible consumption and production * climate action * life below water * life on land * peace, justice and strong institutions * partnerships for the goals *So which country is most likely to complete the goals first? * Sweden, according to one study. Norway, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland are close behind. ## Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) * SDG 1 No Poverty * SDG 2 Zero Hunger * SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being * SDG 4 Quality Education * SDG 5 Gender Equality * SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation * SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy * SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth * SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure * SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities * SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities * SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production * SDG 13 Climate Action * SDG 14 Life Below Water * SDG 15 Life on Land * SDG 16 Peace and Justice Strong Institutions * SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals ## Active & Cooperative Learning SDG Tier Cake * **Environment** as a foundation. * **Society** supporting the society. * **Economy** that eventually supporting the economy. ## Sustainability event timeline * 1962 - Silent Spring by Rachel Carson * 1987 - Montreal Protocol * 1987 - Our Common Future (Brundtland Report) * 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) * 1992 - Rio Earth Summit * 1997 - Kyoto Protocol * 2002 - Rio +10 * 2012 - Rio +20 * 2012 - Doha Amendment of Kyoto Protocol * 2015 - Paris Agreement ## 1962 – Silent Spring by Rachel Carson * **Content:** * (a) The book documented the environmental harm caused by the use of pesticides by soldiers during World War 2. * (b) Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly. * **Important achievements:** * (a) A classic literature that started many environmental movements. * (b) In 2006, Silent Spring was named one of the 25 greatest science books of all time. ## 1987 – Montreal Protocol * **Montreal Protocol:** * Is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of zone- depleting substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) that are responsible for zone depletion. * **Important achievements:** * (1) To date, the Parties to the Protocol have phased out 98% of ODS globally compared to 1990 levels. * (2) Because most of these substances are potent greenhouse gases, the Montreal Protocol is also contributing significantly to the protection of the global climate system. ## 36 years ago the world pledged to fix the ozone layer. And it worked. * **Could Montreal Protocol be the world's most successful treaty?** * Yes. Because the treaty worked. Wonderfully. * It has led to major environmental benefits, that is, the phase-out of 99% of ozone- depleting chemicals such as CFC in refrigerators, air conditioners and other products. * Without the treaty, the hole in the Antarctic ozone would have been 40% larger in 2013. * **The chronology:** * 1974 - Antarctic Ozone Hole is discovered. * (Scientists discovered that the ozone layer was getting thinner. In particular, scientists saw that there were very large decreases in ozone concentrations over Antarctica. So much so, that it became known as the Antarctic Ozone Hole), * 1987 - Montreal Protocol is signed. * 1989 - Montreal Protocol came into effect. * Since 2000 - The hole has shrunk by 4 million km² – an area bigger than India. * 2050 - Scientist predicted that the hole will close completely. ## 1987 – Our Common Future (Brundtland Report) * **The objective:** * The aim of the Brundtland Report was to help direct the nations of the world towards the goal of sustainable development. * **Important achievements:** * (a) The official definition of sustainable development was developed for the first time in the Brundtland Report. * (b) The publication of Our Common Future laid the groundwork for the convening of the 1992 Earth Summit and the adoption of Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration and to the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development. ## 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) * **Function:** * (a) IPCC is the United Nations body established for assessing the science related to climate change. * (b) Prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place. * (c) Prepares Special Reports on topics agreed to by its member governments * (d) Prepares Methodology Reports that provide guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories. ## 1992 - Rio Earth Summit * Rio Earth Summit organized by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 3-14 June 1992. * A starting point of ‘Sustainable Development’ becoming a popular hit. * **Highlights:** * (1) The concept of sustainable development was an attainable goal for all the people of the world, regardless of whether they were at the local, national, regional or international level. * (2) The establishment of Agenda 21, a daring program of action calling for new strategies to invest in the future to achieve overall sustainable development in the 21st century. * **Important achievements:** * (a) Led to Kyoto Protocol * (b) Led to Paris Agreement ## 1997 – Kyoto Protocol * **Kyoto Protocol (Kyoto, Japan) was adopted on 11 Dec 1997 and entered into force on 16 Feb 2005.** * Is an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). * **Aim:** To urge state parties to commit in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring, and human-made CO2 emissions have predominantly causing it. * **2012 - Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol.** With the Protocol’s 2008-2012 commitment is expiring, Doha Amendment was agreed to, with new commitment for 2013-2020. ## 2002 - Rio +10 * **The World Summit on Sustainable Development also known as Rio+10 was held at Johannesburg, South Africa on August 26 to Sep 4, 2002** * **5 main failures:** * (1) The inadequate progress on time-bound targets * (2) Renewable energy * (3) Climate change * (4) Rio principles * (5) Governing globalization * **7 main successes:** * (1) The sanitation target * (2) Delinking economic growth and environmental degradation * (3) Access to information, participation and justice * (4) Partnerships and initiatives * (5) The right of communities and indigenous people * (6) The importance of ethics * (7) Corporate responsibility and accountability ## 2012 - Rio +20 * **Rio Earth Summit 2012 organized by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 13-22 June 2012.