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Lake Oswego Train the Trainer Sustainability Workbook January 28 & 29, 2011 Workshop

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Lake Oswego Train the Trainer Sustainability Workbook January 28 & 29, 2011 Workshop Lake Oswego Train the Trainer Workbook January 28 & 29, 2011 Workshop Lake Oswego Train the Trainer Sustainability Workbook January 28 & 29, 2011 Workshop Table of Contents 1. Natural Step Sustainability Presentation with notes 2. U.S. Sustainability Primer: Step by Natural Step 3. A Primer on The Natural Step System Conditions and Planning for Sustainability (developed by Natural Step International) 4. Exploring Human Needs 5. City of Lake Oswego Sustainability Plan (11/21/07) 6. Natural Step Case Study: the Whistler Story 7. Journal of Cleaner Production: Strategic sustainable development — selection, design and synergies of applied tools Lake Oswego is updating the city’s comprehensive plan and using sustainability as a foundation in its development . Because sustainability can be a confusing and at times complex issue to understand the city is using the Natural Step sustainability framework to guide its efforts. The Natural Step is a scientifically based set of four principles that can act as a compass in guiding any organization or municipality toward full sustainability. One of the strengths of the Natural Step framework is that it is non-prescriptive. It doesn’t dictate what an organization must do. Instead it provides a set of first order principles that one can use to determine if a particular scenario or plan will ultimately lead toward full sustainability. Organizations and communities that have successfully used the Natural Step have done so by providing training on sustainability and the Natural Step so that there is a common understanding of what sustainability is and a shared mental model of how to get there. The purpose of this presentation is to provide that understanding to help our community create a sound sustainable foundation for whatever future we choose. 1 Here are two definitions of sustainability. The first comes from the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) and was used at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. It focuses on the intergenerational issue of sustainability – allowing for future generations to have the opportunity to have the same opportunity for a good quality of life as we do. The second, taken from the City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Plan adds the recognition that sustainability is more than just an ecological issue. It also involves having a health society and healthy economy. The real challenge regarding sustainability is not defining it but instead knowing if what we are doing will ultimately meet these definitions . Sustainability is a complex issue that requires a commonly understood set of principles or framework to guide our actions. 2 Many people confuse sustainability with being “green”. Green thinking primarily focuses on tactical ecological issues such as minimizing waste, treading lightly on the planet, etc. Although these are good things to do, their perspective is one of being less “bad” and they lack a clearly defined set of metrics to know if what society is doing will ultimately lead to a sustainable society . Sustainability understands that we are living in a complex system where things are interrelated. Consequently sustainability requires a strategic, whole systems perspective where we understand how actions in one area can impact activities in another. Sustainability is also about more than having a healthy environment. It is also about having a healthy society and economy. When properly seen from a whole systems perspective the goal is not be less bad but to instead understand the basic principles nature has used to create and maintain a healthy planet and to then align our community and business practices with those principles. 3 Most audiences understand there is a problem. In Oregon we don’t need to look further than prematurely melting snow packs, reduction of fish off the Oregon coast, rising demand for finite resources such as water and debates over how to manage our forests. For many these debates are confusing and complex where scientists can even seem to agree on what is happening. 4 The Funnel as a metaphor of our current global trends Basically there are two trends that are on a collision course. One is a world population that is continuing to grow. Not only is the population growing but many want the same kind of affluence that they see those of us in the West having Currently that is causing a growing consumption of life supporting resources faster than they can renew themselves. If these two trends continue they will eventually lead to a collapse of our ecological, social and economic systems. Risk vs. Opportunity The good news is that there is still time to act. However the longer we wait the less options we have to solve these issues and the cost to solve them will only increase. Consequently it is in our best interest to act now. Take away •There is no way of knowing how much time we have •We had better make sure that we are heading in the right direction •Given the problems are at the global level: we need a systems level approach that can address this scope all of society needs to be a part of the solution 5 Swedish oncologist, Karl Henrik Robert, felt that environmental issues could be better understood by taking a whole systems perspective that focuses on the upstream causes or principles that drive all the details. He was also looking for areas of agreement that could provide a common language all could understand. Consequently he drafted a list of basic scientific principles and circulated among his colleagues. Twenty one drafts later he had agreement from 50 leading Swedish scientists on the basic science that underlies a sustainable planet. 6 7 Most people who want to create sustainability initiatives often want to start at the Action Level – what kind of recycling program should we have? What purchasing policies should we pursue? However if we are going to play the “sustainability game” we need to understand the basic rules of the game and what constitutes “winning” or success if we are going to play the game well. Otherwise we can take actions that may help one issue but cause problems in another area. 8 First scientific principle: Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy says that matter and energy at its most fundamental level is not created or destroyed. One implication is that when we throw something away there is no “away”. All we are doing is moving stuff from one part of the planet to another part. Second scientific principle: Second Law of Thermodynamics and the concept of Entropy imply that without input of more energy systems run down and disperse. The implication of that is over time everything spreads. It is why we are seeing pesticides sprayed in South America show up in polar bears in the Artic. The value then in matter is the way atoms are combined to make things. Gasoline has value because carbon, hydrogen and oxygen combine to make gasoline. When the gasoline is consumed it disappears but the atoms don’t. They are now transformed into other substances such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc Just in the process of living we break down the concentration and structure of matter. What restores order? Karl Henrk’s conclusion was that green cells through the pppypyyrocess of photosynthesis is the primary way that atoms are recombined into useful structure. 9 How did Nature use this science to create a sustainable planet. There are many attributes but some of the most important are: -Closed loop systems: waste from one species is “food” for another -Use of solar energy to drive the system and keep it from running down -Sequestering of matter in the earth’s crust that could be life threatening resulting in a biosphere of o xygen , carbon dio xide and nitrogen that s upports li ving s ystems 10 When Karl Henrik Robert convened the team of scientists to come to consensus on the system dynamics you see here, he ultimately wanted to know, how is this system being destroyed? They concluded that there are four things we as human beings are doing 1. We are taking more out of the ground than is going back in – metals and minerals that are scare in nature that are toxify ing the system. We are re leas ing billi ons of years of sequestered materi al s over a sh ort peri od of ti me i nto th e biosphere. Nature cannot tolerate this as these substances are either directly toxic to the living system or they alter the conditions needed to support life. 2. We are creating synthetic or man-made substances nature has never seen before, some of which are toxic and persistent – DDT, PVC, PCBs, etc 3. We are physically inhibiting the ability of nature to run its cycles by clogging up the system with excess toxins and by reducing nature’s restorative capacity - more and more asphalt on fertile land, lower and lower ground water tables from irrigation, more and more encroachment on marine systems from overfishing, and loss of biodiversity from deforestation. This diminishes nature’s ability to restore order, to clean up the waste that is occuring. Ex: The diversity of species helps to ensure the health of the system, each has its role to create balance. 4. Finally, the Societal economy is so designed that it destroys the social tissue. We mostly take care of our families, friends, and colleagues but we don’t see the consequences of our actions in other parts of the world – perhaps from suppliers in the developing world. We often and unintentionally don’t allow them to meet their needs, and act as if we didn’t understand that this will – sooner or later – lead to serious consequences, also from a self-beneficial point of view and just like with the destruction of the ecosystems.
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