Environmental Sustainability PDF

Environmental Sustainability Outline Ecosystem Services Common Pool Resource Management Blindsides of Going Green Synthesis Ecosystem Services Benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005) Four Major Categories Provisioning Regulating...

Environmental Sustainability Outline Ecosystem Services Common Pool Resource Management Blindsides of Going Green Synthesis Ecosystem Services Benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005) Four Major Categories Provisioning Regulating Cultural Supporting Ecosystem Services Provisioning Material benefits Food, water, fiber, wood, fuels Regulating Benefits from regulation Air quality, soil fertility, flood control, crop pollination Ecosystem Services Cultural Non-material benefits Recreation, tourism, aesthetic appreciation, inspiration, spiritual experiences Supporting Necessary natural processes for other ecosystem services Habitats, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, water cycle Helmer, et al. (2020)  While we benefit from nature, nature has its ways to manage itself too How can we aid nature? Self-discipline and technology Tragedy of the Commons “Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all” (Hardin, 1968) Commons and Humanity Commons: a shared pool of resources by a population Resources are finite but can be sustained and replenished But human desire is an endless pit Tragedy: continuous deterioration of our common-pool resources Challenges of Sustainability abound: Future-sight: “This will eventually replenish itself” Social scope: “I need to make sure I have more than enough for my self/family/community/country” Bigger picture: “Larger entities take more than anyway. If they can do it, so can I” How do we combat human greed towards common-pool resources? Ostrom’s (1990) Eight Design Principles Clearly Defined Boundaries Persons with rights to withdraw from and the boundaries of the common- pool resource are clearly defined Proportional Equivalence Between Benefits and Costs Match and proportion appropriation roles’ benefits, costs, and local contexts Collective-Choice Arrangement Persons affected by the rules can participate in modifying these Monitoring Active auditors of the common-pool resource conditions and appropriate behavior are accountable to the appropriators Ostrom’s (1990) Eight Design Principles Graduated Sanctions Rule violators are to receive graduated sanctions Conflict Resolution Mechanism Ensure rapid access to low-cost and local dispute resolutions Minimal Recognition of Rights External authorities respect rules set Nested Enterprises (Coordination in Governance Across Scales) Create multiple levels for governance of the common-pool resource But, is this tragedy simply born out of human greed?  Overpopulation The inevitable cause of the tragedy of the commons  Investing in social security Embracing risk management (e.g., subsidized risk insurance) Financial aid and support (e.g., conditional Combatting Rapid cash transfers) Better provision of public goods and Population Growth services Education Women empowerment Aiding with Green Technology Blindsides of Going Green Jevon’s Paradox Named after economist William Stanley Jevon (1865) Efficiency-increasing technology has counterintuitive effects Makes technology cheaper Increases demand Shift from coal to steam Shift from fluorescent to LED Shift from regular to inverter ACs Blindsides of Going Green Negative Production Effect Efficiency-increasing technologies lead to more investments Resulting in increase in negative effects used in production Solar cell manufacture and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) 17,000 times more harmful than CO2 11% increase in the atmosphere per year Biofuel and food Decrease in food supply → increase in food prices In Brazil, change of sugarcane plantations to biofuel farms Need for sugarcane plantations → reappropriating rainforests Green Conscience Phenomenon Ozzie Zehner (2012) People’s easy seduction by the promise of new clean-energy technologies Subconsciously believing that we can maintain our current levels of consumption We latch onto the belief that technological advancement is a cure-all Only and overly relying on technology is an illusion that makes us believe we can live free and unchanged without any consequences to the environment Synthesis How do we cover our blindsides? While technology aids, it cannot be our cure-all Mixed methods approach is necessary Governance Respect Discipline Policies can help too Policy and Ideology Shifts (Zehner, 2012; Project Drawdown, 2017) Focus on policies that encourage less consumption Tax consumption instead of income Incentivize smart packaging Make paperless transactions legally binding Ban child advertising Redesign cities Create green and breathing spaces Invest in, encourage the use, and heighten safety of public transport and bicycle usage Policy and Ideology Shifts (Zehner, 2012; Project Drawdown, 2017) Protect forests, peats and wetlands, and restore degraded land Respect and support our ecosystem services Promote and support ocean farming An integrated and balanced approach is most necessary