** * A starting point of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ becoming a popular hit. * **Highlights:** * (1) The development of sustainable development goals, a set of measurable targets aimed at promoting sustainable development globally. * (2) The establishment of 10 priority areas that need urgent attention – (a) decent jobs (b) poverty (c) energy (d) sustainable cities (e) food security and sustainable agriculture (f) forests (g) water (h) oceans (i) disaster readiness (j) economics of sustainable development. * (3) The publication of a non-binding document "The Future We Want". ## 2015 – Paris Agreement * **Paris Agreement (Paris, France) was adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) on 12 Dec 2015 and entered into force on 4 Nov 2016.** * Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. * **Aim:** * (1) To hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. * (2) To pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, since this would substantially reduce the risks and effects of climate change. ## Australia's “Black Summer" Bushfire * **"Black Summer” bushfire = 2019- 2020** * Australian bushfire season. * Duration: June 2019 – May 2020. * Peaked in Dec 2019 – Jan 2020. * **Damages involved:** * (a) 24.3 million hectares burnt * (b) 3000 buildings destroyed * (c) 34 people killed by the fire. 400 people killed due to the bushfire smoke. * (d) Nearly 3 billion animals were impacted by the blazes. * **Causes:** * (a) Lightning strikes * (b) Early fires in Central Queensland * (c) Exceptionally dry conditions * (d) Lack of soil moisture ## How does Climate Change Affect Bushfires? * **A Longer Fire Season** * Hotter conditions mean a longer fire season, leading to more dangerous bushfires and leaving less time for hazard reduction. * **Hotter Temperatures:** * Australia is getting hotter, with more extreme hot days and longer, hotter heatwaves. These conditions are increasing the risk of bush fires in many areas. * **Drier Vegetation & ‘Fuel’** * Hotter conditions and periods of low rainfall dry out soil and vegetation, increasing fire risk. * **More Lightning:** * A warmer climate increases the chance of lightning, which is a key factor in starting fires. ## Forest fire * **Unsustainable Practices:** * **Conventional Burning** * Uncontrolled natural-induced burning that tend to spread and last longer. * **No Fire Breaks:** * No open land areas * **Traditional Tree Replanting Approach** * Replanting seeds and seedlings with the similar species. * **Sustainable practices:** * **Prescribed Burning:** * Creating more controlled and smaller burning out of hot season to avoid bigger spreading and to harvest the vegetation that fuel the burning * **Creating Fire Breaks:** * Creating open land areas cleared of wild vegetation and natural debris * **Regrowing Forests with Fire-Resilient Seeds:** * Replanting seeds and seedlings with genetically fire-resilient traits. ## Japan's Overfishing * **Fact:** Japan, a sushi-loving country, catches 10% of the world fish. * **Unsustainable practice of Japan's overfishing:** * (a) Bluefin tuna - Massive catches causing the depletion. * (b) Dolphin killing - Traditional belief that dolphin is the reason why they are not catching fish. * (c) Whale catching - In 2019, Japan withdrew from an international whaling ban. * (d) Shark finning - Caught for their valuable fins, and the bodies being thrown back into the ocean after harvesting the fins. * **Implications of overfishing:** * (a) Depleting fish stocks * (b) Threatening biodiversity * (c) Physical impact of fishing gear * (d) Threatening coral reefs ## Threats to Coral Reeefs overfishing * Coral reef fish are a significant food source for over a billion people worldwide. Many coastal and island communities depend on coral reef fisheries for their economic, social, and cultural benefits. * **But too much of a good thing can be bad for coral reefs.** * **Threats to coral reefs:** * **Fishing Nurseries** * Nearshore habitats serve as nurseries for many fish. Catching young fish in nets removes them before they can help replenish the population. * **Indiscriminate Fishing:** * Use of non-selective gears, like nets and traps, often removes more herbivorous fishes. These fish eat algae and help keep the ecosystem in balance. * **Fishing Spawning Aggregations:** * Some species gather in large numbers at predictable times and locations to mate. Spawning aggregations are particularly vulnerable to overfishing. * **Fishing Too Many Big Fish:** * Large fish produce more young that are likely to survive to adulthood. Their absence means fish populations dwindle over time. * **Marine Debris:** * Traps set too close to reefs and marine debris, such as ghost traps, lost nets, monofilament, and lines, can damage coral reefs, which take a long time to recover. * **How you can help:** * Educate yourself on local fishing rules and regulations. * Make sustainable seafood choices. * Only take what you need. Catch and release fish that you don’t plan to eat. * Be a responsible aquarium owner. Know where your fish come from and DO NOT release unwanted fish into the wild. ## Overfishing * **Unsustainable practices** * **Limitless Fishing:** * No regulation or guidelines on the total allowable amount of catch annually. * **Conventional Fishing:** * Uncontrolled fishing anywhere at anytime preferable by the fishers. * **Practicing Bycatch:** * This is when other marine animals that are unwanted are caught during commercial fishing. * **Sustainable practices:** * **Establish a cap** * To establish a cap on the number of annual fish catches. * **Turf Reserve:** * *TURF = Territorial Use Rights of Fishing* There is a designated area where a group of fishers are granted exclusive access. * *RESERVE*= It is an area next to or inside of the turf that there is no fishing allowed. * **Catch & Release** * Releasing an unwanted fish back into the water where it was caught.